Top Vibe Coding Best Practices (with Copy‑Paste Prompts for Web Dev + SEO)

When you’re coding with AI, the vibe matters just as much as the syntax. Treat AI like a junior dev: eager, fast, and patient — but needing clear direction. The secret is focused prompts, reusable components, and committing in small steps.

Smaller prompts always win

Break features into atomic asks. Ask for a navbar, not a whole site. You’ll get cleaner results and stay in control.

Create a simple HTML + Tailwind responsive navbar with a logo on the left and three links on the right. Keep the code minimal and mobile-friendly.

Don’t fight pixel perfection early. If something tiny eats time, ship the working version and polish later.

This button padding looks off. Suggest a simpler Tailwind class to make it balanced without overcomplicating.

Get the bones in place first

Function over finish. Build forms, data flow, and basic interactions before styling flourishes.

Ignore design for now. Just give me the HTML + Tailwind code for a checkout form with name, email, and payment fields, plus a submit button.

Reuse components like Lego

Create once, reuse everywhere. Consistent names like <FeatureCard> make outputs predictable.

Write a reusable Tailwind component called <FeatureCard> that takes a title, description, and icon as inputs. Make it clean and responsive.

Use AI as a debugger

Ask in plain English why something might break. It often spots hidden issues fast.

Explain why this Tailwind class combination might break responsiveness: flex flex-row items-center justify-between md:justify-around

Keep prompts lean

Paste only what’s needed. Less clutter = better focus and faster answers.

Here’s my tailwind.config.js. Simplify it so it only includes colors and typography needed for a blog website.

Version control is your safety net

Make small, clear commits. Ask AI for tidy commit messages.

Suggest a Git commit message for this change: added SEO meta tags to all blog pages.

Switch modes intentionally

Brainstorm (chat mode) ≠ Execute (code mode). Separate them to stay sharp.

Brainstorm three SEO-friendly blog layouts for a site built with HTML + Tailwind. No code yet.

Now write the HTML + Tailwind code for option #2 with a sidebar and featured posts section.

Lean on AI for debugging

Instrument your UI. For frontend, console.log is still king.

Add console.log statements to this JavaScript so I can see when the menu toggle is triggered and what state it’s in.

Automate the boring DevOps

Use AI to draft CLI commands for branches, PRs, and reviews.

Generate a GitHub CLI command to create a branch called seo-meta-update, commit all changes, and open a pull request with the title 'Add SEO meta tags'.

The big one: an SEO‑optimized page template

When speed matters, have a ready prompt for a full SEO page template.

Create an SEO-friendly HTML + Tailwind blog page template with:
- H1 title
- meta description
- canonical link
- OpenGraph/Twitter tags
- schema markup for article
- responsive layout with featured image and content.

Bottom line

AI amplifies your habits. Guide it clearly, move feature‑by‑feature, reuse components, and automate the boring parts. You’ll ship faster — and have more fun.