5 Common Vibe Coding Mistakes (and How to Fix Them)

Mistake #1: No Error Handling

The Problem:
AI-generated code often assumes everything works perfectly. No try-catch, no error states, no fallbacks.

The Fix:

// Bad
const data = await fetch('/api/data').then(r => r.json());

// Good
try {
  const res = await fetch('/api/data');
  if (!res.ok) throw new Error('Failed to fetch');
  const data = await res.json();
} catch (error) {
  console.error('Error:', error);
  // Show user-friendly message
}

Mistake #2: Hardcoded Secrets

The Problem:
AI doesn't know about .env files. It often puts API keys directly in code.

The Fix:

• Never commit secrets to git
• Use environment variables
• Add .env to .gitignore

Mistake #3: No Input Validation

The Problem:
AI trusts all user input. This leads to security vulnerabilities and crashes.

The Fix:

// Bad
const userId = req.body.userId;

// Good
const userId = req.body.userId;
if (!userId || typeof userId !== 'string') {
  return res.status(400).json({ error: 'Invalid userId' });
}

Mistake #4: N+1 Database Queries

The Problem:
AI often writes code that makes one query per item instead of batching.

The Fix:

// Bad - N+1 queries
for (const userId of userIds) {
  const user = await db.users.findById(userId);
}

// Good - Single query
const users = await db.users.find({ _id: { $in: userIds } });

Mistake #5: No Loading States

The Problem:
AI forgets that APIs take time. Users see blank screens or broken UI.

The Fix:

• Add loading spinners
• Show skeleton screens
• Disable buttons during submission

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