How to fix a vibe-coded app
Vibe coding gets you a working app fast. You describe what you want to Lovable, Bolt, Replit or Cursor, and a few days later something is live. For a demo or a first round of users, that’s often enough.
The trouble starts when you try to change it. A small fix breaks two other pages. The AI keeps rewriting the same file. Nobody on the team can explain how the code fits together.
Most vibe-coded apps don’t need a rewrite. They need cleanup.
Signs your vibe-coded app needs fixing
- Small changes that break unrelated pages
- The same component copied in five places
- API keys in the frontend code
- Pages that take seconds to load
- A layout that falls apart on a phone
- An AI tool that keeps undoing its own fixes
- No one who can explain how the code works
Rewrite or fix it?
It’s tempting to start over, and it’s usually not worth it. A rewrite throws away everything that already works, including the small decisions your users have gotten used to. It also takes weeks before you ship anything new.
Fixing it in place is slower to start and faster overall. You keep shipping while the code gets better, one piece at a time.
A rewrite makes sense in a few cases. The app is small, the stack is a poor fit for what you’re building, or the data model is wrong at the root. Even then, you can often keep the UI and replace what’s underneath.
How to fix a vibe-coded app
1. Get it into a repo you own
If the app lives only inside Lovable, Bolt or Replit, export it to GitHub first. You want the code in your own repo, with version history, so every change can be reviewed and undone.
2. Fix security first
Check for secrets in the frontend, missing access rules on your database, and API routes anyone can call. AI tools often skip these, and they’re the problems that hurt most. The vibe-coded app checklist covers what to look for.
3. Clean up the core pieces
Most apps have a handful of things everything else depends on, like the layout, the buttons and form fields, the data fetching and the auth. Clean those up first. Every page that uses them gets better at once.
4. Remove the duplicates
AI tools tend to copy code instead of reusing it. You’ll often find three versions of the same button and two ways to fetch the same data. Pick one, delete the rest, and the app gets smaller and easier to change.
5. Give the AI rules
If you keep using AI tools, and you probably should, give them rules. A short AGENTS.md file in the repo that describes the structure, the components to reuse and the patterns to avoid keeps the next feature from undoing the cleanup.
6. Fix as you ship
Don’t stop new work for a month of cleanup. Improve the code around whatever you’re building next. After a few weeks, the parts of the app you touch most are the cleanest.
Can you fix it yourself?
If you’re technical, yes. Start with security and the duplicates, and ask your AI tool to explain the code before it changes it.
If you’re not, the hard part is knowing what good code looks like. AI tools will tell you the code is fine. Someone experienced can tell you whether it is.
Hiring someone to fix it
There are plenty of offers to fix vibe-coded apps, many of them cheap gigs that patch one bug at a time. That can help with a single error. It won’t make the app easier to change.
Look for someone who asks for repo access and looks at the whole app before quoting. They should explain what they found in plain words, and leave the code in a state your team and your AI tools can keep building on.
How Frontend Supply works
Frontend Supply is a monthly frontend subscription for startups, and vibe-coded apps are welcome. I clean them up so your team can keep building.
It’s one senior frontend engineer and a set of AI agents. I lead them like a team. I plan the work, set the architecture and component APIs, and correct them when they cut corners or use bad patterns. That last part is what most vibe-coded apps are missing.
It’s $5,000 a month, with no contract. You can start with a one-week trial for $1,250 on your own codebase. More about me.
When your app works but every change feels risky, I make sure you can keep shipping.
FAQ
Can a vibe-coded app go to production?
Yes, many do. It needs what any production app needs, which is secure data access, error handling, decent performance and code someone can maintain. Vibe-coded apps usually miss a few of those, and they can be added.
Should I stop using Lovable or Bolt?
Not necessarily. They’re great for getting a first version out. Many teams move the code to GitHub and keep working in Cursor or Claude Code once the app gets bigger.
How long does it take to clean up a vibe-coded app?
It depends on the size of the app. Security fixes are often a matter of days. A broader cleanup works best alongside new features, over a few weeks.
What does it cost to fix a vibe-coded app?
One-off bug fixes are cheap. A proper cleanup costs more, because someone has to understand the whole app first. With Frontend Supply, it’s part of the flat monthly price.