Vibe Coding: building your e-commerce site with AI without a developer

In January 2025, Andrej Karpathy (co-founder of OpenAI) published the term « Vibe Coding » on X. In 60 days, the concept generated more than 200,000 mentions. Startup founders describe MVPs built over weekends. E-retailers create their own automation tools. The line between “I know how to code” and “I don’t know how to code” has just moved.

What exactly is Vibe Coding?

Vibe Coding consists of piloting a generative AI tool (Claude, GPT-4, Gemini) via an augmented code editor (Cursor, Windsurf) or a no-code/AI platform (Bolt.new, Lovable) by describing in natural language what you want to build. The AI ​​generates the code, you test, you correct via new instructions.

The principle: you are the project manager, the AI ​​is the developer. You describe the expected behavior (« when the user clicks on this button, display a popup with the contact form »), the AI ​​writes the corresponding code. You don’t need to read the code — only test the result and fix any deviations.

This is not no-code in the classic sense (Webflow, Shopify sections). It’s an intermediate level: you touch the code, but you don’t write it. For e-retailers who want to go further, our offer Vibe Coding e-commerce includes structured support from design to deployment.

What tools should I use to do Vibe Coding in e-commerce?

The Vibe Coding tools market is structured into two categories: augmented editors (for those who can open a code file) and AI builders (for those who want to stay in a visual interface).

AI-augmented code editors

• Cursor: fork of VS Code with Claude and GPT integrated. Ideal for modifying existing Shopify, WooCommerce or PrestaShop themes. Understanding the context of the entire project.
• Windsurf (Codeium): similar to Cursor, with a slightly more accessible interface for beginners.
• Claude Code (Anthropic): powerful CLI tool for technical projects, with reasoning ability on complex codebases.

AI Builders (without code editor)

• Bolt.new: Generates complete React/Node applications from a description. One-click deployment via Netlify. Perfect for internal tools or complex landing pages.
• Lovable: focused on SaaS applications and user interfaces. Generates clean, maintainable React code.
• v0 (Vercel): specialized in the generation of UI components. Excellent for creating tailor-made sections of e-commerce pages.

For most e-retailers, the most effective combination is Cursor + Claude for theme changes and integrations, and Bolt.new for tools or pages to create from scratch. Our page Vibe Coding e-commerce details the stacks according to your CMS.

What can you actually build without knowing how to code?

The relevant question is not « can we do everything » but « what is reasonably feasible in Vibe Coding on an e-commerce without technical training ». Here’s what works well in practice:

• Landing pages and campaign pages: tailor-made HTML/CSS structure, animations, personalized sections — outside the CMS template
• Simple API integrations: connect a form to a CRM (HubSpot, Brevo), send data to a Google Sheet, trigger a webhook
• Personalization scripts: display a promotional banner according to location, modify the price displayed according to the customer segment
• Internal tools: product description generator, price calculation tool, simplified monitoring dashboard
• Theme modifications: add a field, modify the layout of a product sheet, create a personalized page template

A concrete example: a Shopify e-retailer created a product configurator in 4 hours of Vibe Coding (selection of variants with visual preview) which would have cost €3,000 to €5,000 for a freelance developer. The generated code was functional and deployed directly to production.

What are the real limits of Vibe Coding?

Vibe Coding does not replace everything. Some situations require technical expertise that AI alone cannot compensate for:

• Security and Payments: Everything related to transactions, customer data and authentications requires review by an experienced developer. AI generates functional code but not necessarily secure.
• Large-scale performance: an e-commerce application with 100,000 orders/day has architectural constraints that Vibe Coding cannot resolve alone.
• Debugging complex errors: When the bug comes from an interaction between multiple systems, the AI often goes in circles without a deep understanding of the architecture.
• Migrations and database redesign: destructive operations on real data are not subjects for unsupervised Vibe Coding.

The practical rule: Vibe Coding works on well-defined problems with a clear scope. The wider and more interconnected the scope, the greater the risk of hallucinations and unmaintainable code.

Why does support radically change the result?

The difference between an e-retailer who « try Vibe Coding » and one who derives a real competitive advantage from it is the prompt structure and architectural vision. AI is excellent at carrying out a precise instruction. It is poor at defining what to build and in what order.

Vibe Coding support for e-commerce consists of: defining development priorities, structuring prompts to avoid deviations, validating the code generated before deployment and training the team to maintain the elements created. Our Vibe Coding offer covers exactly this scope — from the roadmap to production. By combining Vibe Coding with a semantic cocoons architecture, some clients multiply their production of optimized content by 5 in a few weeks.

Stéphane Jambu

SEO engineer, 650+ clients, 1,200+ semantic cocoons deployed from Cambodia. Founder of Hi-Commerce, specialized in e-commerce SEO architecture, GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) and neuroscience applied to content.