ChatGPT Prompts for Vibe Coding: 12 Spec-First Prompts
12 ChatGPT prompts for vibe coding: scope the idea, write tests, review each step and ship small without inventing APIs or library versions.
ChatGPT prompts for vibe coding work best when they turn a product feeling into a scoped spec, tests and small reviewable steps. They should not invent APIs, library versions or file trees. The 12 prompts below keep the fun of vibe coding while forcing a stop before the model hallucinates a stack.
The flagship is the vibe coding prompt for spec, tests and step reviews. Paste the vibe, stack, must-haves, non-goals and stop rules, and it returns a spec slice, tests-first plan, step checklist and a copy-paste agent brief.
Scope the vibe
1. Vibe to must-haves
Product vibe: [paragraph]. Turn it into 5 must-have behaviors for a weekend slice. List non-goals separately. Do not invent features I did not imply.
2. Stack lock
Stack I already chose: [list]. Restate it and ask me before any new dependency. Refuse package versions I did not paste.
3. Stop rules
Write stop rules for this session: time box [N minutes], max new routes [list], ask-before dependencies. Keep them short enough to paste into Cursor.
Tests before code
4. Spec slice
From MustHaves: [list], write a numbered spec for the first working slice. Mark UNKNOWN decisions I still owe you.
5. Tests first
Test style: [Vitest / pytest / manual]. List tests that prove each must-have before implementation details. For a stricter spec-and-tests card, see the code generation prompt spec and tests first.
6. Failing test capture
I hit this failing test output: [paste]. Summarize expected vs actual. Next I will use the debugging prompt bug report to root cause if the fix is unclear.
Build in reviewable steps
7. Step plan
Break the slice into 4 to 6 steps. Name files only if they exist in RepoFacts: [paste]. Otherwise use role names, not invented paths.
8. Per-step review
For step [letter], give a 3-point review checklist: behavior, tests, diff hygiene against StopRules: [paste].
9. Agent brief
Write the first message I should paste into ChatGPT, Claude or Cursor including Stack, MustHaves, NonGoals and StopRules. For agent-shaped briefs, compare with the agentic coding task brief with stop rules.
Keep the weekend honest
10. Scope creep alarm
I am tempted to add [feature]. Argue from NonGoals whether it belongs this weekend. Offer a parking-lot line, not an implementation.
11. Custom instructions
Draft ChatGPT custom instructions for my stack: [stack]. Prefer the dedicated coding custom instructions by stack card for a full setup.
12. Retro after the slice
Here is what shipped: [list]. What stayed out because of NonGoals? What should the next 90-minute block attack first?
Worked example
A solo founder wanted a calm ship-log web app on Next.js, TypeScript, SQLite and Tailwind with Vitest already installed. The flagship prompt locked create/list/delete for the current ISO week, banned auth and AI summaries, ordered Vitest date-helper tests before UI and wrote an agent brief with a 90-minute stop rule. It refused invented Auth.js setup and fake folder trees.
Variations
- Larger projects: start from the coding project scoped build plan and ChatGPT prompts for coding projects.
- Repo agents: add the coding agent system prompt repo rules when tools can touch the filesystem.
- Bug days: jump to the ChatGPT prompt for debugging list with failing output pasted.
- No tests yet: force a manual checklist in TestStyle before any UI chrome.
Practical tips
- Vibe is allowed; invented APIs are not. Paste real package names from package.json or requirements.
- Time-box every session and stop when StopRules fire.
- One failing test is a gift; paste it instead of asking the model to guess.
- Keep NonGoals visible in every agent message.
- Check plan limits and pricing on each tool's official site before relying on them; this page names no prices.
- PromptDig is independent of OpenAI, Anthropic, Anysphere (Cursor) and Vercel (Next.js); names belong to their owners.
Related prompts
Use the debugging prompt bug report to root cause, ChatGPT prompt for debugging, the code generation prompt spec and tests first, the coding project scoped build plan, ChatGPT prompts for coding projects, the agentic coding task brief with stop rules, the coding custom instructions by stack and the coding agent system prompt repo rules.
Find more coding prompts in the Coding prompts hub, browse every prompt on PromptDig, or share a prompt that helped you.