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Vibecoding Best Practices

Vibecoding is a development approach where developers collaborate with AI coding assistants to build software through natural language conversation. InstaCRUD is purpose-built for AI-assisted development and vibecoding — making it easy to transform into your own solution.

For the best experience, we recommend using agentic in-IDE coding systems like Copilot, Cursor, or Claude Code. These tools can navigate your codebase, run commands, and iterate autonomously.

If you prefer using AI chat interfaces instead, InstaCRUD has you covered: most source files include path headers like //components/entity/document/DocumentGrid.tsx at the top, helping the AI understand file context even when you paste code snippets into a conversation.

This guide covers best practices for working with these AI-assisted workflows.

Why Claude Code?​

As of early 2026, Claude Code has established itself as one of the fastest and most capable agentic coding tools available, according to ESNG One analysis. What makes it particularly effective:

  • Shell execution — Runs your code, tests, and build commands directly
  • Web capabilities — Can fetch documentation and external resources when needed
  • Intelligent codebase navigation — Searches and understands your project structure, working around context-length limitations
  • VS Code integration — Works seamlessly within your development environment

Prerequisites​

Before you begin, complete these setup steps:

Step 1: Get a Claude Plan​

Sign up for a Claude paid plan that includes Claude Code access at claude.ai. Check the current pricing and features to ensure Claude Code is included in your subscription.

Step 2: Install VS Code​

Download and install Visual Studio Code from code.visualstudio.com if you haven't already.

Step 3: Install Claude Code Extension​

  1. Open VS Code
  2. Go to Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X)
  3. Search for "Claude Code"
  4. Click Install

Step 4: Authenticate​

  1. Open the Claude Code panel in VS Code
  2. Click Sign In
  3. Follow the authentication flow to connect your Claude account

Best Practices​

1. Open the Full Project Folder​

Always open the entire instacrud folder in VS Code rather than individual files or subfolders. This gives Claude Code full visibility into your project structure, allowing it to:

  • Navigate between frontend, backend, and documentation
  • Understand relationships between components
  • Make consistent changes across multiple files
File → Open Folder → Select instacrud

2. Start with Context​

Before asking Claude to implement a feature, open a relevant file that provides context. Good starting points include:

  • Organizational model — backend/instacrud/models/organization.py
  • Existing entity example — frontend/src/app/(admin)/(entities)/projects/
  • API endpoint pattern — backend/instacrud/api/project_api.py

This helps Claude understand the patterns and conventions your codebase follows.

3. Write Clear Feature Requests​

When asking Claude to implement something, be specific about what you want. A good prompt includes:

  • What you want to create
  • Where it should fit in the architecture
  • Which patterns to follow

Example prompt:

Add a Task entity with all the necessary code. Update the Axios client
using npm run generate-api and generate UI similar to Projects.

4. Reference Files and Folders​

Improve Claude's responses by referencing specific files or folders. In VS Code:

  1. Right-click on a file or folder in the Explorer
  2. Select Copy Path
  3. Paste the path into your chat message

Example:

Create a Tasks UI similar to the Projects section.
Reference: C:\git\instacrud\frontend\src\app\(admin)\(entities)\projects

This gives Claude explicit context about which patterns to follow.

5. Commit Frequently​

AI-assisted development often involves iteration. Protect your progress with frequent commits:

  1. When Claude generates a working solution (even partially), commit it
  2. Use descriptive commit messages: Add Task model and API endpoints
  3. This creates restore points if you need to roll back

Workflow:

# After each stable iteration
git add .
git commit -m "Add Task entity - basic implementation"

# If something breaks, you can easily reset
git checkout -- .
# or
git reset --hard HEAD~1

6. Automated Iteration (Use Mindfully)​

Claude Code can run your code, observe errors, and iterate automatically until tests pass. This is powerful but comes with trade-offs:

Advantages:

  • Faster development cycles
  • Claude learns from error messages in real-time
  • Less manual back-and-forth

Considerations:

  • Consumes more tokens per session
  • May hit rate limits on heavy usage
  • Monitor your subscription usage

Example prompt:

Run tests using `poetry run pytest test/run_all_test.py` and fix any failures.
Keep iterating until all tests pass.

Use this approach for well-defined tasks with clear success criteria. For exploratory work or major features, a more interactive approach may be more efficient.

7. Keep Dev Servers Running​

Both FastAPI and Next.js excel at live-reloading during development. Keep them running throughout your vibecoding session:

  • FastAPI — Automatically reloads when Python files change
  • Next.js — Hot Module Replacement (HMR) updates the browser instantly

Workflow:

# In one terminal
cd backend && poetry run python instacrud/app.py

# In another terminal
cd frontend && npm run dev

Leave both servers running while Claude makes changes. You'll see updates reflected immediately without manual restarts. This creates a tight feedback loop where you can:

  • Watch UI updates appear instantly in your browser
  • Catch errors as they happen rather than discovering them later

This immediate feedback makes vibecoding significantly more productive—you can validate Claude's changes visually while the conversation continues.

Example Workflow​

Here's a complete workflow for adding a new entity:

  1. Open the instacrud folder in VS Code
  2. Navigate to an existing entity like projects/ to understand the pattern
  3. Open Claude Code and describe your feature: 
    I want to add a "Task" entity that belongs to Projects.
    Each task has: title, description, status (todo/in_progress/done),
    due_date, and assigned_user.

    Please create:
    1. Backend model and API
    2. Run npm run generate-api to update the client
    3. Frontend pages following the Projects pattern

    Reference: C:\git\instacrud\frontend\src\app\(admin)\(entities)\projects
  4. Review Claude's proposed changes before accepting
  5. Test the implementation manually or ask Claude to run tests
  6. Commit when you have a stable version
  7. Iterate if adjustments are needed

Tips for Better Results​

  • Be specific — "Add validation for email format" works better than "improve the form"
  • Show examples — Reference existing code patterns you want to follow
  • Break down large tasks — Implement features incrementally rather than all at once
  • Review generated code — AI-generated code should be reviewed like any other code
  • Learn from output — Use Claude's explanations to understand unfamiliar patterns

Troubleshooting​

Claude Doesn't See My Files​

  • Ensure you opened the folder, not individual files
  • Check that the file isn't in .gitignore (some tools skip ignored files)
  • Try explicitly referencing the file path in your message

Generated Code Doesn't Match Project Style​

  • Reference a specific file that demonstrates the correct pattern
  • Be explicit: "Follow the exact same structure as project_api.py"

Summary​

Effective vibecoding with Claude Code:

  1. Open the full project for complete context
  2. Provide reference files to guide patterns
  3. Write specific prompts describing what you want
  4. Commit frequently to protect your progress
  5. Use automated iteration mindfully, watching token usage
  6. Keep dev servers running to see changes immediately
  7. Review and learn from generated code