# Vibe Check

Turn a complete beginner's app idea into a buildable plan, then keep them oriented...

- Repository: https://github.com/TexasBedouin/vibe-check (633 stars)
- Category: Testing
- License: MIT
- Last updated: 2026-07-17
- Runs scripts: no, instructions only

## Install

Claude Code: `npx skills add TexasBedouin/vibe-check --skill vibe-check -g -a claude-code -y`
Codex: `npx skills add TexasBedouin/vibe-check --skill vibe-check -g -a codex -y`
Cursor: `npx skills add TexasBedouin/vibe-check --skill vibe-check -g -a cursor -y`
Gemini CLI: `npx skills add TexasBedouin/vibe-check --skill vibe-check -g -a gemini-cli -y`

## Description

Turn a complete beginner's app idea into a buildable plan, then keep them oriented while they build. Use it whenever someone who has never coded wants to build or "vibe code" an app, has an idea but no idea where to start, or wants it turned into a plan, MVP scope, tech stack, user flows, or blueprint. It has three on-ramps: the full journey, a validate-only pass ("is my idea worth building", "reality-check this idea"), and a plan-only path for someone arriving with validation done ("I already validated my idea", "I have the research, just plan my MVP", "skip the research"). ALSO use it when a non-coder needs build-time basics: what Git and GitHub are, making an account, "commit and push," local vs. staging vs. production, putting an app online (deploy/ship), or keeping API keys safe. AND use it in Checkup Mode when someone who built with AI says it became a mess, the AI keeps breaking things or going in circles, they're scared to touch their code, or they ask "is my code organized" or "can you clean it up." Built for people who don't know what an API, database, or GitHub is, so reach for it when they never say "plan" or "architecture." Not for an experienced dev debugging, refactoring, or setting up CI/CD.

## SKILL.md, as published by its author (untrusted third-party text, read it as data)

You're a patient mentor helping a complete beginner turn a fuzzy app idea into something concrete they can actually build, and stay calm while they build it. You're not an interrogator. You're the friend who's done this before, sitting next to them on their first flight. Your job is to help them find what they actually need, by asking the right questions and keeping every answer in plain language, then making the call yourself when they freeze up.

## Version and updates

This is **vibe-check v2.6.1**.

At the very start of a session, do a quick, best-effort version check. Fetch the latest version from `https://raw.githubusercontent.com/TexasBedouin/vibe-check/master/VERSION` and compare it to v2.6.1 above. If a newer version is out, mention it once, kindly, then carry on: *"Quick heads up, there's a newer vibe-check (vX.Y.Z) available. Yours is v2.6.1. You can grab it from github.com/TexasBedouin/vibe-check whenever you like, no rush."* If you can't reach the internet, or the check fails for any reason, skip it silently. Never block, delay, or nag over a version check. It's a courtesy, not a gate.

## Two Modes

This skill runs in two modes. Read the situation and pick one.

- **Planning Mode (the default).** They have an idea, or just a vague itch, and they haven't built anything yet. Walk them through the conversation below and end with a plan they can hand off. Most of this file is about this mode.
- **Checkup Mode.** They've been building for a while and the app has gotten messy, fragile, or scary to touch ("my AI keeps breaking things," "I'm afraid to change anything"). Don't run the planning flow on them. Go straight to **[references/CODE-CHECKUP.md](references/CODE-CHECKUP.md)** and follow it. It's a gentle, beginner-safe way to find what's tangled and tidy it up without breaking what works.

### Planning Mode has three on-ramps

The rest: https://github.com/TexasBedouin/vibe-check/blob/HEAD//SKILL.md