What is a Vibe-Code Smell?
Vibe-Code Smell: A term derived from traditional "Code Smells," but specific to the AI collaboration era. A vibe-code smell is a pattern in code, prompts, or workflows that indicates a project is falling into the Speed Trap and accumulating invisible Synthetic Debt.
Why Smells Matter in the AI Era
Traditional code smells (like "Long Method" or "God Object") are about the structure of the code itself. Vibe-code smells are about the relationship between the human and the AI. They help you detect when you are abdicating judgment to the machine.
The 15 Vibe-Code Smells
The Clean Vibe catalog identifies 15 specific smells, organized by category:
🔴 Prompting & Requirements
- Ambiguous Goal: Vague prompts.
- Prompt Drift: Losing track of intent.
- Context Flood: Dumping too much info.
🟠 Agents & Automation
- Over-Delegation: Too much autonomy.
- No Boundaries: Unrestricted access.
- Magic Black Box: Opaque logic.
🟡 Architecture & Design
- Hidden Dependencies: Implicit coupling.
- Over-Structuring: Unnecessary complexity.
- Style Drift: Inconsistent naming/patterns.
🔵 Process & Workflow
- Missing Self-Review: Rubber-stamping PRs.
- Copy-Paste Loops: Repeated AI patterns.
- Over-Iteration: Endless chat "fixes."
🟣 Testing & Quality
- Circular Testing: AI tests AI code.
- Silent Failure: Swallowed errors.
🟤 Ethics & Responsibility
- Ethical Blindspot: Ignored legal/privacy norms.
The Smell Test
0-2 Smells
Healthy project
3-5 Smells
Concerning debt
6+ Smells
Project Crisis
Source: Ch 21
The goal of the Clean Vibe methodology is to provide early detection. If you can "smell" the debt in Chapter 2, you can prevent the collapse in Chapter 12.
Related Terms
- Vibe Coding: The practice that produces smells.
- Synthetic Debt: The result of ignored smells.
- Digital Archaeologist: The person hired to fix smells later.
Book Reference
- Prologue: Introduction of the concept.
- Appendix B: The full 15-smell catalog with examples and fixes.
- Part IV: How to refactor every smell.