Vibe Coding with Antigravity: The Complete Beginner's Guide to AI-First Development (2025)
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Nick
December 27, 2025
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Vibe Coding with Antigravity: The Complete Beginner's Guide to AI-First Development (2025)
What is Vibe Coding? The Future of Software Development
"Vibe coding" is the 2025 term for a revolutionary way to build software: instead of writing code line by line, you describe what you want in natural language and let AI create it for you. Think of it as having a conversation with a highly skilled developer who builds exactly what you're imagining.
The term was popularized by Andrej Karpathy (former Tesla AI Director) who tweeted: "There's a new kind of coding emerging that I call 'vibe coding.' You fully give in to the vibes, embrace exponentials, and build software with natural language prompts."
And it's not just hype. According to the 2025 Stack Overflow Developer Survey, 41% of all code is now AI-generated or AI-assisted. Junior developers using AI tools see productivity increases of 21-40%. The future isn't coming—it's here.
This guide will teach you everything you need to know about vibe coding with Google Antigravity, even if you've never written a line of code before.
Why Vibe Coding is a Game-Changer
The Old Way: Traditional Coding
Spend months learning programming syntax
Memorize hundreds of functions and methods
Debug cryptic error messages
Search Stack Overflow endlessly
Build slowly, one line at a time
The New Way: Vibe Coding
Describe what you want in plain English
AI generates working code instantly
Review and refine through conversation
Focus on ideas, not syntax
Ship 10x faster
This doesn't mean traditional programming knowledge is worthless—it's still valuable for understanding what the AI creates. But the barrier to entry has dropped dramatically. You can now build real applications with ideas and iteration, not years of study.
Getting Started with Google Antigravity
Google Antigravity is the best tool for vibe coding in 2025. Here's why:
1 million token context window: It can understand massive projects
Open VS Code and go to Extensions (Cmd+Shift+X on Mac, Ctrl+Shift+X on Windows)
Search for "Google Antigravity"
Click Install
Sign in with your Google account
That's it! You're ready to start vibe coding.
Step 2: Understand the Interface
Antigravity adds a few key features to VS Code:
Chat Panel (Cmd+L): Have conversations with the AI about your code
Inline Suggestions: AI autocompletes as you type
Agent Mode (Cmd+Shift+A): Let AI build entire features autonomously
Cmd+K: Quick edits on selected code
Your First Vibe Coding Project: Building a Todo App
Let's build a complete todo application through pure conversation. No prior coding knowledge required.
Step 1: Start the Conversation
Open the chat panel (Cmd+L) and type:
"I want to build a simple todo app. It should have:
A text input to add new tasks
A list showing all tasks
The ability to mark tasks as complete
The ability to delete tasks
A clean, modern design
Can you create this for me?"
Antigravity will respond with a plan and start generating files. You'll see it create:
An HTML file for structure
A CSS file for styling
A JavaScript file for functionality
Step 2: Review and Approve
The AI shows you what it's about to create. In vibe coding, you don't need to understand every line—focus on whether the result matches your vision.
Click "Accept" to apply the changes, or describe what you'd like different:
"This looks good, but I'd like the completed tasks to have a strikethrough effect and be slightly faded."
The AI will update the code accordingly.
Step 3: Test and Iterate
Right-click the HTML file and select "Open with Live Server" (you might need to install this VS Code extension). Your todo app opens in a browser.
Try it out! Add some tasks, complete them, delete them. If something doesn't work right or you want changes, just tell the AI:
"When I press Enter in the input field, it should add the task automatically instead of needing to click a button."
The AI makes the change. This is vibe coding—iterative conversation until you have exactly what you want.
Vibe Coding Techniques: From Beginner to Pro
Technique 1: The Vision Dump
Start with a complete brain dump of what you want. Don't worry about being technical or organized:
"I want to build a personal finance tracker. Users should see their bank balance, be able to add income and expenses, see where their money goes with charts, set budget limits for categories like food and entertainment, and get alerts when they're close to overspending. Make it look professional like a fintech app."
The AI will organize your scattered thoughts into a coherent application.
Technique 2: Reference What You Know
You don't need technical vocabulary. Reference products you're familiar with:
"Make the navigation like Notion—a collapsible sidebar with icons and text labels."
"I want cards that look like Airbnb listings—image on top, title, description, and a heart icon for favorites."
"Add a search bar that works like Spotify—showing results as you type."
Technique 3: Progressive Enhancement
Build in layers, starting simple and adding complexity:
Layer 1: "Create a basic blog with posts and a homepage."
Layer 2: "Add categories so I can filter posts by topic."
Layer 3: "Add user authentication so people can create accounts."
Layer 4: "Let logged-in users leave comments on posts."
Layer 5: "Add notifications when someone replies to your comment."
Each prompt builds on the previous, and the AI maintains context throughout.
Technique 4: The Screenshot Method
Found a design you love? Take a screenshot and share it:
"Make my landing page look like this [paste screenshot]. Keep the same layout and color scheme but use my content."
Antigravity's Gemini 3 model is multimodal—it can see and understand images.
Technique 5: Rubber Duck Prompting
Not sure what you want? Think out loud:
"I'm building a habit tracker but I'm not sure how it should work. I want to track daily habits, but some habits are weekly. I need to see my streaks and maybe get motivated by statistics. What would you suggest for the features and how should the UI be organized?"
The AI becomes a product advisor, not just a code generator.
Agent Mode: Autonomous Vibe Coding
Agent Mode is where vibe coding gets truly powerful. Instead of generating one file at a time, the AI plans and executes entire features autonomously.
Activating Agent Mode
Press Cmd+Shift+A (Mac) or Ctrl+Shift+A (Windows)
Describe what you want to build
Watch as the AI creates a plan, generates files, and implements features
Example: Building a Full Feature
In Agent Mode, try this prompt:
"Add a user profile system to my app. Users should be able to:
Upload a profile picture
Set their display name
Write a bio
List their favorite hobbies
Have a public profile page others can view
Edit their profile from a settings page"
The Agent will:
Create a plan showing all files it will create/modify
Build the profile data model
Create the profile edit form
Build the public profile page
Handle image uploads
Connect everything together
You review each step, approve or modify, and end up with a complete feature.
The .antigravity Rules File: Teaching AI Your Preferences
As you vibe code more, you'll develop preferences. Instead of repeating them every time, save them in a .antigravity file at your project root:
# My Vibe Coding Preferences
## Design
- Use a modern, minimalist aesthetic
- Primary color: #6366f1 (indigo)
- Rounded corners on all buttons and cards
- Use the Inter font family
## Code Style
- Keep code simple and readable
- Add comments explaining what each section does
- Use descriptive variable names
## Features
- Always include error messages for form validation
- Add loading states to buttons during actions
- Make all pages responsive for mobile
## Don't
- Don't use complex animations unless I ask
- Don't add features I didn't request
- Don't use technical jargon in user-facing text
Now every time you chat with Antigravity in this project, it remembers your preferences.
Common Vibe Coding Patterns
Pattern 1: The Clone
"Build me a [famous product] clone with [modifications]"
"Build me a Twitter clone but for sharing book recommendations. Keep it simple—just posts, likes, and following other users."
Pattern 2: The Connector
"Connect [service A] to [service B] and [do something]"
"Connect to the weather API and show me a 5-day forecast with icons for each day's conditions."
Pattern 3: The Dashboard
"Create a dashboard showing [data] with [visualizations]"
"Create a dashboard showing my YouTube channel stats with line charts for views over time, a bar chart for top videos, and cards showing subscriber count and total watch time."
Pattern 4: The Automator
"When [trigger], automatically [action]"
"When a new file is added to the uploads folder, automatically resize it to 800px wide and compress it to reduce file size."
Pattern 5: The Form Builder
"Create a form that collects [information] and [does something with it]"
"Create a contact form that collects name, email, and message, validates all fields, and sends me an email when submitted."
Debugging in Vibe Coding
Even with AI, things sometimes don't work. Here's how to debug through conversation:
Describe the Problem
"When I click the submit button, nothing happens. The form should save the data and show a success message."
Share Error Messages
"I'm seeing this error in my browser console: 'Uncaught TypeError: Cannot read property 'value' of null'. What's wrong and how do I fix it?"
Describe Expected vs. Actual
"Expected: Clicking 'Delete' should remove the task from the list. Actual: The task disappears but comes back when I refresh the page."
The AI will diagnose the issue and offer solutions. You don't need to understand the technical details—just describe what you see.
From Vibe Coder to Developer: The Learning Path
Vibe coding is an excellent entry point to software development. As you build more projects, you'll naturally start understanding the code. Here's a recommended progression:
Stage 1: Pure Vibe Coding (Month 1-3)
Build complete projects through conversation
Don't worry about understanding every line
Focus on shipping and iterating
Build 3-5 complete projects
Stage 2: Curious Vibe Coding (Month 3-6)
Start asking "why" questions
"Why did you use a for loop here instead of map?"
"What does async/await mean?"
The AI becomes your tutor
Stage 3: Guided Coding (Month 6-12)
Try writing some code yourself
Use AI to check and improve your work
Learn fundamental concepts (variables, functions, objects)
Start reading documentation
Stage 4: Augmented Developer (Year 1+)
Write code with AI assistance
Use AI for complex problems
Understand what you're building
Make architectural decisions yourself
Real Projects Built with Vibe Coding
Project 1: Personal Portfolio Website
Time: 2 hours
Prompt: "Create a personal portfolio website for a graphic designer. Include an about section, a gallery of work with categories, contact form, and a modern dark theme."
Result: A fully responsive portfolio with smooth animations and a working contact form.
Project 2: Recipe Manager App
Time: 4 hours
Prompt: "Build a recipe manager where I can save recipes with ingredients and instructions, search by ingredient, generate shopping lists from selected recipes, and share recipes via link."
Result: A complete web app with local storage, search, and sharing functionality.
Project 3: Team Meeting Scheduler
Time: 6 hours
Prompt: "Create a Doodle-like meeting scheduler. Users enter available times, share a link, others vote on times, and the best time is highlighted. Include timezone support."
Result: A production-ready scheduling tool with unique share links and timezone conversion.
Project 4: Expense Tracker
Time: 8 hours
Prompt: "Build an expense tracker with categories, monthly budgets, charts showing spending patterns, and export to CSV. Make it work offline and sync when online."
Result: A Progressive Web App (PWA) with offline support and data visualization.
Common Vibe Coding Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)
Mistake 1: Being Too Vague
Bad: "Make it better."
Good: "The form feels cluttered. Add more spacing between fields, make the labels bolder, and use a lighter background color."
Mistake 2: Changing Everything at Once
Bad: "Completely redesign the app with new features and different data structure."
Good: "Let's tackle one thing at a time. First, update the color scheme to be more professional."
Mistake 3: Not Testing Incrementally
Bad: Generate 10 files, then try to run the app.
Good: Generate, test, fix, repeat. Catch issues early.
Mistake 4: Ignoring the AI's Questions
When Antigravity asks clarifying questions, answer them! It's trying to build exactly what you want.
Mistake 5: Never Looking at the Code
Even in vibe coding, glancing at the code occasionally helps you understand what's possible and communicate better with the AI.
Vibe Coding Ethics and Best Practices
Always Review Generated Code
AI can make mistakes. Before deploying anything public, review the code for:
Security issues (especially with user data)
Privacy concerns
Performance problems
Accessibility for disabled users
Understand What You Deploy
You're responsible for what you put on the internet. If the AI generates code that does something harmful, you're still accountable.
Give Credit Where Due
If your vibe-coded project uses open-source libraries, respect their licenses. The AI might not always tell you about dependencies.
Don't Claim Pure Human Authorship
In professional contexts, be honest that AI assisted your development. It's becoming standard practice.
The Future of Vibe Coding
We're at the beginning of a revolution. Here's what's coming:
2025: Current State
Build complete apps through conversation
AI handles 70-80% of implementation
Still need some technical review
2026: Predictions
AI understands context even better
Voice-based vibe coding
Automatic testing and security scanning
One-click deployment included
2027+: Speculation
Full applications from a paragraph description
AI maintenance and updates
Software creation becomes like writing documents
Starting now puts you ahead of the curve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to know how to code to vibe code?
No! That's the whole point. You describe what you want, the AI codes it. Over time, you'll naturally pick up programming concepts, but it's not a prerequisite.
Is vibe-coded software production-ready?
It can be, especially with Antigravity. The key is review and testing. Simple projects can go straight to production. Complex projects need more careful review.
Will vibe coding replace traditional programming?
Not entirely. Complex systems, performance-critical code, and novel problems still benefit from deep programming knowledge. But for a huge range of applications, vibe coding is sufficient.
How long does it take to become proficient at vibe coding?
You can build your first useful app in a few hours. Proficiency—knowing how to prompt effectively, debug through conversation, and architect larger projects—takes a few weeks of practice.
Is it cheating to use AI?
No more than using a calculator is cheating at math. Tools amplify human capability. The ideas, creativity, and taste are still yours.
What can't vibe coding do well?
Highly specialized domains (like game physics engines), extreme performance optimization, and cutting-edge algorithms still need human expertise. For most web and mobile applications, vibe coding works great.
Conclusion: Start Your Vibe Coding Journey
Vibe coding represents the democratization of software development. Ideas that once required years of programming education can now become reality through conversation.
With Google Antigravity's generous free tier (180,000 completions per month), there's no barrier to starting. Download VS Code, install Antigravity, and describe what you want to build.
Your first project might take a few hours. Your tenth will take minutes. And somewhere along the way, you'll realize you've become a developer—just not in the traditional sense.
The best time to start vibe coding was yesterday. The second best time is now.
Next Steps
Ready to start your vibe coding journey? Here's your action plan: