The 7 most common problems in vibe coded apps

Every AI app builder is different, but the problems that show up after launch are surprisingly similar. Here are the seven we run into most, roughly in order of how often they come up.

1. Logins that only work in preview

The app works on the builder’s preview link and fails on your real domain. Usually the login service does not know about your domain yet. Our Lovable login guide shows the fix, and it applies to most Supabase apps.

2. Databases anyone can read

Tables without access rules, so one user can see another user’s data, or anyone with the public key can read everything. See how to turn on Row Level Security.

3. Secret keys in the browser

Keys for OpenAI, Stripe or other paid services sitting in front-end code. Anyone can copy them. Move them to a server function and replace them.

4. Deploys that fail

Everything works in the builder and breaks on Netlify, Vercel or a Replit deployment. Missing settings, missing packages and wrong commands are the usual causes.

5. The fix loop

Every fix breaks something else, and nobody knows which version last worked. Saved versions, smaller requests and a few tests break the loop.

6. Slow pages as users grow

Queries that load everything, no pagination and heavy pages that were fine with ten test users and crawl with a thousand.

7. No way out of the platform

The app depends on one builder’s backend, and moving it means rebuilding data, logins and functions. Worth planning before you need it.

Where to start

Problems 1 to 3 are about safety, so fix them first. Our 10-minute security check helps you find them. If you would rather hand it over, a vibe coding cleanup covers all seven.