VibeWise
You build. AI writes.
A plugin for Claude Code and Codex that puts learning first and keeps you in control while AI writes the code you designed. The AI asks for your approach first, helps you examine tradeoffs, and explains unfamiliar concepts. You shape the design and decide when it's ready to implement. The AI writes the code, then explains what it changed and why.
For anyone who wants to learn as they build—whether you're an aspiring engineer, a junior developer, or an experienced engineer exploring an unfamiliar stack. Practice planning how the pieces fit together, anticipating failures, and checking the result while keeping ownership of the decisions.
Table of Contents
Get started
You need an up-to-date Claude Code or
Codex, and
Python 3. In Claude Code, VibeWise uses Python
to restore learning context and reset learning notes. In Codex, only reset needs it.
No extra Python packages are needed.
Claude Code
Install from the built-in Anthropic Directory. In Claude Code, run:
/plugin install vibe-wise@anthropic-plugin-directory
Choose an installation scope and confirm. No marketplace setup is needed.
Restart Claude Code in the project you want to work on, then run:
/vibe-wise:learn
Setup asks one question at a time. Use the arrow keys and Enter for choices; pick Use defaults to skip preference setup. Then ask Claude to build something. Starting fresh or joining an unfamiliar repository both work. For an existing repository, Claude first inspects the code and sketches a small system map.
If Anthropic Directory isn't available in your Claude Code version, use the GitHub
marketplace. Choose one installation method; you don't need both.
Run these commands one at a time in Claude Code. First, add the marketplace:
/plugin marketplace add nykooi1/vibe-wise
After it finishes, install the plugin:
/plugin install vibe-wise@vibe-wise
Enable automatic updates through /plugin → Marketplaces → vibe-wise →
Enable auto-update. This is off by default for third-party marketplaces.
Restart Claude Code, then run /vibe-wise:learn in your project.
Codex
In a terminal, run these commands one at a time. First, add the marketplace:
codex plugin marketplace add nykooi1/vibe-wise
After it finishes, install the plugin:
codex plugin add vibe-wise@vibe-wise
Start Codex in your project and run $vibe-wise:learn. Run it again at the start
of each Codex session, and whenever Codex seems to have lost track of learning
mode. It resumes from your saved notes without repeating setup. To reset, run
$vibe-wise:reset. Claude Code and Codex share the same .vibe-wise/ notes.
In Codex, the commands in this guide use $ instead of /: /vibe-wise:learn
becomes $vibe-wise:learn.
What it feels like
You're building a Notion-style notes app: users sign in, create and edit private
notes, and organize them into folders. Here, you're working through how notes and
folders relate—and what should happen when someone deletes a folder.
This condensed example is adapted from a real learning session. Later implementation
steps are illustrative; intervening design discussions are omitted.
You:
A note can be in several folders. Deleting a folder should delete its notes.
Claude / Codex:
✦ Build checkpoint: Deleting a shared note
"Trip ideas" is in both Travel and Summer. Deleting it removes it from both.
When someone deletes Travel, what should happen to that note in Summer?
You:
Keep it in Summer. If it has no folders left, keep the note outside any folder.
Claude / Codex:
That separates deleting a folder from deleting a note.
✦ Build checkpoint: Connecting notes and folders
How would you represent which folders a note belongs to, without copying the note?
You:
A links table with note_id and folder_id. Deleting a folder removes its links,
not the notes.
Claude / Codex:
Each link records one membership. Several links can point to the same note;
a note with no links is unfiled.
notes ← folder links → folders
✦ Design checkpoint: Folder membership
Proposed: store notes once and track folder membership in a links table.
Deleting a folder removes its links and keeps the notes. This supports multiple
folders per note; loading a folder's notes needs a lookup through those links.
Confirming records this design. We still need to work through access rules
and technology choices before writing code.
❯ 1. Confirm and continue
This approach makes sense to me; move to the next piece.
2. Discuss
Ask questions or clarify anything that doesn't make sense before deciding.
You:
Confirm and continue.
Later, after the remaining choices for this step are worked through...
Claude / Codex:
✦ Implementation checkpoint: Folder membership
I'll add the agreed tables and folder-deletion operation, then test that deleting
a folder preserves its notes and their membership in other folders.
This step builds storage behavior; the UI comes later.
❯ 1. Implement this step
This approach makes sense to me; write the code for this step.
2. Discuss
Ask questions or clarify anything that doesn't make sense before deciding.
You:
Implement this step.
Claude or Codex writes the code and runs the tests.
Claude / Codex:
✦ Implementation report: Folder membership
- Added the schema migration: each membership references one note and one folder.
- Added folder deletion: removes the folder and its links, preserving note content.
- Added and ran tests for shared notes and notes left without a folder; both passed.
You don't need to know the answer already. The AI can explain unfamiliar concepts, sketch the relevant pieces, and help you tackle a smaller question. You stay involved in forming the plan. Answer in plain English; ask for more help or say “skip” whenever you want.
Describing what you want sets the requirements. Build Checkpoints ask you to work
out how it should function; a feature preference doesn't approve an architecture.
| Checkpoint | What happens |
|---|
| Build | You reason through how to approach the problem with the AI. |
| Design | Review the design. Confirm and continue records it and continues planning; no code yet. |
| Implementation | Review the specific code changes. Implement this step authorizes the AI to make them. |
These aren't three mandatory stops. When ready to code, the Implementation
checkpoint also confirms the design, skipping a separate Design checkpoint.
Both confirmations offer Discuss to ask questions, clarify anything confusing,
or explore alternatives before deciding.
When the AI proposes additional implementation details, it separates them from your
decisions in a short list or table explaining each addition and why it matters.
You can question or change any item before proceeding.
After implementation, the AI briefly explains what changed, how the key code works,
why it fits your decision, any tests it added or updated and what they cover, and
which checks ran with their results. Ask to dig deeper anywhere it's unclear.
Small diagrams help you trace data, understand relationships, and see how the system fits together.
Make it yours
Experience changes the support you get, not your ownership of decisions:
| Level | Teaching approach |
|---|
| Beginner | Explain unfamiliar pieces, use diagrams, ask smaller reasoning questions. |
| Intermediate | Less introductory context; explore interactions and tradeoffs. |
| Advanced | Probe difficult constraints, failure modes, and design assumptions. |
Everyone reasons first. The AI adapts to what you demonstrate and how familiar you
are with the stack. Checkpoint frequency—Light, Normal, or Frequent—is separate.
- “Use fewer checkpoints.”
- “Focus on backend architecture.”
- “Use multiple-choice questions.”
- “Just implement this one.”
- “Pause learning.” Resume with
/vibe-wise:learn.
Preferences, learning notes, and a project map live in .vibe-wise/ in your project. In a Git repository, that's the repository root, and VibeWise finds it from any subfolder. Without Git, it's the folder you start in, so always start from your project's top folder. Learning mode resumes in future sessions and after compaction. Add .vibe-wise/ to your .gitignore to keep your notes out of Git; the plugin won't change it silently.
No extra account, backend, or telemetry. Saved notes are included in the AI's context, so your normal Claude Code or Codex data settings still apply.
To start learning this project from scratch, run /vibe-wise:reset. It shows the
project and asks Cancel / Reset learning. After confirmation, it backs up your
profile, progress, and project map inside the notes directory's backups/ folder,
then restarts onboarding. Source code and other projects stay untouched. To change
your experience level or preferences, just tell the AI; no reset is needed.
Updating
In Claude Code, open /plugin → Installed, select VibeWise, and choose Update now.
For automatic updates, open Marketplaces, select the source you installed from,
and enable auto-update if it's off.
To update a directory installation from your terminal:
claude plugin update vibe-wise@anthropic-plugin-directory
If you installed through the GitHub marketplace instead:
claude plugin marketplace update vibe-wise
claude plugin update vibe-wise@vibe-wise
Then restart Claude Code. Your project learning notes stay intact; no reset is needed.
Run claude plugin list to check the installed version.
More about plugin updates.
For Codex, refresh the marketplace, then install the latest version:
codex plugin marketplace upgrade vibe-wise
codex plugin add vibe-wise@vibe-wise
Then start a new Codex session.
License
MIT. You can use, modify, and share this software, including commercially. Keep the license notice with copies. The software comes without a warranty.
