fix guide
Vibe coding cleanup: four ways to get a broken app fixed
Harjot · · updated
Your app was built with Lovable, Bolt, Cursor or v0. It works in the preview, then breaks on the live site. Now you have to choose: keep fixing it yourself, or pay someone to do it. This page lays out the options and what each one asks of you.
Try the settings guides first when your bug looks like one of these: /guides/supabase-login-works-locally-fails-in-production for sign-in that only works locally, /guides/404-on-refresh-vercel for a 404 when you refresh a page, /guides/supabase-data-not-saving-no-error for data that doesn't save, /guides/vercel-npm-run-build-exited-with-1 for a failed Vercel build, and /guides/ai-app-works-in-preview-breaks-when-deployed when the app only breaks once deployed. If none of them match, or the same bug keeps coming back after your fixes, compare the options below.
1. Keep prompting the builder
Give the builder the exact error text, the page where it shows up and what you expected. Ask for one fix per prompt, then check the live site before you move on.
This works when the bug is small and the cause is obvious. It gets harder when each fix breaks a different page, or when the builder reports a fix and the live site still shows the same error.
signs The same error comes back after each prompt, or each fix creates a new one.
2. Ask the builder's partner program
Lovable runs a partner program. Its page at lovable.dev/partners describes two tracks: Experts and Solution Partners. Partners certified in the program are listed in the Lovable Partner Directory, which the page links to.
Each partner is responsible for its own listing, and Lovable says partners are independent and it isn't responsible for their services. Check a partner's past work before you agree a price. Scope and pricing are agreed between you and the partner. For Bolt, Cursor and v0, ask the builder's support whether it has a program.
signs You want someone certified on the same builder you used.
3. Hire a freelancer
Look for someone who has fixed a live app on the same builder and the same host, and ask to see that work. Ask for the scope in writing: which bug, which pages, and what counts as fixed. Get quotes from more than one person, because each one sets their own rate and timeline.
Ask them to confirm the fix on the live site.
signs You need ongoing work or new features, not one fix.
4. Pay for a fixed-price diagnosis
FixedLaunch is one option. I'm Harjot, and I do the work myself. I run FixedLaunch alone and work US Eastern hours.
The diagnosis is $149, paid upfront by card or bank transfer. You get a video of the bug on your live site and a plain-English fix plan, with steps to reproduce, within 48h of access. The plan is one you or any developer can follow, and no code knowledge is needed. It covers one broken flow: login, data or the live site. The diagnosis reports findings and any remaining uncertainty. It doesn't guarantee a confirmed root cause.
If I can't reproduce the problem and can't give you a clear next step, you get the full $149 back. Ask within 7 days of delivery, and I reply within 2 business days.
If the fix needs more work, a fix sprint is $750 total, with your $149 counted. You pay $301 to start and $300 when the agreed test passes. Your deposit comes back if the test can't be met within scope.
Access is by invite, for example GitHub or Supabase. No passwords. During the diagnosis I only look and change nothing.
Builders supported: Lovable, Bolt, v0, Replit, Cursor, Base44, Emergent, Firebase Studio, Google AI Studio, Windsurf, Claude Code and Same. I don't take iOS or Android apps, medical apps, apps that move or hold money, payment bugs, alcohol retail, active hacks, or new features and redesigns.
signs The bug sits in login, data or the live site, and the app is on a builder I support.
5. What to send any helper
Send these to whoever you hire, including me. The full hiring checklist is in How to hire someone to fix a Lovable, Bolt or v0 app.
Access by invite. Never a password.
The exact error text, copied from the browser console or the host's build log.
The live URL, the page where it breaks, and the steps to reproduce it.
The names of your environment variables, such as VITE_SUPABASE_URL. Never the values, and never API keys in chat or email.
Test it like a new user
- Open the live site in a private window and run the broken flow once, from start to finish.
- Check that the browser console shows no red errors on that page.
- Run the same flow again the next day, to catch a fix that only worked once.
Common questions
What are my options for fixing a broken vibe-coded app?
There are four. Keep prompting the builder with the exact error, ask the builder's partner program, hire a freelancer who has fixed live apps on your builder and host, or pay for a fixed-price diagnosis. Try the settings guides first if your bug matches a common error.
What should I send someone I hire to fix my app?
Access by invite, never a password. The exact error text from the browser console or the build log. The live URL, the page where it breaks and the steps to reproduce it. The names of your environment variables, never their values.
How do I know a vibe coding fix actually worked?
Open the live site in a private window and run the broken flow from start to finish. Check the browser console shows no red errors on that page. Then run the same flow again the next day, to catch a fix that only worked once.
Still stuck?
Not sure this is the cause? Paste your app's link into the free scan. It lists what a visitor's browser can see, like leaked keys and exposed files, worst first. The score is free; every fix as a prompt for your builder is $9, one-time.
Want a person to look inside? See the diagnosis