When a project built with Cursor, Lovable or Bolt gets stuck, the instinct is to ask the AI for one more fix. That usually makes it worse. Stop, and check these five things first.
1. The unread error. Open the browser console and the server logs. The message usually says what is broken. Paste it in full, not as a free-text description of what you think it means.
2. Environment variables. The app works locally and breaks in deployment because API keys or URLs are missing in the runtime environment. This is the most common deployment break.
3. Dependencies and updates. A version updated and broke something. Check what changed most recently and pin it back.
4. Lost context. After many rounds of "fix it", the model adds code that contradicts existing code. Go back to the last working commit and ask for one small change at a time.
5. Architectural debt. If everything lives in one file, every fix breaks something else. Sort the structure before adding more patches.
When is it time to stop and get help? When several hours pass with no progress, or when the app has real users and data you cannot afford to lose.
The full guide (in English, with FAQ): https://ofershap.github.io/en/posts/vibe-code-project-rescue/
Original (Hebrew): https://ofershap.github.io/posts/vibe-code-project-rescue/
This article was condensed from my Hebrew guide with AI assistance, and I reviewed it before publishing.
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