Editorial policy
NotVibesCoded is a curated publication. Nothing appears here by algorithm, scraping, or payment alone. This page documents how editorial decisions are made.
Selection criteria
01Demonstrated user value
The project solves a real problem for real people. We look for evidence: users, use cases, or a clearly articulated need — not just a clever implementation.
02Clarity of problem and solution
It should be possible to say in one paragraph what the software does and who it's for. Confused positioning usually signals confused engineering.
03Evidence of intentional decisions
Architecture choices, trade-offs, and constraints that show someone thought about it — in the code, the docs, or the project's own writing about itself.
04Quality of documentation and user experience
A project that can't explain itself can't be evaluated or maintained. Docs, examples, and a coherent interface count heavily.
05Maintenance signals
Where observable: recent activity, responsiveness to issues, and signs that someone is still home. Abandoned software is rarely featured.
06Honesty about limitations
Every system has trade-offs. Projects that name theirs earn trust; projects that claim to do everything earn skepticism.
07Security and privacy claims only when supportable
We repeat security or privacy claims only when there's something behind them — an audit, a clear threat model, or verifiable practice. Otherwise we stay silent.
What inclusion means
Inclusion means an editor found the project worth your attention against the criteria above. It is not a guarantee of security, quality, fitness for your purpose, or future maintenance. Evaluate anything you adopt on your own terms.
Corrections
Software changes and editors make mistakes. When a featured project changes materially — or when we got something wrong — we update the page and note the update. Factual corrections can be reported via the contact page.
Commercial relationships
Sponsored placements and affiliate links, if any, are disclosed on the page where they appear. Commercial relationships never override the selection criteria, and a sponsor cannot buy a favorable review or suppress a limitation we consider relevant.