What is Vibe Coding Anyway?
Simply put, vibe coding means creating code with the friendly help of AI tools like ChatGPT. Think of it as coding with your own personal, always-ready-to-help coding wizard. And here’s the kicker: You don’t have to know any coding at all! Tools like Windsurf embed AI directly into the coding environment, making it incredibly easy to customize your Divi site.
Step 1: Pick Your AI-Powered IDE
For this tutorial, we’ll use Windsurf because it currently offers free access to some seriously impressive AI models. Its AI sidekick, Cascade, understands exactly what you’re doing and generates precise code with almost magical ease.
PRO TIP: Windsurf is awesome, but if you’re feeling adventurous, Cursor is another great option. Pick whichever vibe suits your style!
Step 2: Setting Up Your Divi Plugin (Easy Peasy)
Here’s our game plan:
- Open Windsurf and start a new project or jump into an existing local Divi setup.
- Clearly outline your plugin’s purpose. Today, we’ll build a plugin that stores Divi contact form entries into a neat and tidy database with an easy-to-manage admin area.
Step 3: Crafting Your AI Prompt (The Magic Spell)
The clearer your instructions, the better the results. Here’s the prompt we used:
Create a plugin for the Divi theme that saves form entries from the Divi contact module to the database. Intercept and store submissions, including fields with labels and values, into a custom database table. Add an admin menu item named 'Divi Form Submissions' with a paginated list of entries. Display each entry's form title, submission date/time, and IP address. Enable secure viewing of entry details and include solid error handling.Step 4: Watch AI Work Its Magic
Hit enter and let Windsurf do its thing! Before you can blink, Windsurf generates your plugin’s backend structure, custom database tables, and admin interface. It feels a bit like magic, right?
Step 5: Activate and Test Drive Your Plugin
- Activate your fresh new plugin via your WordPress admin panel.
- Submit a test entry through your Divi form.
- Refresh your admin dashboard and check out your shiny new ‘Divi Form Submissions’ menu.
Step 6: Polishing and Troubleshooting (No Panic Zone)
Sometimes AI doesn’t nail it on the first try and that’s okay! For example, our first detail view looked less like Divi and more like HTML circa 1997. No stress, just tell Windsurf what’s up:
“The detail page looks terrible and doesn’t show form fields correctly. Help!”
Windsurf quickly sorted this out, improving the details to look and function just as you’d expect.
PRO TIP: Vibe coding is all about teamwork between you and the AI. It’s totally normal to tweak things a bit along the way.
Step 7: Adding Extra Bells and Whistles
Want more? No problem! We added a feature to delete entries and export data easily:
- Give Windsurf clear instructions like:
“Add a feature to delete entries and export data from the admin interface.”
Windsurf quickly adds these nifty features, making your plugin even more powerful.
Conclusion (You Did It!)
And there we have it! You’ve successfully vibe-coded a custom Divi plugin, and it wasn’t even that scary. Sure, AI might not fully replace professional devs just yet, but tools like Windsurf mean you don’t need to wait around to build cool features for your Divi site.
That said, if you want an excellent turnkey solution that saves form submissions to the database and so much more, check out Divi Form Builder.
Ready to vibe-code your heart out? Share your experiences in the comments, and be sure to check our other tutorials for more Divi awesomeness!
Happy vibe coding!
