Broken Navigation in Vibecoded Apps

Click every link and button in the app systematically. Check that each one leads to the expected destination. Use the browser back and forward buttons after every navigation to verify the history stack is correct. Many vibecoded apps use programmatic navigation that bypasses the history API, breaking the back button entirely.

Test deep linking by copying any URL in the app and opening it in a new tab or incognito window. If the page crashes, shows stale data, or redirects unexpectedly, the app has broken deep link support. AI generators frequently build apps that only work when navigated from the home page in sequence.

Navigate through a multi-step flow, then hit the back button. Try refreshing the page at each step. Open links in new tabs using middle-click or right-click. These common user behaviors expose navigation bugs that only appear outside the linear happy path.

Test navigation after authentication state changes. Log in, navigate to a deep page, then log out and try the back button. The app should redirect to the login page, not show stale authenticated content. Also test what happens when you manually type URLs for pages that require specific permissions.

Use the framework's built-in router instead of manual window.location changes. In Next.js, use the Link component and useRouter hook. These integrate with the history API and handle client-side transitions properly.

Implement route guards for protected pages that check authentication state on every render, not just on initial navigation. Add loading states for pages that fetch data on mount, so deep links show a loading indicator rather than crashing when expected data is not yet available.