BehaviorsEstablished
Slop Coding
noun
Writing software with AI while skipping meaningful review, understanding or testing of the generated code.
When “it runs” is the review
The demo runs, the change gets merged, and nobody can explain why it works or what might break. Slop coding names the gap between getting code out of a model and having reason to trust the result.
It can describe producing, changing or using unchecked code, even before anything reaches a shared repository. The phrase can be a dig at someone else's work or a self-deprecating description of your own.
I got the script working by asking the model to fix every error. I still can't explain half of it. This is slop coding.
Original example written for this dictionary.
The testing definition and the broader joke
On his Satisfice blog, James Bach applies the label to his own AI-assisted programs before systematic testing. In his account, testing is what earns the code a different description.
A satirical Landon Notes post dated June 19, 2025 takes a broader view, portraying slop coding as repeated prompting without understanding the result. Together, these examples show why the term can imply either a specific verification gap or general carelessness about generated code.
Slop coding and vibe coding
Someone may call the same session both vibe coding and slop coding. “Vibe” evokes the method and feel of prompting your way to working software; “slop” emphasizes uncertainty about the result.
What happens next matters. An untested private sketch and an untested billing feature do not ask other people to take the same chance. The criticism becomes sharper when unchecked output becomes something others rely on.