elizaOS
Learning Tracks/Simple Track

Vibe-Codable Tutorial: Making ElizaOS Feel Natural

A beginner-friendly tutorial that makes ElizaOS feel intuitive and 'vibe-codable' for developers who want to build without fighting the framework

This tutorial addresses the feedback that "your framework should be vibe-codable" - making ElizaOS feel natural and intuitive to work with, not something you have to fight against.

The Vibe: ElizaOS should feel like having a conversation with your AI agent, not configuring a complex system. This tutorial shows you how to achieve that feeling.

What "Vibe-Codable" Means

"Vibe-codable" means the framework should feel natural to use:

  • Intuitive - You can guess how things work
  • Forgiving - Small mistakes don't break everything
  • Conversational - You describe what you want, it happens
  • Discoverable - You can explore and experiment easily
  • Minimal - You write the minimum code needed

The 5-Minute Agent

Let's build something that works immediately:

Start with Pure Simplicity

Create the simplest possible agent:

my-agent.json
{
  "name": "Vibes",
  "bio": ["I'm a chill AI that just vibes with you"],
  "plugins": ["@elizaos/plugin-bootstrap"]
}

That's it. No complex configuration. No settings. Just vibes.

# Run it
bun start --character my-agent.json

Your agent is now running and ready to chat!

Add Personality with Zero Config

Make your agent more interesting by just describing them:

my-agent.json
{
  "name": "Vibes",
  "bio": [
    "I'm a chill AI that just vibes with you",
    "I love talking about music, art, and cool projects",
    "I'm always down for a good conversation"
  ],
  "adjectives": [
    "chill", "creative", "supportive", "curious"
  ],
  "topics": [
    "music", "art", "creativity", "tech", "life"
  ],
  "plugins": ["@elizaos/plugin-bootstrap"]
}

No code changes needed - just describe your agent and it becomes more interesting.

Add Memory by Just Turning It On

Want your agent to remember things? Add one line:

my-agent.json
{
  "name": "Vibes",
  "bio": [
    "I'm a chill AI that just vibes with you",
    "I remember our conversations and what you like"
  ],
  "adjectives": ["chill", "creative", "supportive", "curious"],
  "topics": ["music", "art", "creativity", "tech", "life"],
  "plugins": [
    "@elizaos/plugin-sql",
    "@elizaos/plugin-bootstrap"
  ]
}

That's it! Your agent now has memory. It will remember what you talk about across sessions.

The Conversation-Driven Development Flow

Instead of writing code, have a conversation with your agent to build it:

Development by Conversation

You: "I want you to help me with my daily tasks"
Agent: "I'd love to help! What kind of tasks?"

You: "Remind me to take breaks, track my mood, celebrate wins"
Agent: "Got it! I can definitely do that. Want me to start now?"

You: "Yes, but also make it fun and encouraging"
Agent: "Perfect! I'll be your cheerful productivity buddy!"

Behind the scenes, ElizaOS adapts to this conversation.

Traditional Development

// You'd normally write complex code like this:
class TaskManager {
  private tasks: Task[] = [];
  private moodTracker: MoodTracker;
  private reminderService: ReminderService;
  
  constructor() {
    this.moodTracker = new MoodTracker();
    this.reminderService = new ReminderService();
  }
  
  // 50 lines of configuration code...
}

But with ElizaOS, you just describe what you want!

Progressive Enhancement

Start simple, add complexity only when needed:

Level 1: Just Talking

level1-agent.json
{
  "name": "Buddy",
  "bio": ["I'm your friendly AI buddy"],
  "plugins": ["@elizaos/plugin-bootstrap"]
}

This agent can already have conversations and be helpful!

Level 2: Add Personality

level2-agent.json
{
  "name": "Buddy",
  "bio": [
    "I'm your friendly AI buddy",
    "I love helping people solve problems",
    "I'm always optimistic and encouraging"
  ],
  "style": {
    "tone": "casual",
    "humor": "light",
    "helpfulness": "high"
  },
  "plugins": ["@elizaos/plugin-bootstrap"]
}

Now your agent has personality!

Level 3: Add Capabilities

level3-agent.json
{
  "name": "Buddy",
  "bio": [
    "I'm your friendly AI buddy",
    "I love helping people solve problems",
    "I'm always optimistic and encouraging",
    "I can remember our conversations and help you stay organized"
  ],
  "style": {
    "tone": "casual",
    "humor": "light",
    "helpfulness": "high"
  },
  "plugins": [
    "@elizaos/plugin-sql",
    "@elizaos/plugin-bootstrap"
  ]
}

Now it has memory and can help you stay organized!

Level 4: Add Integrations

level4-agent.json
{
  "name": "Buddy",
  "bio": [
    "I'm your friendly AI buddy who can help with Discord, web searches, and more",
    "I love helping people solve problems",
    "I'm always optimistic and encouraging"
  ],
  "style": {
    "tone": "casual",
    "humor": "light",
    "helpfulness": "high"
  },
  "plugins": [
    "@elizaos/plugin-sql",
    "@elizaos/plugin-discord",
    "@elizaos/plugin-web-search",
    "@elizaos/plugin-bootstrap"
  ]
}

Now your agent can interact with Discord and search the web!

The "It Just Works" Philosophy

Core Principle: If you can describe what you want, ElizaOS should be able to do it with minimal configuration.

Natural Language Configuration

Instead of complex config files, describe what you want:

natural-config.json
{
  "name": "Helper",
  "bio": [
    "I help developers debug their code and solve problems",
    "I'm knowledgeable about JavaScript, Python, and web development",
    "I prefer to give practical, working solutions over theory",
    "I'm patient and explain things clearly"
  ],
  "expertise": [
    "debugging", "web development", "JavaScript", "Python"
  ],
  "style": {
    "communication": "clear and practical",
    "patience": "high",
    "detail_level": "just enough"
  },
  "plugins": ["@elizaos/plugin-bootstrap"]
}

This creates a debugging assistant that naturally behaves the way you described!

Auto-Discovery Features

ElizaOS automatically enables features based on what you describe:

auto-features.json
{
  "name": "MoodTracker",
  "bio": [
    "I help track your daily mood and energy levels",
    "I check in with you regularly and remember patterns",
    "I can suggest activities based on how you're feeling"
  ],
  "plugins": ["@elizaos/plugin-sql", "@elizaos/plugin-bootstrap"]
}

ElizaOS sees "track", "check in regularly", and "remember patterns" and automatically:

  • Enables memory for pattern tracking
  • Sets up regular check-ins
  • Provides mood-appropriate suggestions

Building Real Things Quickly

Example 1: Personal Assistant

assistant.json
{
  "name": "Alex",
  "bio": [
    "I'm your personal assistant",
    "I help you stay organized and productive",
    "I can manage your schedule, remember important info, and keep you motivated"
  ],
  "capabilities": [
    "schedule management",
    "information recall",
    "motivation and encouragement"
  ],
  "plugins": [
    "@elizaos/plugin-sql",
    "@elizaos/plugin-bootstrap"
  ]
}

This creates a fully functional personal assistant!

Example 2: Learning Companion

tutor.json
{
  "name": "Sage",
  "bio": [
    "I'm your learning companion",
    "I help you understand new concepts by explaining them simply",
    "I adapt to your learning style and pace",
    "I celebrate your progress and help you stay motivated"
  ],
  "teaching_style": {
    "approach": "socratic",
    "patience": "infinite",
    "encouragement": "frequent"
  },
  "plugins": [
    "@elizaos/plugin-sql",
    "@elizaos/plugin-web-search",
    "@elizaos/plugin-bootstrap"
  ]
}

Now you have a patient, adaptive tutor!

Example 3: Creative Partner

creative.json
{
  "name": "Muse",
  "bio": [
    "I'm your creative partner",
    "I help brainstorm ideas, overcome creative blocks, and explore new possibilities",
    "I'm encouraging and never judge your ideas",
    "I remember your creative projects and help you build on them"
  ],
  "creative_strengths": [
    "brainstorming", "idea development", "creative problem solving"
  ],
  "personality": {
    "openness": "maximum",
    "judgment": "zero",
    "encouragement": "constant"
  },
  "plugins": [
    "@elizaos/plugin-sql",
    "@elizaos/plugin-bootstrap"
  ]
}

A creative partner that never judges and always encourages!

The Exploration Flow

Make it easy to discover what's possible:

Start with Questions

You: "What can you help me with?"
Agent: "I can help with lots of things! What are you working on?"

You: "I'm learning to code"
Agent: "Cool! I can help debug code, explain concepts, or practice together. What sounds interesting?"

You: "Can you remember what we work on?"
Agent: "Yes! I remember our conversations so I can help you build on what we've learned."

Discover Through Use

You: "Can you help me with my Discord server?"
Agent: "I'd love to help! I can join your server and help moderate or answer questions. Want me to show you how?"

You: "Yes!"
Agent: "Great! Here's how to add me to your server..."

Features reveal themselves naturally through conversation.

Experiment Safely

You: "What happens if I ask you to do something you can't do?"
Agent: "I'll let you know I can't do it yet, but I might suggest alternatives or ways to add that capability!"

You: "Can you send emails?"
Agent: "I can't send emails directly, but I can help you draft them or we could add an email plugin if you need that feature!"

Anti-Patterns to Avoid

Things that kill the vibe:

Vibe-Killing Patterns

// DON'T: Complex nested configuration
{
  "agent": {
    "runtime": {
      "config": {
        "plugins": {
          "core": {
            "sql": {
              "adapter": "sqlite",
              "config": {
                "path": "./db.sqlite",
                "options": {
                  "timeout": 5000
                }
              }
            }
          }
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

This is overwhelming and breaks the vibe.

Vibe-Preserving Patterns

// DO: Simple, descriptive configuration
{
  "name": "Helper",
  "bio": ["I help with tasks and remember what we discuss"],
  "plugins": [
    "@elizaos/plugin-sql",
    "@elizaos/plugin-bootstrap"
  ]
}

This feels natural and approachable.

Troubleshooting the Vibe

When things don't feel right:

Problem: "This feels too complicated"

Solution: Strip back to basics

// Start with the absolute minimum
{
  "name": "Simple",
  "bio": ["I'm a simple AI assistant"],
  "plugins": ["@elizaos/plugin-bootstrap"]
}

Add features one at a time, only when you need them.

Problem: "I don't know what's possible"

Solution: Ask your agent!

You: "What can you do?"
Agent: "I can chat, remember conversations, and help with various tasks. What would you like to try?"

You: "Show me something cool"
Agent: "I can analyze text, help with coding, or even integrate with Discord. What interests you?"

Problem: "It's not doing what I expect"

Solution: Have a conversation about it

You: "You're not being helpful enough"
Agent: "I want to be more helpful! Can you tell me what you'd like me to do differently?"

You: "Be more proactive about suggesting things"
Agent: "Got it! I'll start suggesting ideas and asking follow-up questions."

Then update your agent's bio to reflect this:

{
  "bio": [
    "I'm a proactive assistant who suggests ideas and asks good follow-up questions",
    "I help you think through problems and explore possibilities"
  ]
}

The Magic Moment

You'll know ElizaOS is feeling "vibe-codable" when:

  • You can describe what you want and it happens
  • Small changes feel natural and easy
  • You're exploring and discovering, not fighting configuration
  • Your agent feels like a partner, not a tool
  • You're building things that actually work and feel good to use

Success Indicator: When you're excited to show your agent to friends because it just works and feels magical.

Keep the Vibe Going

Character Templates

Pre-built characters that just work

Quick Start Examples

Working examples you can copy

Discord Integration

Add your agent to Discord easily

Creative Projects

Fun projects to build

Remember: ElizaOS should feel like magic, not work. If something feels hard, there's probably a simpler way to do it. Trust the vibe!

Simple Track Introduction

Get started with ElizaOS the easy way - no coding required

Getting Started

Setup and basic concepts for ElizaOS