Due Diligence for Vibe Coding Apps: What Gets Checked

Due Diligence for Vibe Coding Apps: What Gets Checked

You've listed your AI-built app. A buyer is interested. They want to "do some due diligence."

If you're not technical, that phrase might sound scary. What are they going to check? Will they discover you used Cursor instead of writing code? Will they find out you barely understand how the database works?

Relax. Let's walk through what actually gets checked when someone evaluates a vibe-coded app - and how to prepare for it without a CS degree.

What is Due Diligence, Really?

Due diligence is just fancy talk for "making sure this thing works the way you said it does."

When someone's about to spend thousands of dollars on your app, they want to verify:

• ·Does it actually work?
• ·Is the revenue real?
• ·Can I run this without you?
• ·Are there any hidden problems?

That's it. They're not looking for perfect code architecture. They're looking for an honest, functional business.

The Non-Technical Checklist

Here's what buyers typically examine, translated into normal human language:

1. Revenue Verification

They'll ask for:

• ·Payment processor screenshots (Stripe, PayPal, etc.)
• ·Bank statements showing deposits
• ·Customer count and retention

What they're really checking: "Is this person lying about making money?"

How to prepare: Have clean screenshots ready. Blur out personal info, but show the numbers clearly. If you're using Stripe, the dashboard export is perfect.

2. User Access & Analytics

They'll want to see:

• ·Google Analytics or similar
• ·User dashboard/admin panel
• ·Active user numbers

What they're really checking: "Are people actually using this thing?"

How to prepare: Set up basic analytics if you haven't already. Even simple metrics like "daily active users" and "sign-ups per week" help. Plausible, Google Analytics, or even just your database user count works.

3. The Tech Stack Walkthrough

This is where non-coders get nervous. But here's the secret: buyers want simple tech stacks.

They'll ask:

• ·What tools/platforms did you use? (Cursor? Bolt? Replit?)
• ·What services does it depend on? (Supabase? Firebase? Stripe?)
• ·Can you show me where everything is hosted?

What they're really checking: "Is this going to be a nightmare to maintain?"

How to prepare: Make a simple list:

Frontend: Built with Cursor using React
Database: Supabase
Payments: Stripe
Hosting: Vercel
Email: SendGrid

Bonus points if you can screenshot your dashboard for each service. They're not testing your knowledge - they're documenting what needs to be transferred.

4. Access & Credentials

They'll need to verify you can transfer:

• ·Domain name
• ·Hosting account
• ·Database access
• ·API keys
• ·Email services
• ·Payment processor

What they're really checking: "Can this person actually give me control?"

How to prepare: Make a list of every service you use and confirm you have admin access to transfer ownership. If you're using your personal Gmail for SendGrid, that's fine - just document it.

5. Code Quality (The Part You're Worried About)

Here's the truth: most buyers don't care that you used Cursor or Claude.

They're checking:

• ·Does it run without errors?
• ·Is it reasonably organized?
• ·Can I modify it with AI tools too?

What they're really checking: "If I want to change something, will the AI be able to help me?"

How to prepare:

• ·Run your app and make sure it works
• ·If there are setup instructions, write them down
• ·Test that someone else (or you in a fresh browser) can use it

If your buyer is also a vibe coder (many are!), they'll be thrilled you used modern AI tools. It means they can maintain it the same way.

6. Documentation

They'll want:

• ·How to run/deploy the app
• ·What each major feature does
• ·Any quirks or known issues

What they're really checking: "Will I be totally lost after the handoff?"

How to prepare: Write a simple README:

# MyApp

## What it does
[Brief description]

## How to run it locally
[Steps to get it running]

## How to deploy
[Where it's hosted and how to update it]

## Important notes
- The payment webhook needs to be updated if you change domains
- Email templates are in /emails folder
- Database backup runs daily via Supabase

You don't need perfect docs. Just enough for someone to not panic.

7. Customer List & Communication

If you have customers, they'll want:

• ·A way to contact them (usually just their emails)
• ·Any support tickets or common questions
• ·Refund/churn history

What they're really checking: "Are the customers happy? Will they stick around?"

How to prepare: Export your customer list (remove sensitive payment info). If you've had support issues, mention them honestly. Buyers appreciate transparency more than perfection.

8. Legal/IP Verification

They'll confirm:

• ·You own the domain
• ·You own the social accounts
• ·There are no copyright issues
• ·The code is yours to sell

What they're really checking: "Am I buying something that will get me sued?"

How to prepare: Make sure:

• ·Domain is in your name (or you can transfer it)
• ·You didn't copy anyone's design exactly
• ·You have rights to any images/content
• ·If you used AI, you own the output (most AI tools like Claude give you full rights)

The "I Used AI" Question

Buyer: "Did you write this yourself or use AI tools?"

Wrong answer: Nervously "Uh... I used some AI... but I did a lot myself..."

Right answer: "I built it with Cursor and Claude. That's why the code is clean and well-structured. You'll be able to maintain and modify it easily with the same tools."

Frame it as a feature, not a weakness.

What Good Buyers Check (vs. What Bad Buyers Check)

Good buyers check:

• ·Does it work?
• ·Are the numbers real?
• ·Can I maintain this?
• ·Is the seller honest?

Bad buyers check:

• ·Can I find a reason to lowball?
• ·Can I scare them with technical jargon?
• ·Are they desperate enough to accept pennies?

If someone's grilling you with ultra-technical questions as a power move, that's a red flag. Serious buyers want clarity, not intimidation.

The Due Diligence Timeline

Typical timeline for a small app sale:

• ·Days 1-2: Initial questions (revenue, tech stack, user count)
• ·Days 3-5: Access verification (they'll ask to see dashboards)
• ·Days 6-7: Testing the app, checking code
• ·Days 8-10: Final questions and negotiation

If someone drags it out beyond 2 weeks without making an offer, they might be wasting your time.

What If They Find Issues?

They will find issues. Every app has them.

The question is: are they honest issues or dealbreakers?

Honest issues:

• ·"There's a small bug on the mobile view"
• ·"The email template has a typo"
• ·"The database could be optimized"

These lead to small price adjustments or quick fixes. No big deal.

Dealbreakers:

• ·"The revenue screenshots are fake"
• ·"This code is copied from a paid template you don't own"
• ·"You can't actually transfer the domain"

Be honest upfront and dealbreakers won't surprise anyone.

Preparing Your "Due Diligence Folder"

Make life easy for everyone. Create a folder with:

📁 Due Diligence
  📄 Revenue_Screenshots.pdf
  📄 Analytics_Summary.pdf
  📄 Tech_Stack.txt
  📄 Service_List.txt (all the accounts they'll need)
  📄 Customer_Emails.csv
  📄 README.md
  📄 Known_Issues.txt

When a buyer asks for due diligence materials, you can say:

"I have a folder ready with revenue verification, analytics, tech stack details, and documentation. Would you like me to share it?"

This immediately signals: "I'm organized and have nothing to hide."

The Non-Technical Seller's Advantage

Here's something surprising: being non-technical can actually help during due diligence.

Technical buyers think: "If they built this without code knowledge, the architecture must be simple. I can definitely maintain it."

Non-technical buyers think: "If they built this, so can I. This proves the tools work."

Your "weakness" becomes proof that your app is accessible.

Common Due Diligence Questions (And How to Answer)

"What happens if the AI tools you used go away?" "The code is standard [React/Python/etc.]. Even without AI tools, any developer can work with it. The AI just made building it faster."

"Can you explain how [technical thing] works?" "Honestly, I used [Cursor/Claude/etc.] to set that up. The documentation in the code explains it, and the buyer can ask AI the same questions I did."

"What if I want to add features?" "The same AI tools that built it can modify it. I've added features after launch by just describing what I wanted to Claude."

"How do I know you won't sell this to someone else too?" "Once we're in escrow, the listing comes down and the transfer process begins. [Marketplace name] handles this to protect both of us."

Red Flags That You Should Watch For

Due diligence goes both ways. Watch for:

• ·Buyer asks for "full code access" before escrow starts (🚩)
• ·Endless technical questions with no offer in sight (🚩)
• ·Pressure to "accept fast before someone else buys it" (🚩)
• ·Requests for customer data before purchase is confirmed (🚩)

Serious buyers ask reasonable questions, move efficiently, and use escrow. Anyone else is likely fishing or scamming.

The Post-Diligence Offer

After due diligence, one of three things happens:

1. ·They make an offer at asking price: Congrats!
2. ·They make a lower offer citing specific issues: Negotiate or fix the issues.
3. ·They disappear: They weren't serious. Move on.

Don't take a lowball offer just because someone did due diligence. They invested their time, but you invested yours too.

Your Due Diligence Checklist

Before listing your app, make sure you can confidently check these boxes:

• · Revenue is documented and verifiable
• · You have admin access to all services
• · The app runs without errors
• · You have basic documentation
• · You own the domain and can transfer it
• · Customer list is exportable
• · You can explain (simply) how it works
• · No legal/copyright issues

If you can check all of these, you're ready for due diligence.

Final Thoughts

Due diligence isn't a test you need to pass with perfect scores. It's a conversation between two people where one is saying "I want to buy this" and the other is saying "Here's everything you need to know."

Be honest. Be organized. Be helpful.

The best due diligence process ends with a buyer saying:

"This was easier than I expected. Let's move to escrow."

That's your goal.

---

Your app might be AI-built, but your transparency and organization are all you. That's what closes deals.

---

Ready to list your vibe-coded app? Start preparing your due diligence folder today - it'll speed up your sale and build buyer confidence from day one.