How to vibe codeHuntr
All-in-one AI-powered career platform and job search CRM
huntr.co ↗Career & Productivity SaaS
The verdict: can you vibe code Huntr?
You can build a fully functional personal clone of the core Kanban tracker, AI resume builder, and semantic matching engine, but supporting thousands of brittle external ATS scrapers in a browser extension will require ongoing maintenance.
Building a personal-use clone of Huntr is a rewarding challenge that is entirely within reach if you scope down the Chrome extension's universal ATS autofill to a simple manual clipper and paste workflow. The web app portion—featuring Next.js, a PostgreSQL database via Neon, and direct LLM calls for resume tailoring and scoring—comes together quickly with AI assistance. However, the multi-dimensional matching logic (comparing responsibilities and qualifications rather than just keywords) requires careful prompt engineering and structured JSON outputs to yield reliable scores. If your goal is simply to manage your own job search without paying $40/mo, building this takes a few weekends of focused coding; if you expect the Chrome extension to automatically parse every obscure enterprise ATS form flawlessly on the first try, prepare for endless CSS selector debugging.
Estimated effort: 3-4 weeks of focused development
What you can't replicate
- The 90k+ active user network and Chrome extension install base
- Enterprise B2B contracts with university career centers and bootcamps
- 9 years of continuous organic SEO authority and brand equity
Founded
2017
Raised
—
Team
5 to 7 employees
Cheapest paid tier
$40/mo
What Huntr does
Huntr helps job seekers organize their job search on a Kanban CRM, build and tailor resumes with AI, review resumes line-by-line, generate cover letters, and clip jobs via browser extension.
Core features
- Kanban job tracker with customizable columns and drag-and-drop state transitions
- Job card metadata extraction (salary, location, notes, contacts, interview dates)
- Map view for commute visualization
- AI resume builder with multi-template PDF exports
- Semantic job matching and keyword scanner evaluating keywords, responsibilities, and qualifications
- AI cover letter and achievement bullet generators
- AI resume review engine providing line-level critiques
- Chrome browser extension for one-click job clipping and application autofill
The business
Pricing
- FreeFree
- Pro$40/mo
Funding
Unknown / bootstrapped
Pay vs build, cumulative
Break-even at month 1 — after that, every month is money kept.
The hard parts of vibe coding Huntr
- Building a reliable Chrome extension that scrapes messy, unstructured DOMs across thousands of distinct ATS boards (Workday, Greenhouse, Lever)
- Engineering a deterministic multi-dimensional scoring engine that cleanly compares resume text against job description semantic requirements
- Robust PDF generation supporting multi-page formatting without clipping across distinct designer templates
- Form autofill engine handling custom shadow DOM inputs and complex React/Angular component wrappers in target ATS portals
How to vibecode Huntr
Prerequisites
Node.jsfree
Required runtime for running Next.js, package managers, and building the web application.
GitHubfree
Version control and repository hosting for your codebase and deployment pipelines.
Anthropic API Keypay-per-use (~$5-10/mo)
Powers the AI resume tailoring, scoring, cover letter generation, and line-by-line critique engine.
AI coding tools
Recommended stack
| Frontend | Next.js (App Router) with Tailwind CSS and shadcn/ui |
|---|---|
| Backend | Next.js Server Actions and API Routes |
| Database | Neon (Serverless Postgres with Drizzle ORM) |
| Auth | better-auth |
| Payments | None (personal clone) |
| Other | react-pdf for client-side resume PDF rendering and downloads, dnd-kit for Kanban board drag-and-drop interactions, Mapbox GL JS for map view and commute tracking |
Build guide
01Project Scaffolding & Database Schema
Initialize the Next.js project with TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, shadcn/ui components, and Drizzle ORM connected to Neon Postgres. Define data models for users, job applications (with status, salary, location, description), contacts, interviews, and resumes.
Scaffold a new Next.js App Router project using TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, and standard directory structure. Configure Drizzle ORM with a Neon Postgres connection string from environment variables. Define database schemas in src/db/schema.ts for: users, jobs (id, userId, company, title, status [wishlist, applied, interviewing, offered, rejected], salary, location, latitude, longitude, description, notes, createdAt), contacts (id, userId, jobId, name, email, phone, role), and resumes (id, userId, title, contentJson, createdAt). Include migration scripts and a db client helper. Verify connection and ensure type safety across all models.02Authentication & User Dashboard Shell
Implement authentication using better-auth with email/password login and set up the main dashboard shell featuring navigation for the Job Tracker, Resume Builder, and Contacts.
Implement authentication in Next.js using better-auth with email/password credentials provider, hooking it up to our Neon Postgres Drizzle schema. Create sign-in and sign-up pages with clean Tailwind forms. Build a main dashboard layout with a sidebar navigation linking to /tracker (Job Tracker), /resumes (AI Resume Builder), /contacts (Contact Tracker), and /map (Map View). Protect all routes so unauthenticated users are redirected to sign-in.03Kanban Job Tracker & CRUD Operations
Build the Kanban board view for job applications supporting status columns, card creation, detailed view modals, and drag-and-drop state transitions using dnd-kit.
Build a Kanban job tracker view at /tracker using dnd-kit for smooth drag-and-drop column transitions (Wishlist, Applied, Interviewing, Offered, Rejected). Create a 'New Job' modal that accepts company name, job title, status, salary range, location, and description. Implement card click handlers that open a detailed slide-over view where users can update status, add private notes, log interview dates, and attach contacts. Ensure state updates optimistically and persists via Server Actions.04AI Resume Builder & Template Engine
Create a structured resume builder interface allowing users to manage experience entries, skills, and summaries, with real-time preview across multiple professional templates and client-side PDF export.
Build an AI Resume Builder at /resumes. Create a structured form editor for personal info, professional summary, work experience (company, role, dates, bullet points), education, and skills. Implement a live preview canvas supporting at least 3 distinct layout templates (e.g., Modern, Professional, Minimal) styled cleanly with CSS grid/flexbox. Integrate react-pdf or html2pdf to enable one-click PDF downloading of the formatted resume. Ensure templates look polished and ATS-friendly.05AI Resume Tailor & Multi-Dimensional Matching Engine
Implement the core AI feature that ingests a job description, extracts keywords, responsibilities, and qualifications, computes a match score against user resumes, and generates tailored bullet points and summaries.
Build the AI resume tailoring and scoring engine. Create an API route /api/ai/tailor that accepts a base resume JSON and a target job description text. Using the Anthropic API (via AI SDK), prompt Claude to: (1) Extract keywords, core responsibilities, and qualifications from the job description; (2) Calculate a multi-dimensional match score (keyword match %, responsibility coverage %, qualification match %); (3) Generate tailored summary and bullet point suggestions highlighting missing keywords. Build a companion UI at /resumes/tailor where users select a job and resume, view their match score breakdown, and bulk-accept AI suggestions into their resume.06AI Cover Letter Generator & Resume Reviewer
Add instant AI cover letter generation based on user profile and job descriptions, alongside a 5-minute resume critique specialist that flags weak verbs, missing metrics, and tone gaps.
Implement AI Cover Letter generation and AI Resume Review features. Create an API endpoint /api/ai/cover-letter that pulls user experience history and target job details to generate a polished, professional cover letter with editable output. Create an AI Resume Review page at /resumes/review where users submit their resume and target role; the backend calls Claude to produce a structured JSON critique containing line-level suggestions, identified gaps, impact metrics feedback, and a letter grade. Render the critique with one-click apply or discard actions for each suggestion.07Map View & Contact Tracker Polish
Integrate Mapbox GL JS to plot job application locations and commute distances on a map view, alongside a dedicated contact management table.
Build the Map View at /map and Contact Tracker at /contacts. For the Map View, integrate Mapbox GL JS to display user-saved job locations with custom map markers color-coded by application status, showing company name and salary on hover. For the Contact Tracker, build a searchable table listing recruiters and hiring managers linked to specific job cards, allowing users to store email addresses, phone numbers, and notes.
Cost vs paying for Huntr
What will you build it with?
Starting total with Claude Code$0 one-time
Starting costs (one-time)
- AI Coding Assistant & API Credits$25
Total$25 one-time
Ongoing costs (monthly)
- Vercel Hobby Hosting$0/mo
- Neon Serverless Postgres$0/mo
- Anthropic API Pay-as-you-go~$3-5/mo
Total~$4/mo
Paying for Huntr
$40/mo (Pro plan)
Your time to build
25-35 hours
AI tool credits
$20 (Claude Pro / Cursor) + ~$5 API usage
Break-even
1 month vs Pro subscription
Vibe code Huntr: FAQ
- Can you vibe code Huntr yourself?
- Solid side project — 62/100 vibecodeable. You can build a fully functional personal clone of the core Kanban tracker, AI resume builder, and semantic matching engine, but supporting thousands of brittle external ATS scrapers in a browser extension will require ongoing maintenance.
- How long does it take to vibe code Huntr?
- 3-4 weeks of focused development — roughly 25-35 hours of hands-on time with an AI coding agent.
- How do you build your own Huntr?
- Scoped to personal use: Next.js (App Router) with Tailwind CSS and shadcn/ui on the front, Next.js Server Actions and API Routes behind it, Neon (Serverless Postgres with Drizzle ORM) for data. Follow the 7-step build guide on this page — each step has a paste-ready prompt for an AI coding agent.
- How do you code your own Huntr without being an expert?
- Use an AI coding tool (Claude Code or Cursor) and work in small steps: scaffold, data model, core screens, then deploy. Realistic effort: 3-4 weeks of focused development. The prompts on this page are written so the AI does the heavy lifting.
- How much does it cost to vibe code Huntr instead of paying?
- About $25 one-time to start and ~$4/mo to run, versus $40/mo (Pro plan) for Huntr. Break-even: 1 month vs Pro subscription.
- What stack should you use to vibe code Huntr?
- Next.js (App Router) with Tailwind CSS and shadcn/ui; Next.js Server Actions and API Routes; Neon (Serverless Postgres with Drizzle ORM); plus react-pdf for client-side resume PDF rendering and downloads, dnd-kit for Kanban board drag-and-drop interactions, Mapbox GL JS for map view and commute tracking.