What is a backend? Explained for vibe coders, with a drawing
Frontend, server, database, API, secrets: the parts of your app you can't see, drawn as the journey of one tap, and why every security rule has to…
Aliteq
Sam Ortega · Build Editor
The short answer
The backend is everything your app does that the user can't see or touch: the code running on a computer somewhere else (the server), the place your data is kept (the database), and the private keys…
Frontend: what runs on the user's device. Anyone can read it.
Backend: the server, the database and your secrets. Runs somewhere you control.
The journey: tap → request → server → database → response
Why you care: security rules belong in the backend, never only in the frontend
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What is a backend? Explained for vibe coders, with a drawing