There’s a dirty secret in the AI coding world.
Most AI code generators have a mind of their own. They decide how to structure your code. They decide when to split files. They decide what’s “best practice.”
And you? You just have to deal with it.
We got tired of this. So we built something different.
The Problem Nobody Talks About
When we launched JustCopy.ai, we noticed a pattern in user feedback:
Half our users said: “The AI writes too much code in one file. It’s messy.”
The other half said: “Why is the AI splitting everything into 10 files? I just want a quick prototype!”
Both groups were right. Neither was wrong.
The real problem? We were making decisions that should belong to the user.
The Simple Fix That Took 3 Weeks
We added a toggle. That’s it.
📄 Single File Mode — Everything in one file. No limits. Pure speed.
📦 Multi-File Mode — Clean components. Production-ready architecture.
One button. The user chooses. The AI adapts.
But here’s what made it hard: we had to rebuild how our AI thinks.
In Single File Mode, the AI writes freely. No line limits. No splitting. Just get the idea on screen as fast as possible.
In Multi-File Mode, the AI thinks like a senior developer:
“This TaskList is getting long. I should extract TaskItem.”
“The header has its own state. Separate component.”
“Keep page.tsx clean — just imports and composition.”
Same AI. Same capabilities. Different mindset based on one toggle.
When to Use Each Mode
Use Single File Mode when:
You’re prototyping an idea
Building a quick demo for a meeting
The app is genuinely simple (landing page, calculator, etc.)
You want to move FAST
Use Multi-File Mode when:
Building something you’ll maintain
Working on a production app
You want clean, reusable components
The app has multiple sections/features
The default is Single File. Because most people reaching for an AI builder want speed first, architecture second.
What This Taught Us About AI Products
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: AI products fail when they’re too opinionated.
The magic of AI is that it can adapt. It can write code your way, my way, or any way. But most AI products hardcode their opinions into the system.
“Best practice says split at 100 lines.”
“Clean code means small functions.”
“Components should be reusable.”
These are fine defaults. But they’re not universal truths. Context matters. User preference matters.
When we gave users control, something interesting happened:
Satisfaction went up — Users felt heard
Support tickets went down — Fewer complaints about file structure
Usage went up — People experimented with both modes
The lesson: Give users agency over how AI behaves, not just what it produces.
Try It Yourself
If you’re building web apps with AI, I’d love for you to try this.
Go to justcopy.ai
Start a new project
Look for the 📄/📦 toggle next to the chat input
Build the same app in both modes
See which one fits YOUR workflow
No credit card. No setup. Just describe what you want and watch it build.
What’s Next
We’re working on more ways to give users control:
Style presets — Minimal vs. feature-rich UI
Code style — Verbose vs. concise
Framework preferences — Your conventions, not ours
The goal isn’t to build the smartest AI. It’s to build an AI that works the way you want it to.
Because the best AI tool is the one that feels like an extension of your brain, not a replacement for it.
Building JustCopy.ai in public. Follow along for more updates on AI, coding, and building products that don’t suck.
Try JustCopy.ai →
P.S. — If you’ve used other AI code generators and have opinions about what they get wrong, reply to this post. We read everything and it directly influences what we build next.
