How to Conduct a Live Coding Interview (Step-by-Step)

A great live coding interview measures how someone thinks with you—not how fast they install your preferred IDE. This playbook is the process we recommend for fair, low-friction screens.

What is a live coding interview?
It is a real-time technical conversation where interviewer and candidate share an editor, solve a problem together, run code when useful, and discuss trade-offs—ideally in a setup that takes seconds to join.

1. Prepare the room before the call

1. Create a room on LiveCodeShare (no signup).
2. Paste the prompt, constraints, examples, and any starter stubs as comments at the top.
3. Pick the language you want candidates to use (or list allowed options).
4. Smoke-test the runner once so you are not debugging the platform during the interview.

2. Share the room link (and a backup)

Send the room URL in the calendar invite and again in chat when the call starts. Ask the candidate to open it in Chrome/Edge/Firefox. Keep Zoom/Meet for audio—do not rely on screen share as the primary coding surface.

3. Lock the room once everyone is in

When the candidate (and any shadow interviewer) has joined, use host lock so unexpected guests cannot enter mid-session. LiveCodeShare supports room locking for exactly this privacy control.

4. Collaborate and run code

Let the candidate drive. Jump in when stuck on syntax or to clarify requirements. Run the code in the browser to validate edge cases instead of hand-waving. Real-time collaborative editing means you can add a helper function or test harness without taking over the keyboard forever.

5. Use live chat as a paper trail

• Paste clarifying constraints the candidate invents
• Drop useful links (docs, not spoilers)
• Capture follow-up questions for the end

Because rooms persist, that chat history remains on the link if you need notes after the call—still avoid pasting secrets or candidate personal data you should not retain.

6. Evaluate more than the final answer

Score explicitly:

• Problem framing: Do they ask about inputs, scale, and failure modes?
• Incremental delivery: Can they ship a correct simple version first?
• Debugging: How do they react when a run fails?
• Communication: Do they narrate trade-offs clearly?
• Collaboration: Can they pair without ego?

Timing template (45 minutes)

1. 0–5: introductions, open the room, confirm language
2. 5–30: main problem with active pairing
3. 30–40: run edge cases / small extension
4. 40–45: candidate questions

For platform choices beyond this playbook, see Best Live Coding Interview Platforms. For tool context, the online code sharing guide helps set expectations with hiring managers.