How to build a website with AI, without coding
You can build a website with AI in three ways: with an AI website builder (like Wix or Hostinger), with WordPress plus an AI assistant, or with an AI agent like Claude Code that writes the site for you. For a simple business website, any of them works; they differ in how much control you get, what you pay each month and how much you learn along the way.
Below you'll first find an honest comparison, so you can pick the right method. Then the full path with Claude Code: from an empty folder to a link you can send to anyone, in one evening.
Which method should you choose: builder, WordPress or AI agent?
| AI website builder | WordPress + AI | AI agent (Claude Code) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How you work | Describe the business, get a ready-made site, adjust it with the mouse | Install WordPress, pick a theme, AI helps with the text | Describe what you want in words, the agent writes the site's files |
| How fast you get something | Fastest, in minutes | Slower: hosting, theme, plugins | Fast, but the first time you're learning the steps |
| Control over the result | As much as the platform allows | High, but with lots of settings | Total: the files are yours |
| What you pay | Usually the platform's subscription, for domain and hosting | Hosting and domain; some themes and plugins are paid | The Claude subscription; hosting can be free for personal projects |
| What you learn | How to use one platform | How to run WordPress | How to work with an AI agent, which you'll use on other projects too |
Builder and hosting prices change often, so check them on their own websites before you choose.
When should you pick an AI website builder?
When you want a standard site as fast as possible and don't want to learn anything technical. You get a good-looking template in minutes. The downside: the site lives on their platform, you pay monthly for as long as it's online, and you're limited to what the editor allows.
When should you pick WordPress + AI?
When you need a big blog, an online shop with many products, or someone else to manage it after you. WordPress has thousands of themes and plugins. The downside: lots of settings, updates and plugins to keep up to date.
When should you pick an AI agent like Claude Code?
When you want full control, files that belong to you, and a skill you can keep using: a website today, a small tool for your business tomorrow. The downside: the first time takes longer, because you're learning to use the terminal and to ask clearly. From here on, this guide shows that method.
What do you need to build a website with Claude Code?
- Claude Code, installed and connected to a paid Claude subscription. The cheapest, Pro, costs $20 a month plus tax (claude.com/pricing, checked on 7 October 2026). If you don't have it yet, see how to install Claude Code.
- An empty folder on your computer.
- Answers to a few questions about the business: name, opening hours, what it sells, how customers get in touch.
You don't need any coding knowledge. You need the patience to check what comes out.
Step 1. How do you get Claude to ask you questions before it starts?
You tell it, explicitly, to ask you questions and not write anything until you say so. Most of the time a site turns out badly because the AI guesses what you didn't say. So you start the other way round.
> I want to build a one-page website for a cafe.
Before you start, ask me the questions you need, one at a time.
Don't write any files until I say "go".
Claude asks you for the name, address, opening hours, menu and how bookings work. You answer briefly. Where you don't know, write "you choose".
Step 2. How do you let it build the site?
Once it's done asking, you tell it what kind of site you want, with a few clear rules:
> Go. A single file, index.html, no libraries.
It must look good on a phone above all. The booking button opens WhatsApp,
and the phone number can be tapped to call.
Claude shows you the file it wants to create and asks for permission. You approve, and the page appears in the folder. Then you can ask it to open it in the browser: "open index.html in my browser".
Step 3. How do you make corrections and have it check its work?
Look at the page as one of the cafe's customers would, and ask for changes one at a time: "the title is too small on a phone", "put the opening hours under the title". One change per message is easier to check than five at once.
Then ask it to check its own work:
> Check: are the WhatsApp button and the phone number in the right format?
Is it easy to read on a phone? Is anything missing that a customer would look for?
If it says everything is fine, ask "how did you check?". That's how you find out whether it really looked. The recipe for a good message (what, where, what not to touch, how to check) is explained in the lesson what does a good message look like.
Step 4. How do you put the site online?
You publish it for free, for example on Vercel: you log in once, then Claude runs the publish command and gives you a link ending in .vercel.app. Open it on your phone and send it on WhatsApp. This step is called deploy.
Vercel's free plan is for personal projects. For a client's site that you get paid for, you need other hosting or a paid plan. Check their rules first.
How long does it take to build a website with AI?
The first time, including the Vercel account, about 30–45 minutes. The next sites go faster, because you already know the steps. With a website builder you get a first version even faster, but you can only adjust it as far as the editor lets you.
What mistakes should you avoid?
- Asking for everything in one message. Start with the questions, then build, then correct one thing at a time.
- Accepting without looking. Check especially what customers will see: phone, opening hours, prices, address.
- Letting the conversation grow forever. For a new task, type
/clearand start fresh. - Publishing details you don't want everyone to see. On a public site, only put what's already public.
Frequently asked questions
Can I build a website with AI for free?
Partly. Some builders have free plans with limits, and hosting on Vercel is free for personal projects. Claude Code, however, needs a paid Claude subscription.
Do I need my own domain?
Not to start with. Your hosting gives you a free address. Your own domain (for example yourcafe.com) is bought separately and can be connected later.
Can I change the site after it's published?
Yes. Open Claude Code in the same folder, ask for the change and publish again.
Is a website made with AI good enough for a real business?
For a business website, yes, if you check carefully what it says. AI makes mistakes, and you're responsible for what you publish.
The full exercise, free
All the steps above, with what you should see on screen at each one and fixes for when you get stuck, are in lab 0 of the "Claude Code for Beginners" course. It's free, like the first two modules. If you're just starting, read what Claude Code is or the Claude Code tutorial first, and look up new words in the glossary. See also the whole course.