Creating a Website with AI-Powered Tool from WordPress
It’s free, with caveats
WordPress has unveiled a new AI-powered tool, the WordPress AI Website Builder, designed to help users create a relatively basic website in a few minutes. The tool is free, but with some limitations. With the free trial, you get 30 AI prompts in total to create, expand, and revise your site. Want more? You’ll need to buy a WordPress hosting plan to get an unlimited supply of prompts.
How to Get Started
To get started, set up a WordPress account at the WordPress.com site if you don’t already have one. Log in to WordPress and browse to the AI Website Builder page. At the prompt, type a description of the site you want created. For example, you can tell the AI you want a site to showcase your freelance writing business and links to published articles.
Designing Your Site
Next, the AI asks what you want to call your site. It then confirms your name and description, which you can change at this point. Otherwise, tell the AI to design your site. After the site is completed, you’ll want to adjust certain aspects. In my case, I liked the basic layout of the site but wanted to tweak some of the visual elements. Of course, I also needed to personalize it by adding my own photos and images and setting up the links to published articles.
Fine-Tuning Your Site
Here, WordPress displays step-by-step screens to help you change the layout, pick the right colors, and select a font. With each element you choose, your site is immediately updated to reflect the change. After that process, you can fine-tune your site by asking the AI to add, remove, or update it, but remember that you get only 30 prompts for free. Otherwise, you can manually edit the site to customize it.
Hosting Plan
When you’re ready to launch your site, that’s when you’ll have to pony up for a hosting plan. With either the Premium or Business plan, you get a free domain for the first year. You can then launch your site or keep refining it until you’re happy with it.
Conclusion
I was satisfied with the AI builder’s first attempt to create my site. Of course, there’s only so much an AI can do. I would have to put in more time and work to personalize the site or chat with the AI to request specific changes, and though you ultimately have to pay to host the site, $8 a month for a full year of the Premium plan is not too pricey. Would I consider moving forward with the site? Maybe. It’s certainly worth trying and may give me the push I need to finally launch the site I have been planning for years.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the WordPress AI Website Builder?
A: The WordPress AI Website Builder is a new tool designed to help users create a relatively basic website in a few minutes.
Q: Is the tool free?
A: Yes, the tool is free, but with some limitations. You get 30 AI prompts in total to create, expand, and revise your site.
Q: What does it cost to get unlimited AI prompts?
A: You need to buy a WordPress hosting plan to get an unlimited supply of prompts.
Q: How do I get started with the AI Website Builder?
A: To get started, set up a WordPress account at the WordPress.com site if you don’t already have one, log in to WordPress, and browse to the AI Website Builder page.
Q: Can I customize my site?
A: Yes, you can adjust certain aspects of your site, but you get only 30 prompts for free. Otherwise, you can manually edit the site to customize it.
Q: What do I need to do to launch my site?
A: You need to subscribe to a Premium or Business plan, which costs $18 a month or $8 a month for a full year, or $40 a month or $25 a month for a full year, respectively.
