How to create and design a website with AI, according to experts

Today, there’s no excuse for not creating a website, especially when using an AI website builder to speed up the process. What used to take weeks now takes days or minutes.

In fact, between 2025 and 2026, the average time to publish a website dropped 50%, from eight days to four, according to Wix’s State of Websites report. Before that, it dropped 43%, from 14 days in 2022 to eight days in 2025.

Even the pros are tapping into AI as a tool: A whopping 93% of web designers report having used AI, according to a Hubspot report, with half using it specifically to design their websites.

That said, when you’re learning how to design a website with AI, keep in mind that your artificial assistant should get you about 80% of the way there; the remaining 20% is all you.

“AI usually nails the structure and the general aesthetic you're looking for,” says Oded Nachshon, head of Wix Editor at Wix, who helped build Wix’s AI agent. “But the moment you try to fine-tune that last 20% to your brand, you enter what I call ‘prompt purgatory.’" Plan to spend real time on that final 20%. It's where your site stops looking generic.

In this guide, the team behind Wix’s AI website builder breaks down how AI website creation works and highlights the key steps to getting online fast, no matter which platform you use.

How to design a website with AI in 5 steps

So, how can you get started? Here’s a step-by-step walkthrough of how to build a website with AI.

1. Gather essential information

Often, the quality of an AI output depends on the quality of the information that you input. A full dossier of information about your brand can point your AI solution in the right direction. While you don’t need to have a full style guide in hand, you do need to know basic details like:

• The purpose of your site
• Your intended audience
• The products or services that you plan on selling
• What sets you apart in the marketplace
• Your brand’s personality and/or values

Why does this matter? Let’s say that you want to build an e-commerce site that sells ring lights. Your site will look different if you’re primarily targeting Gen Z shoppers who seek your lights for personal projects, versus corporate clients who’d use your lights for professional projects. To limit the amount of back and forth in the web design process, you’ll want to decide which audiences matter most to your brand.

On that note, vague prompts produce generic sites. "Build me a coffee shop website" gives you the mathematical average of every coffee shop online. "Build me a coffee shop website for a specialty roaster in Brooklyn focused on single-origin beans, with a subscription page and a story-driven About section" is a real brief. The more specific you are at the start, the less time you spend correcting later.

2. Choose your platform

There are many AI-powered tools to consider, ranging from all-in-one platforms to single-task apps. Start by choosing from the best AI website builders.

You might also want to consider a template as a starting point.

More from this section

AI is changing pilgrims’ journeys, but sacred journeys have always adapted to new technology

+4

Billionaire wins approval for 40-acre solar farm at historic estate

AI behaves more like a brain than a database – cognitive science’s role in its origin story helps explain why

"When choosing between AI versus a template, you're essentially choosing between placing your trust in an AI model, which is trained on web design principles through an abundance of information and examples, or placing your trust in the curation and consideration done by an experienced web designer," says Sapir Ziv, a graphic designer at Wix who works on template creation.

Make sure to weigh your options carefully. You’ll want to assess things like:

• Your must-have features: What’s your game plan for your site? Do you need to enable online scheduling? Do you require an online credit card payment solution? What about gated pages or other specialized functionality? Check that your solution can accommodate your particular line of business.
• Your in-house capabilities: Do you have in-house designers and engineers who can work with code? Or, are you a “solo-preneur” who wants to focus on sales and needs a more off-the-shelf solution?
• Customization options: Can you tweak details to make your site look just right? What flexibility do you have over the branding of your web pages?
• Integration options: Does your solution mesh well with other tools that you're using, like social media or email marketing platforms? Check which tools come built into your website builder, as well as what integrations are readily available.
• AI maturity: While AI is in its heyday, it’s not brand new to the world of tech, and some companies have been at it longer than others.

AI builders and templates aren't either-or, by the way. Ashley Reckdenwald, founder of Land of Lovies, a U.S. charity she launched after the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires, likes to start with a template, then go from there. "I always tend to go rogue from the template,” she says. “But it gives me a good skeleton. It allows me to take a look at what I have and then customize it."

Working from a template, Ashley built her charity site herself and attracted media attention within days of launch. Her experience captures what AI builders do well at the moment: They remove the blank-page problem, which then lets you spend your energy on the parts that actually need your judgment.

3. Design your site with AI

Then, it’s time for the fun part: designing your site. The specifics will depend on the platform you choose, but here are some best practices to keep in mind for any AI website builder.

• Don't forget the human touch: While AI can greatly enhance the efficiency and functionality of your website, it's important not to lose your personality. Incorporate personal touches and elements that reflect your brand and values. Yarin Singolda, product marketing manager at Wix, puts the human-in-the-loop point bluntly: "If you approach AI without intention or direction, if you just say 'build me a bakery website' and walk away, then yes, you're handing over your creative license." The best results come from treating AI as a collaborator, not an outsourcer.
• Test and optimize regularly: Conduct A/B testing, collect user feedback and analyze data to discover elements to improve in the next iteration. Doing this regularly means your website remains relevant, user-friendly and aligned with evolving trends and user preferences.
• Make your site accessible to everyone: AI can improve accessibility by generating alt text for images or adjusting colors for better contrast, but it’s not a fix-all. Manual testing is still crucial for things like keyboard navigation, screen reader compatibility and readable fonts. An accessible site isn’t just good practice; it can boost SEO and help you avoid legal issues.
• Use AI to boost SEO: AI is great for crunching numbers and finding keywords, but it’s not a content expert. It might suggest piling your site with keywords in a way that feels robotic. Instead, use AI as a research tool and make thoughtful edits to create content that works for both search engines and real people.
• Use AI to personalize: AI-driven personalization can transform a basic site into an experience tailored to each visitor. From smart product recommendations to dynamic page layouts, AI keeps users engaged. But it’s important to stay transparent about data collection, follow privacy laws, and give users control over their preferences.

4. Refine, refine, refine

Remember that 20% that makes your site stand out? Now’s the time. Any attention-grabbing website includes imagery and elements that not only look good but also reflect your brand well.

If you’re feeling stuck, use AI to generate copy that you can edit later. When you think you’re done, read every paragraph aloud and rewrite any sentence that doesn't sound like you would say it. A 10-minute editing pass on AI-generated text is what turns a competent page into one that converts.

5. Domain and hosting

Next up, choosing a domain name and hosting your site. Your domain is your address on the internet, so pick something short, easy to spell and close to your brand name. If your first choice is taken, a domain name generator can help, or you can consider alternate suggestions.

Hosting is the other half of the equation. Hosting is the website infrastructure that keeps your site fast, secure and online around the clock. Look for a plan with SSL included, solid uptime and room to grow as your traffic does.

AI can get you online fast. Growing and scaling is where the work really begins.

This story was produced by Wix and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.