How to Build a Website With AI, Step by Step
You need a website. You don't need a web designer, a weekend course or a headache.
- Time
- About 1 hour
- Cost
- Free to start
- Level
- Beginner
The short answer
How to Build a Website With AI, Step by StepTo build a website with AI, decide what the site is for, then open a builder like Lovable or Bolt and describe it in plain words. The AI writes the code and shows a preview. Fix one section at a time, check it on your phone, and press Publish. A free web address is included. Your own domain needs a paid plan.
- Decide the site's one job before you type a single prompt.
- Lovable, Bolt and v0 all build a site from a chat, and all have free plans.
- Lovable and Bolt include a free address. Your own domain needs a paid plan.
Building a website used to mean learning code or wrestling with templates. Now you can make a website with AI by describing it, the way you'd brief a designer. The AI writes the code. You look at the result and say what to change.
This is how to build a website with AI step by step, from blank page to live link. It works for a small business, a portfolio, an event or a side project. You can start for free.
Step by step
0 of 9 done-
Step 1
Decide what the site is for
Answer three questions. Who is the site for? Why would they visit? What's the one thing you want them to do, like book, buy or call? A site with one clear job is easier to build and works better.
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Step 2
Gather your real words and photos
Write your real headline, a short 'about' text, your prices and your contact details. Pick a few photos. Lovable's prompting guide says real text beats filler text, because it shows layout problems early.
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Step 3
Pick an AI website builder
Lovable is the easiest start. Type a prompt and you get a working site, with hosting included. Bolt does the same in your browser, and its free plan gives 1 million tokens a month. v0 puts sites live on Vercel, a web host.
Want to move things around by hand? Framer lets you design the page on a canvas, with an AI agent to help. All four have a free plan, so try one before you pay for anything.
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Step 4
Write your first prompt
Describe the site section by section. Say who it's for, what goes on the page and how it should feel. Paste in the real words you wrote in step two.
Prompt to copy Build a one-page website for Rosa's Bakery, a small family bakery. Sections: a big photo header that says 'Fresh bread, baked at 5am', a menu with prices, opening hours, and a contact form. Style: warm, cozy, cream and brown, easy to read on a phone. Main button: 'Order for pickup'.
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Step 5
Fix the look one section at a time
The first draft won't be perfect. Pick one section and ask for one change. In Lovable you can also select a part of the page in the preview and describe the change. That saves a lot of typing.
Prompt to copy In the menu section only: line up the prices on the right. Make the item names bold. Don't change any other section.
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Step 6
Check it on a phone
Your site has to work on a small screen too. In Lovable, use the device toggle to switch to Mobile view. Tap every button and link. Is the text too small? Are the buttons too close? Tell the AI.
Prompt to copy On a phone, the header text is cut off and the buttons are too small to tap. Fix both for small screens. Keep the desktop layout the same.
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Step 7
Publish your site
In Lovable, click Publish in the top right, then click Publish again. You can edit the lovable.app address it suggests. In Bolt, the Publish button gives you a free bolt.host address. Now your site has a link you can share.
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Step 8
Connect your own domain
A domain is your own web address, like yourname.com. You buy it from a domain seller for a yearly fee, then connect it inside your builder.
On Lovable and Bolt, connecting a domain needs a paid plan. Pro costs $25 a month on each. On Framer, a custom domain needs a paid plan too, starting with Basic at $10 a month.
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Step 9
Update the site after launch
Your live site is a snapshot. When you change something in the builder, visitors don't see it until you publish again. In Lovable, open Publish and click Publish changes. In Bolt, open the Publish menu and click Update.
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Free AI website builder plans at a glance
| Builder | Free plan | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| Lovable | 5 build credits a day, up to 30 a month | Your own domain needs Pro, $25 a month |
| Bolt | 1 million tokens a month and a bolt.host address | 'Made in Bolt' badge on free sites |
| v0 | 7 messages a day, with Vercel deploys | Free credits are a one-time $5 for new users |
| Framer | Build and publish on a Framer domain | A custom domain starts at $10 a month |
| Claude | One-page sites as Artifacts in a chat | Free usage limits run out quickly |
From each tool's pricing and help pages, checked November 2026. Plans change often, so check before you pay.
Tools for the job
All developer tools & apps-
Type what your site is for and get a working site, hosting included.
A first website with nothing to set up
Your own domain and code download need Pro, $25 a month
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Build a site by chatting in your browser, with a free bolt.host address.
Trying a site idea for free
Free sites show a 'Made in Bolt' badge
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Design the page by hand on a canvas, with an AI agent to help.
Polished marketing sites and portfolios
A custom domain needs a paid plan, from $10 a month
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Turns a prompt into a site and puts it live on Vercel, a web host.
Builders who want sites that go live on Vercel
The free plan stops at 7 messages a day
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Ask for a one-page site and it shows up beside your chat.
A quick one-page site when you already use Claude
Free usage limits run out quickly
Mistakes to skip
- Prompting before you know the site's job
Decide who it's for and the one action you want. Then write the prompt.
- Leaving filler text on the page
Use your real words from the start, and read every line before you publish.
- Never checking on a phone
Switch to the phone preview and tap every button before you publish.
- Changing five things in one prompt
Ask for one change per message, and say which sections to leave alone.
- Forgetting to publish again after edits
The live site is a snapshot. Publish again after every round of changes.
Write down your site's one job, then paste a clear prompt into Lovable or Bolt on a free plan. Fix one section at a time, check it on your phone, and hit Publish. Buy a domain later.
Start with LovableCompare the tools
Questions people ask
Can you build a website with AI for free?
Yes. Lovable and Bolt both have free plans and put your site online on a free address. Using your own domain needs a paid plan, which is $25 a month on each.
How do you build a website with Claude?
Ask Claude for a one-page website and it builds it as an Artifact beside your chat, on the free plan too. For a bigger site, Claude Code can build it in a folder on your computer, but that needs a paid plan.
How do you vibe code a website?
Open a builder like Lovable or Bolt, describe the site in plain words, and let the AI write the code. Then ask for one change at a time until it looks right.
What is the best AI website builder for beginners?
Lovable. You type what the site is for, it builds a working site, and hosting is included. Bolt is a strong free option that runs in your browser.
Do you own a website built with AI?
Lovable and Bolt say the code is yours, and Vercel says it doesn't own the code v0 makes. Check each tool's terms before you build a business on it.
Can AI build a website with logins or a contact form?
Yes. Lovable and Bolt have logins and a database built in, so you can ask for forms, sign-ups and saved data in a prompt. Test them well before real visitors use them.
Checked in November 2026 against: docs.lovable.dev, docs.lovable.dev, docs.lovable.dev, support.bolt.new, support.bolt.new, bolt.new, v0.app, support.claude.com.
