How to Build a Website using AI

This is a four-page reference card that covers everything involved in building and deploying a website using AI tools, written from first principles.

It starts with what a website actually is. Most guides skip this and jump straight to the tools, which leaves people guessing when something goes wrong. The card explains the three file types that make up a site, how those files get from a server to a browser, and the difference between hosting and domains. That mental model takes five minutes to read and makes every tool decision afterward easier.

From there it covers the eight-step lifecycle every website goes through, from deciding what the site is for all the way to deploying and iterating. AI builders compress several of these steps into one action. Knowing the full loop means knowing what was compressed, which is how people fix things when the output is off.

The card also breaks down the three categories of AI website builder (prompt-to-site tools, AI no-code editors, and AI coding assistants), explains what each is suited for, and names specific tools in each category.

The core practical section is a six-question planning template. Each field exists because AI fills it badly when left blank. The card explains what to fill in, gives a concrete example for each field, and explains why that field matters. Once filled, the template becomes a single prompt that produces a site shaped around real intent instead of generic defaults.

The final page covers deployment (two paths depending on the tool used), connecting a custom domain in four steps, and a quick-reference table of every tool and host mentioned in the card with URLs.

The whole thing is designed to be kept open in a tab while building.