The short answer
To build a website with AI, describe the site in an AI builder such as Lovable, review the first version in the preview, ask for one change at a time and click Publish to put it live on a free lovable.app address. Lovable's free plan gives 5 build credits a day, up to 30 a month, but a custom domain needs a paid plan. Vercel's v0, Bolt.new and Replit work the same way and suit developers, tight budgets and mobile apps respectively.
What you need first
- A one-page brief. Who the site is for, what you want visitors to do (book, buy, call, sign up), the pages you need and three websites whose style you like.
- Your real content. Your logo, a few photos you own, your opening hours, prices or services. Realistic content makes the first version look finished; placeholder text makes it look like a template.
- An account on a builder. This guide uses Lovable, because its official guide documents every step from first prompt to publishing. You can sign up with email, Google, GitHub or Apple.
- A domain, if you want one. Every Lovable plan can publish to a free lovable.app address. Using your own domain needs a paid plan.
How to build a website in Lovable, step by step
- Write your prompt. In the prompt box ("Ask Lovable to create...") with Build selected in the mode picker, describe the site in plain language. Keep the first version simple: no logins and no database. You can add those later.
- For a bigger site, plan first. Open the mode picker next to the chat input and select Plan. Lovable writes a plan you can comment on without touching any code. Select Approve on the plan card when it is right. Each Plan message costs one credit.
- Wait for the first version. It takes a few minutes. You land in the editor with the project chat on the left and the live preview on the right.
- Change one thing at a time. Type requests in the chat and check the preview after each one. Say what is wrong in plain words: "make the whole site feel warmer and less corporate".
- Point at small changes. Use the preview toolbar to select an element and describe the change, or Edit text inline to type straight onto a headline or button.
- Test on a phone view. Click every button and link, then switch to Mobile view with the device toggle. Most visitors will arrive on a phone.
- Publish. Click Publish at the top right. Lovable suggests a lovable.app address you can edit; click Publish again to put it live.
- Update the live site. Changes in the preview do not appear publicly until you click Publish, then Publish changes.
Every change is saved as a version you can restore from project history, so experiment freely.
A worked example: a site for a small bookkeeping practice
Say you run a two-person bookkeeping firm and need a simple site that gets enquiries. Your brief: four sections (services, prices from, about us, contact), a calm and trustworthy look, your logo colours, and one goal: a contact form. In Plan mode, ask Lovable to plan the page structure and approve it once the sections are in the right order. Switch to Build and let it make the first version, then paste in your real service list and photos. Use the preview toolbar to fix the hero headline and Edit text inline for the prices. Check Mobile view, fix the two things that look cramped, and publish to a lovable.app address to share with a client for feedback. When you are happy, move to a paid plan to connect your own domain. A contact form that stores enquiries needs a backend; Lovable Cloud provides one, and our guide to building an app without code covers that step.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
- A vague first prompt. "Make me a website for my business" produces a generic template. Fix: name the audience, the one action you want visitors to take, the pages and the style.
- Asking for ten changes in one message. The builder gets some wrong and you cannot tell which. Fix: one request, check, next request.
- Forgetting to publish changes. The live site is a snapshot. Fix: use Publish, then Publish changes after every round of edits.
- Running out of credits on day one. Lovable's free plan gives 5 build credits a day, capped at 30 a month, and plan credits on monthly billing expire two months after they are issued. Fix: plan big changes in Plan mode first, and use the preview toolbar for small fixes.
- Using images you do not own. Fix: use your own photos or properly licensed stock.
- Leaving training on. Since 9 September 2026, Lovable can use Free and Pro content for model training unless you opt out. Fix: Account settings, then Preferences, then AI model training, and switch off "Use my Lovable content for model training".
Lovable, v0, Bolt or Replit: which should you use?
| Builder | Pick it if | Free plan | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lovable | You want a polished site, and maybe app features later, without touching code | 5 build credits a day, up to 30 a month; publishes to lovable.app | No custom domain or code editing on Free |
| v0 by Vercel | You or a developer will deploy on Vercel and want clean Next.js code | 7 messages a day, deploy to Vercel, Design Mode, GitHub sync | Free content can be used for training, with no opt-out on Free |
| Bolt.new | You want generous free building and built-in hosting | 1M tokens a month with a 300K daily cap; free bolt.host subdomain with Bolt branding | Model training is on by default for most accounts outside the EU, UK and Switzerland |
| Replit | You want a website now and possibly a mobile app later | Starter: one published app that goes down after 30 days | Cost depends on which mode you build in |
In Replit, start a site from the home prompt box: open the Output menu and select Website, choose Free in the mode selector, then describe one outcome and what to leave out for now. Our comparisons go further: Bolt vs Lovable, v0 vs Bolt and Lovable vs Replit. For the full shortlist, read the best AI for building websites.
Before you share the link
- Read every word on the page. AI builders invent plausible details, such as testimonials, prices or awards, if you do not supply them. Delete anything that is not true.
- Check the contact form sends somewhere you actually read.
- Open the site on your own phone, not just the preview.
- Ask a colleague to find your prices and contact details in under ten seconds. If they cannot, simplify.
Prompts to copy
First build prompt
Build a one-page website for [business], a [type of business] in [town] serving [audience]. Sections: [list]. The one action visitors should take is [book / call / enquire]. Style: [calm, bold, playful], colours [colours], plenty of white space, large readable text. Use this real content: [paste services, prices, about text]. No logins or database yet.
You get: A realistic first version built from your own content
Plan before building
Do not build yet. Plan the structure of this site: list each section in order, what it says, the call to action and what appears on mobile first. Flag any content you still need from me.
You get: A reviewable plan and a list of missing content
Make it feel right
The site feels [too corporate / too busy / too plain]. Make it feel [warmer / calmer / more premium] by changing typography, spacing and colour only. Do not change the text or the section order.
You get: A design pass that keeps your content intact
Mobile check
Review this site in mobile view. List anything that is cramped, too small to tap, cut off or slow to reach the call to action, then fix those issues without changing the desktop layout.
You get: A site that works on the phones most visitors use
Truth check before publishing
List every factual claim on this site: prices, numbers, testimonials, awards, opening hours, addresses, promises. Mark which ones came from content I supplied and which you generated. Remove anything I did not supply.
You get: A site with no invented claims