How to use AI to create a website

Building your first website doesn’t have to start with blank screens or complicated tools. With Microsoft Copilot , you can move faster through planning, writing, and even basic layout or code—while still making the key decisions yourself. Copilot doesn’t replace your ideas or expertise, but it does act like a helpful assistant that keeps you moving from “I’ve never built a site” to “my first version is live.” This guide walks you through how to use AI to create a website step by step, with prompts, checklists, and common pitfalls to avoid.

Plan before you start your first website

Before you start coding, it’s important to take a step back and decide what this first website will mean to you so that Copilot can help you build a site that stands out.

Pick a site type

Start simply. Common beginner-friendly options include:

• Personal portfolio

• Small business or freelance site

• Project or idea landing page

• Personal blog or media review site

• Event or community site

Pick a build path

This choice shapes how Copilot and other AI website tools will best be able to assist you. Consider your personal experience with coding and how much coding assistance you will need.

• No‑code website builders: Use a visual builder. Copilot helps with structure, page copy, and visuals, while the platform handles hosting and publishing.

• Simple HTML/CSS template: Ask Copilot to generate and explain starter code so you can learn as you go, even if you’ve never written HTML before.

• Power Pages : Enjoy an AI-powered development portal with the assurance of enterprise-level security and worldwide accessibility.

Step 1: Define your website goal, audience, and pages

A standout website will have a clear goal, audience, and a clear site map. For your first website, we recommend including these starter pages:

• Home

• About

• Work or Services

• Contact

• Privacy (optional, but good practice)

Below is a prompt example you can use in Copilot for this first step: “Act as a web strategist. I’m creating a [portfolio/site type] for [audience]. My goal is [goal]. Suggest a 1-page option and a 3–5-page site map, plus what goes on each page.”

Tip: If you want a dedicated workspace, use Copilot Pages to turn these ideas into a structured outline you can refine, rewrite, and proofread over time.

Step 2: Create your brand basics with Copilot

Before you write full site pages, define your brand with a few key aesthetics and guidelines. Ask Copilot to help you determine:

• Tone: friendly, bold, minimal, playful, etc.

• Colors: 2–3 core colors, with a reminder to keep contrast accessible

• Fonts: one headline font + one body font

• Buttons: shape, spacing, and hover style rules

• Logo or hero image (optional)

For example, you might try prompting Copilot with “Create a one‑page mini style guide for my website. Include brand tone (3 adjectives), 2–3 core colors with accessible contrast, one headline font and one body font, and basic spacing and button rules.”

Tip: Copilot can generate simple logos or hero images from a text prompt. These are great starting points that you can then refine or revise later.

Step 3: Draft your website copy

Start with words before layout—they guide design decisions and speed up building. This is where Copilot really shines.

Home page copy framework

When building your website’s home page with Copilot , focus on clarity first. Start with:

• Clear value-proposition headline

• 2-3 short benefit bullet points

• Social proof (e.g., testimonial, logo, etc.)

• One clear call to action (CTA) button

About page framework

For your “About” page, include the following:

• A “Why I Do This” section to build trust

• Short personal or brand story ( Copilot can help refine for maximum impact)

• Credibility markers (years of experience, results, certifications, clients, etc.)

Friendly call to action (CTA)

To encourage visitors to your site to act, include friendly calls to action:

• Services or work framework

• Three cards that show your service, the outcome, and proof

• Simple project or case‑study template

Reusable prompts for drafting web copy:

• “Write 3 CTA button options (2–3 words each) for: [goal].”

• “Rewrite this paragraph to be clearer and more confident, keep my voice: [paste].”

Tip: In Edge, Copilot can help rewrite or summarize text while you browse—useful when comparing inspiration sites or refining copy on the fly.

Step 4: Generate your first version of the site layout

This is where you build a website with Copilot using your chosen path.

No‑code website builder

Ask Copilot for layout pattern suggestions like hero sections, feature grids, galleries, or testimonials. Then tailor copy to each block and assemble everything in your chosen web builder.

Simple HTML/CSS site generated with Copilot

Ask Copilot to generate:

• Semantic HTML structure

• Clean, readable CSS

• Mobile‑first layout tweaks

• Accessibility checks

Try a starter prompt like this one: “Create a simple 3-page website (Home, About, Contact) using semantic HTML and modern CSS. Requirements: mobile-first, accessible contrast, sticky nav, section spacing system, and a contact form layout (non-functional is fine). Return file-by-file code.”

Create a Power Pages site with Copilot

Go to Power Pages , describe your site, generate pages and navigation, then refine everything using the visual editor and Copilot suggestions. Create beautiful layouts, smart sitemaps, and compelling AI-generated copy.

Step 5: Add SEO and accessibility essentials

Keep the basics simple for SEO:

• One topic per page

• Use H1 only once

• Short, descriptive page titles

• Alt text for images

• Internal links between pages

Ask Copilot to review pages for heading structure, contrast, labels, and improvement suggestions.

For accessibility, follow this checklist:

• Sufficient color contrast

• Keyboard-friendly navigation

• Descriptive link text

• Proper heading order

Try prompts like the ones below in Copilot for improved SEO and site accessibility:

• “Generate SEO title + meta description for this page copy. Keyword focus: [keyword]. Keep it natural.”

• “Review this HTML for accessibility issues (headings, labels, alt text, contrast suggestions).”

Step 6: Quality Assurance with Copilot

Before you go live with your website, run through a quick QA checklist with Copilot :

• Spelling and grammar

• Mobile layout

• Broken links

• Missing alt text

• Overly long paragraphs

• Clear CTAs

For example, you might prompt: “Here’s my homepage HTML/CSS. Find layout issues and suggest fixes. Also suggest 3 improvements to make the page clearer and more scannable.”

Step 7: Publish your site

With your complete website ready, all that’s left is to choose how to publish your site:

• Publish directly from a website builder

• Use GitHub Pages or Netlify for static sites

• Follow the Power Pages publish flow

Remember to preview your site for desktop and mobile before hitting that publish button.

Your AI website launch checklist

Creating an AI website isn’t about handing the work over to a tool—it’s about removing friction so you can focus on decisions that matter. When you use AI to create a website with Copilot , you move faster from idea to execution while staying in control of your content, design, and direction.

Frequently asked questions