Building WordPress Websites Using AI

AI tools have changed the way a lot of people build websites, and building WordPress websites using AI is now quicker than ever. With a few prompts, you can generate page layouts, write your content, create custom code snippets and even get help with plugin settings, all in a fraction of the time it used to take.

So, is there anything wrong with that? Not at all. But there are a few things worth knowing before you hit publish.

There’s Nothing Wrong With Using AI

Let’s get this out of the way first. Using AI to help build a WordPress website isn’t cheating, and it can save you a lot of time and money.

AI is genuinely useful for:

• Writing first drafts of page content
• Generating small bits of CSS or PHP
• Explaining what a plugin setting actually does
• Planning out page layouts and site structure

For many small businesses, it’s a great way to get something online quickly. The key is knowing where AI helps and where it doesn’t.

Getting Stuck When Something Goes Wrong

The biggest issue is what happens after your site goes live.

AI can write code for you, but it can’t always tell you why that code has stopped working. If you have no coding experience, a small problem can quickly turn into a big one. A plugin update clashes with a custom snippet, a page shows a white screen, or your contact form quietly stops sending enquiries.

At that point, you’re asking the same AI tool to fix code you don’t understand. Sometimes it works. Other times it suggests changes that make things worse, and you end up going round in circles while your site is down and customers can’t reach you.

Website Security Is Easy to Overlook

AI is great at making a website look finished. It’s not so good at making it secure.

AI-generated code doesn’t always follow WordPress best practices. Forms might not be properly validated, user input may not be sanitised, and plugins often get installed without any thought about who maintains them. None of this shows on the front end, so the site looks fine right up until someone exploits it.

Security isn’t a one-off job either. New WordPress vulnerabilities are disclosed every week, so plugins need updating, backups need running and someone needs to keep an eye on things.

What About the Environmental Impact?

There’s an environmental side to consider too. Every AI prompt is processed in a data centre, and those data centres need electricity to run and water to stay cool.

A single prompt is tiny. According to Google, a typical Gemini text prompt uses about as much electricity as running a microwave for one second, plus around five drops of water.

The problem is that building a website is rarely one prompt. Generating pages, rewriting content and asking AI to fix its own code can easily run into hundreds, and bigger coding tasks use more energy than a simple question. Across millions of users, it adds up. The International Energy Agency expects data centre electricity demand to more than double by 2030, with AI the biggest driver.

That’s not a reason to avoid AI. Just use it with purpose rather than regenerating the same thing over and over. The finished site matters too, as a lean, fast website uses less energy every time someone visits.

How Bexley Web Design Can Help

If you’d rather have a site that’s built properly from the beginning, take a look at our web design service. Every site is hand-built in WordPress, with no page builders or bloated templates, and security is sorted from day one.

Already built your own site with AI? That’s fine too. Our WordPress management service looks after sites built by the owners themselves. We handle the updates, daily off-site backups, Patchstack protection and support, so you’re never left on your own when something breaks. It all starts with a free health check.

Final Thoughts

There’s nothing wrong with building WordPress websites using AI. Just make sure you have a plan for when things go wrong. Get in touch with us if you need a hand!