WordPress.com rolled out this new AI site builder in early access, and it's supposed to crank out a full WordPress site for you—layouts, text, images, the works. They claim it makes "beautiful, functional websites in minutes," but right now it skips the tough stuff like ecommerce or sites with complicated plugins. They say more features are coming, but we'll see.
You need a WordPress.com account for the free trial—no card needed to test it. But to actually host and use the site, you'll pay at least $18 a month (cheaper if you lock in a year).
It runs on a chatbot: Tell it what kind of site you want (personal, business), describe headers, colors, etc. Be detailed up front for better results, or it'll ask for stuff like your business name. Then it spits out a site with AI-made headers, images, and copy. Keep chatting to fix colors, styles, pics, or add details.
Kick it off by describing your site to the AI chat.
It's okay, but kinda off sometimes.
I tested it with a fake retro game store site. Got a basic setup with sections like Discover, Events, and Visit Us. It added random AI images of game rooms, like a girl by a old TV showing a weird Tetris copy. There was a "Sega Saturday Showdown" event with an RSVP—matched to a pointless photo of a woman with Christmas cookies. The AI glitches make it feel half-baked and unreliable.
After building, move it to WordPress.com hosting for manual changes or more AI tweaks. It only works on new sites, not old ones.
This drops while Automattic (WordPress.com's owner) just cut 16 percent of jobs last week. They're also in a messy lawsuit with WP Engine, a competitor offering templates and tools for sites. Smells like desperation in a crowded market.
