Build a WordPress Website from Scratch With ChatGPT

If you’re building a WordPress website and want to save time and improve your results, ChatGPT can be an incredibly useful partner. Using ChatGPT can streamline everything from planning to launch.

Here’s how to use ChatGPT to build a powerful WordPress website from scratch.

1. Plan your website structure

Before diving into design, ChatGPT can help you define your website’s structure and content strategy. Simply ask for help creating a sitemap or page list based on your goals.

Try this prompt:
“Help me outline the structure for a service-based website offering web and graphic design.”

ChatGPT can suggest common pages like Home, About, Services, Portfolio, Blog and Contact, and help you prioritise content based on user intent.

2. Generate SEO-friendly content

Writing website content is one of the biggest bottlenecks for new websites. ChatGPT makes it easier by helping you write:

• Homepage intros and headlines
• About and Services page content
• Blog articles optimised for SEO
• Calls-to-action and value propositions
• Meta descriptions and alt text

Example prompt:
“Write a compelling About page for a Sydney-based creative studio helping small businesses with branding and websites.”

3. Choose the right theme and layout

Not sure which theme to use? ChatGPT can recommend themes based on your design needs, functionality requirements and budget.

You could ask:
“What’s a good free WordPress theme for a portfolio website?”
or
“Compare Astra and Kadence for a small business website.”

You can also get help with layout ideas, colour palettes and typography suggestions to maintain brand consistency.

4. Find and configure the best plugins

ChatGPT can recommend essential plugins for:

• SEO (e.g. Rank Math or Yoast SEO)
• Security (e.g. Wordfence or iThemes Security)
• Speed (e.g. WP Rocket or LiteSpeed Cache)
• Forms (e.g. WPForms or Fluent Forms)
• Backups, accessibility, image optimisation and more

Prompt example:
“What plugins do I need to make my WordPress site fast and secure?”

5. Customise with code (even if you’re not a developer)

If you’re comfortable adding custom code, ChatGPT can help you generate:

• CSS tweaks for styling
• HTML for layout elements
• JavaScript for interactivity
• PHP for WordPress functions like redirects or custom post types

Use a plugin like Code Snippets to add code safely without touching theme files.

Example prompt:
“Write PHP code to redirect users to a thank-you page after form submission.”

6. Improve SEO and marketing strategy

ChatGPT can also act as your AI marketing assistant, offering support with:

• Keyword research and content planning
• Blog post ideas and outlines
• On-page SEO tips
• Social media content
• Email newsletter ideas

7. Maintain and optimise over time

Once your website is live, ChatGPT can help you create a monthly maintenance checklist including:

• Core and plugin updates
• Backups
• Speed and security audits
• Suggestions for new blog topics
• UX or accessibility improvements

This ongoing process ensures your website stays secure, fast and useful to your visitors.

Conclusion

Using ChatGPT to build your WordPress website doesn’t just save time, it enhances your creativity and helps you avoid common mistakes. If you need help writing compelling content, choosing the right plugin or debugging code, AI can be your reliable co-pilot.

So, if you’re ready to get started, just open ChatGPT and start with a simple prompt like:
“Help me plan a homepage for my small business website.”