Website update guide
How to update your existing website with AI.
To update your website with AI, give a suitable editing tool access to the right website project, ask for a specific change, review it in a preview, then approve publication. A website address alone is not editing access.
You do not need to replace a working website just because you want AI help. First find out where the site lives and how changes reach the public. That determines which tool can help and whether a rebuild is worth it.
Start with the website you actually have
- A website builder: Use its supported editing features or an authorized integration. A screenshot or exported page does not recreate the builder's forms, database or publishing settings.
- WordPress or another CMS: Separate page content from theme code, plugins and stored data. Use a staging copy for structural changes and take a backup of both files and data.
- A code-based website: An agent can work with the project files in a local folder or a connected repository. You also need its build instructions and a preview environment.
- An agency-controlled site: Ask for account access, source files, data exports and the publishing process before buying another tool.
If you cannot obtain the required access, a client-owned website rebuild may be the practical next step. Do not cancel existing hosting before the replacement works.
Prepare a safe place to make changes
Record the last working version and keep a backup. Make the change in a separate branch or staging copy, not directly in the version customers use. A branch is a separate line of work you can review before accepting it into the published site.
Identify which branch or action deploys to production. Some hosting setups publish automatically when you push or merge code. Asking an agent to save changes is not necessarily the same as authorizing a launch.
For sites connected to Cloudflare Pages, preview deployments can provide a separate URL for reviewing changes. Confirm the project's actual deployment settings. Keep private material out of public previews or protect access.
Ask for one change you can verify
Start with a text or photo update. Give the agent the exact page, current content, replacement and boundaries. For example:
On the contact page, change Saturday hours from 10 a.m.–4 p.m. to 9 a.m.–2 p.m. Keep all other hours, the address and the contact form unchanged. Find any other public copies of Saturday hours and show me where they are. Make a preview and do not publish.
This is more useful than asking the agent to improve the whole website. You can tell whether the requested change happened and whether anything unrelated moved.
Review the result, not just the reply
- Open the preview on a phone-sized screen and desktop. Read the edited words and check that nothing is cut off.
- Compare the list of changed files with the request. Ask why any unrelated file changed.
- Check affected buttons, links and navigation. For form changes, verify delivery with an authorized test and a test inbox, not just a success message.
- Confirm important page addresses, search titles and analytics have not disappeared.
- Ask what was tested, what failed and what still needs a person to check.
Approve, publish and reopen the live page
Approve the specific revision you reviewed. After the hosting provider finishes deploying, open the public URL and repeat the important checks. A successful code change is not proof that the published site changed.
If the change causes a problem, return to the known working version using the project's rollback process. A code rollback does not automatically restore changed data or third-party settings.
Which AI should you use?
Choose a tool that can access your actual project and show reviewable changes. The ChatGPT guide explains the distinction between chat advice and connected code editing. The Claude guide walks through Claude Code, project instructions and reviewing changes.
Both still require your approval process. Keep passwords and customer data out of prompts, grant only the access needed, and get specialist help for payments, authentication or sensitive data.
Need help with your website?
Send me your current site and we can discuss a rebuild or coaching. The client-owned website package is $2,499 one time for up to 40 pages, with 2 weeks turnaround. Hosting and AI subscriptions are separate.
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