Hey there,

ChatGPT can now build and host fully functioning websites without leaving the platform. Users have been able to write code with ChatGPT for years now but OpenAI’s new Sites feature takes this to a completely new level. Instead of simply creating short code snippets, the Sites feature enables ChatGPT to turn an idea into a fully functional, hosted website with a shareable link in minutes. This week we’ll explore what Sites are, how to build one, and how it differs from other AI app builders. 

What ChatGPT Sites actually is

ChatGPT Sites is a new feature that OpenAI started rolling out back in July. The premise is simple, describe an idea and watch as ChatGPT builds it. It will create the app, show you a preview, and even publish and host the site with a public URL. The engine behind this is actually Codex, OpenAI’s coding agent. This means that when you ask for a site, Codex is the one actually building it behind the scenes. You can trigger this process by clicking “more” in the top left corner and then selecting “Sites” from the dropdown menu. Alternatively, you can switch to “Work mode” in ChatGPT and then type “@Sites”. 

The advantage of having an agent like Codex create these sites is that it can do more than just create an initial webpage. It can easily go back and revise page content and UI elements. The best part is that Sites enables you to build interactive apps that can store data or even have access controls. Sites allows users to stay within the ChatGPT ecosystem because the whole creation loop happens in one place. 

How to actually build one

Getting started is incredibly simple. You just describe what you want as clearly as possible and wait while Sites creates it for you. The more detail you can add, the better, but even that is optional. I was able to create a clone of Goodreads with the simple prompt “Using @Sites, make me a personalized version of Goodreads” and got a working prototype. Of course this website wasn’t perfect and not every feature was implemented yet, but the UI and core mechanics were working.

Codex was able to create the above website from just that simple nine word prompt. From here, you can test the website's functionality and give follow-up prompts in plain English to fix or add more features. Once your idea is ready, you can hit “Share” and control who can access your new website. 

The best advice I can give you for building is to focus your app and prompts on one idea. Even if you plan on creating a larger, multi-page site that can do several things, start with one goal and work out from there. Looking back on my Goodreads clone, I had Sites create the core infrastructure first and now I can add all the features that I wish the real Goodreads would implement.

What it's good for and who can use it

Like so many AI tools, Sites can be used for a wide range of tasks. That being said, this feature definitely has its strengths and weaknesses. It works great for lightweight apps for personal or internal use. You can also use it for prototyping larger projects or creating websites for your small business. Thanks to features like cloud storage, it can write apps that keep track of information and users.

Despite these many use cases, Sites has its limits. You won’t be able to create a fully functional online store because Sites currently doesn’t support payment processing. Users are also limited in the types of APIs they can connect to. Private APIs that require a key aren’t currently supported, public APIs can be used though. So if you're looking to create more lightweight apps, then ChatGPT is the perfect fit. However, if you have more complex plans for your app then you might want to consider a different tool. 

It's important to note that Sites is a paid feature, available to Plus, Pro, Business, Edu, and Enterprise users only. There are also some regional restrictions currently in place so some parts of Europe may not have access yet. When you publish your website, ChatGPT will create a custom address for your site by default. It’s possible to connect your own personal domain to a Sites creation if needed. 

My Thoughts

Tools like ChatGPT Sites are the ideal use case for AI. Sites allows people with no background in coding or web development to create their own websites in minutes. We’ve seen an explosion of vibe coding tools over the past year and it seems that they are only becoming increasingly more common. However, despite how good the results can be, I don’t think these coding tools replace the expertise of web developers. I don’t think large companies and platforms should be solely relying on these vibe coding tools and instead need the expertise that software engineers bring. We also need to acknowledge that the current iteration of this tool is still limited to smaller, less complex ideas. ChatGPT Sites seems to be missing some of the polish and features that other tools like AI Studio or Lovable offer. Overall I’d recommend this tool for anyone who uses ChatGPT on a regular basis and wants to stay in a single ecosystem for all their AI needs.