Creating a Website from a Template or Blank

⏱️ 4-6 min

Start a new site from a template or from blank, check the pages it made, and rename it in Settings.

Step by step

Create a site from a template

Templates are ready-made sites. You edit them instead of designing from scratch.

1

Click + New Website

Click Search at the top of your screen and type Websites, then open it. Click + New Website. You are asked how you want to start.

2

Choose From Templates

This opens the template library. Scroll and look around for a style close to your business.

3

Preview a few

Click a template to preview it and see its pages before you commit. Back out and try another if it is not right.

4

Select and name it

Select the one you like and give your site a name. The order of the name and template steps can differ, so follow the prompts.

5

Click Create

Your software builds the site with its pages already in place.

Compare

Template or blank?

Both start with + New Website. The difference is what you get on day one.

Speed

You get a site with real pages and a layout already built.

  • Best when you want a fast start
  • Look at the structure, not the colors

Total control

You get an empty site with nothing built yet.

  • Best when you know the layout you want
  • You build every page yourself

Fix a name later

Open the site, click the Settings tab, find the site name field, type the new name, and save.

  • Names show in your Websites list
  • Use the business or project name
Key terms

Definitions

Tap any term to expand it.

A ready-made site with pages and layout that you edit to fit your business.
A new site with nothing built, so you design every page.
The name shown in your Websites list. You can change it in Settings.
The set of pages a template builds for you, ready for your words.
Help me do it

Things To Do

Finish these before moving to the next lesson. They only take a few minutes.

0 of 3 done

⚡ Tips

  • Do not obsess over template colors and photos, because you can change them later.
  • Check that the template has the pages your business needs.
  • Use a test site while you practice. You can always remove it.
  • If the steps look a little different in your account, follow the on-screen prompts in order.
Check yourself

Quick Knowledge Check

Answer a few quick questions to lock in what you just learned. Miss one and we'll show you the right answer.

0 of 4 answered

Which choice gives you a site with pages already built?

What should you look at most when choosing a template?

Choosing ____ gives you an empty site with nothing built yet.

You rename a site by clicking the ____ tab.

Help me apply it

Try This With Your Favorite AI

Copy a prompt below and paste it into ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or whatever AI tool you use. Fill in the bracketed details and it'll help you write your own version for your business.

🧭 Pick my template style

You are a calm software guide helping me choose between a template and a blank site. My context: - [my business and the pages I need] - [how much time I have to build] - [how comfortable I am with design] Give me: - A plain-language list of what to check when previewing templates - A short list of pages a template should include for me - A note on when blank would suit me better Keep it under 250 words and only talk about using the software. Finish by asking me: "How many pages do you think your first site needs?"

🏷️ Name my new site

You are a tidy organizer helping me name my websites so I can find them fast. My context: - [my business or project name] - [who the site is for] - [how many sites I manage] Give me: - Five short site name ideas - One naming rule I can reuse for every site - A good name for a practice test site Keep names under five words and avoid special characters. Finish by asking me: "Which name feels easiest to spot in a list of ten?"

You can start a site two ways now, and neither one needs a developer. Go build a test site from a template, then rename it.