How To Use AI For Web Development: My Website Overhaul

Here's how to use AI for web development, the way I did it: let bots draft each change as a backup-first edit, check it on a preview, and approve it before it goes live.

Before And After

  • The home page now opens with Find Your Device, so you tap your brand and go straight to its catalog. See it live at franchittisfix.com.
  • 58 broken business-info blocks were fixed so search engines read the shop's address, phone and services correctly.
  • New pages went up for guides, diagnostics and parts quality.

How The Bots Worked

Every change started with a backup and ended with my yes. If something looked wrong, we rolled it back.

The Short Version

You don't need to read code to have a bot change your website safely. You need a process: describe it, back it up, draft it, preview it, approve it. Here it is step by step.

Step By Step

  1. Describe the problem, not the code. For example: "On phones the menu covers the footer." Say where you saw it and on what device.
  2. Send a screenshot if you can. A picture shows the bot exactly what you see, and it saves a lot of back-and-forth.
  3. Ask for a backup first. The bot saves the current version before touching anything, so every change can be undone.
  4. Work on a draft or test theme. Never on the live site. Customers keep seeing the working version while you test.
  5. Ask for a preview link and a short change list. You should know what changed in plain words.
  6. Check it on a phone and a computer. Problems often show on one and not the other.
  7. Point out exactly what's still wrong. "Pictures too big on desktop" is easy to fix; "looks bad" isn't.
  8. Approve, then publish, and keep the rollback. Keep the old version until you're sure the new one works.

A Filled-In Example

Here's what a clear request looks like compared with a vague one:

Vague: "Fix the blog page, it looks weird."

Clear: "On my blog listing page on desktop, the pictures are
huge and the cards run into the footer. Back up the theme,
fix it on the draft copy, and send me a preview link plus
a short list of what you changed."

Est. Usage: Medium

Copy These Prompts

Back up my current theme, then fix this on a draft copy only: [describe the problem]. Don't touch the live site. Send me a preview link and a short list of what you changed, and wait for my OK before anything goes live.

Est. Usage: Medium

Before you change anything, explain in plain words what's causing this problem and what you plan to change. Wait for my OK.

Est. Usage: Low

Before You Approve

  • A backup exists from before the change.
  • The preview looks right on a phone and a computer.
  • You understand the change list.
  • The old version is kept until you're sure.

Common Mistakes

  • Letting a bot edit live. Always draft and preview first.
  • Skipping the backup. A backup makes every change reversible.
  • Checking only on desktop. Most visitors are on phones.
  • Vague feedback. Be specific about what, where and on what device.
  • Asking for many changes at once. One fix at a time is easier to check.

Worked Scenario: Pictures Too Big On Desktop

Say your blog cards look fine on a phone but the pictures are huge on a computer and the cards run into the footer. You send a screenshot and one sentence describing it.

The bot backs up the theme, explains the cause in plain words (the images had no maximum width), fixes it on the draft theme and sends a preview link. You check it on your laptop and phone, notice the footer gap is still tight on mobile, and ask for that one change. The second preview is right, so you approve it and keep the old theme as the rollback.

More Questions

Do I Need to Understand the Code?

No. You need to describe what's wrong, check the preview and approve. Ask the bot to explain changes in plain words.

What's a Draft Theme?

A copy of your site's design you can edit and preview without customers seeing it. Publish it only when it's right.

How Do I Undo a Bad Change?

Restore the backup or switch back to the old theme. That's why the backup comes first.

Estimated usage: our rough guide, not an official figure. Est. Usage: Low quick one-off asks; Est. Usage: Medium multi-step tasks or short research; Est. Usage: High long research, many tool calls, browser work or daily routines.

How Grok Bot Usage Works

Franchitti's Fix is run by Steve with help from Grok Bot, so here's the plain version of how its usage works.

  • Your Plan Includes A Usage Allowance. Paid plans come with included usage that refreshes every week. Higher-tier plans include more. Unused usage doesn't roll over. (Source)
  • Bigger Jobs Use More. In general, long research, tasks that use lots of tools and routines running in the background do more work, so they draw down the allowance faster than a quick question.
  • Light Settings Stretch It. Lower effort for simple jobs, fewer and less frequent routines and short, focused requests all help the allowance last. See How To Regulate Grok Bot Usage.
  • Checking Your Usage. In Grok Bot, open Settings, then Usage & Billing. On The X Subscription, you can also check Usage at grok.com/dashboard, which shows the weekly pool, the next reset date and any prepaid credit. (Source)

Try Grok Bot
Affiliate link: we may earn a referral reward if you sign up.

Why This Matters To Me

I was an overworked and overwhelmed one-person shop trying to run a six-figure business alone, because hiring here is so expensive. Grok Bot helped me accomplish things I never thought were possible. The full story starts in How To Set Up An AI Assistant With Grok Bot.

More In This Series

Back to the series index: AI Business Overhaul Stories: Before And After. All series: Grok Bot Guides: Every Series In One Place.

Want To Talk Shop?

I'm Steve, and I run Franchitti's Fix, a home-based, by-appointment iPhone repair shop in San Diego. Questions about bots, or an iPhone that needs fixing? Book An Appointment or call (720) 413-8150, or read more about me.

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