How to Make a Free Website Using Wix: Easy Guide

PDF download Download Article
Learn how to create a free Wix site with this guide
PDF download Download Article

Wix.com is a website builder that allows you to build a website with no coding. Wix is free to start, but to set up a shop, remove branding, connect a custom domain, and more, you must select one of the affordable premium plans. However, even with a free plan, you can create a beautiful website. Read on to learn more.

Quick Steps

  1. Sign up for an account on Wix's website
  2. Go through Wix's introductory questions.
  3. Click Design Site on your site dashboard.
  4. Familiarize yourself with the site editor.
  5. Design your site by editing content and dragging and dropping elements.
  6. Click Publish to make your site go live.
Section 1 of 4:

PDF download Download Article
  1. Go to https://www.wix.com and click Get Started . If you already have a Wix account, click Login in the upper-right corner instead.
  2. You can do this by entering your email and desired password on the left-hand side of the screen, or you can click Continue with Google to sign up with your Google account or Continue with Facebook to sign up with your Facebook account.
    Advertisement
  3. After entering your email and password, Wix will ask you a couple of questions to help gauge what type of website you're looking to make. You can click Skip in the bottom-right corner if you want to skip ahead.
  4. If you want to use Wix's AI site builder to begin creating your site, click Start Chat . Otherwise, click Set up without Chat .
    • The steps in this section continue as if you choose not to use Wix's AI. To learn how to use Wix's AI chat, jump to our AI section below .
  5. You can click Skip in the bottom-right corner if you want to skip ahead.
  6. After finishing the intro, you can choose a name for your site. This can always be changed later, so feel free to put a placeholder or click Skip to decide a different time.
  7. If you picked a site type from part 1, some apps may already be selected. You can deselect them and choose different apps (or none) if you prefer. You can also click Skip to skip this part for now.
    • Wix apps give different functionality to your site. For example, there are apps that add social media feeds, an online store, an appointment scheduler, and much more.
  8. Your account and first site are now set up, and you can begin building your site. [1]
    9. Advertisement
Section 2 of 4:

Designing Your Site

PDF download Download Article
  1. After completing setup, the first task (update your site type) will be crossed off. The next step you should complete is "Design your website."
    • You can ignore the task that says "Connect a custom domain." To use a custom domain, you must pay for a premium Wix plan and you must purchase the domain.
  2. This will bring you to Wix's site design wizard.
  3. If you want to design the site yourself, click Pick a Template . Otherwise, click Generate a Design to use AI.
    • The steps in this section continue as if you choose not to use Wix's AI. To learn how to use Wix's AI template generator, jump to our AI section below .
  4. Use the filters and dropdowns to sort through the sites, or search for templates using keywords. Once you see a template you like, hover it and click Edit .
  5. If you don't, click the x in the upper-right corner of the popup window when you enter the site editor.
    • The steps in this section continue as if you choose not to use Wix's AI. To learn how to use Wix's AI text generator, jump to our AI section below .
  6. There are a number of elements on the site editor page. You can hover over most options and icons to see their name, and some options have tooltips with their uses. While it's best to take your time to get familiar with the site editor, here's a simple breakdown of the editor from the top of the page to the bottom:
    • Top bar: The top bar has several options on both the left and right sides of the bar. The most important parts of the top bar will be the Site and Settings dropdown, as well as the Save , Preview , and Publish buttons on the right.
    • URL bar: Under the top bar is another bar that shows the URL of your site. You can also use the Page dropdown to move to a different webpage in your website, and the icons between these two sections allow you to switch from desktop to mobile view.
    • Left sidebar: The left-hand sidebar allows you to add elements, add sections, add pages, change your site design, add apps, manage your site business, manage your media, and go to the CMS (content management system) for your site. You can also access AI tools with the button at the bottom of the sidebar.
    • Website editor: The main part of the screen is the website editor itself. You can drag and drop elements around the page and click on them to edit their style or content.
  7. Once you're familiar with the editor, you can begin editing and designing your site.
    • All of the elements can be dragged and dropped to change where they're positioned.
    • Double-click on any element to edit their style (such as color, font face, etc.) or content (such as text or images).
    • Add additional elements, sections, and pages using the buttons in the left-hand sidebar.
  8. Click the Save button in the upper-right corner to save your work. Wix will also periodically autosave your work.
  9. You can view what your site looks like in a desktop or mobile browser before the site goes live.
  10. Once the site is published, you can view it by clicking View Site in the popup window, or by navigating to the URL of your website.
    11. Advertisement
Section 3 of 4:

SEO Setup

PDF download Download Article
  1. For your website to get found, Wix offers some SEO (search engine optimization) tools. Wix also automatically generates a sitemaps XML file for your website so search engines can find it more easily. [2]
    EXPERT TIP

    Anar Kazimov

    Digital Marketing Expert
    Anar Kazimov is a Digital Marketing Expert based in Vancouver, Canada. He is the Owner and Marketing Director of Pixel Prodigies, a company created to help business owners achieve more sales by revamping their digital portfolio. He has helped the NIH, IBM, Canadian film studios, Rolex dealerships, and many other firms in their marketing campaigns. He previously had a career in the IT industry and worked at Freelancer.com. He received a BS in Computer Science from the University of Victoria.
    Anar Kazimov
    Digital Marketing Expert

    A sitemap contains all the links to the pages on your site. It's a single-page XML document that is used by search engines to index a website. The indexing process is how a search engine (like Google) displays sites in search results.

  2. Wix will ask for the name of your site and the keywords associated with your site. Make sure to be descriptive with your keywords, and don't include your site's name.
  3. You can complete the first 5 items in Step 1 and all 4 items in Step 2. Completing these steps will help your website's SEO and discoverability.
    • To fully complete Step 1, you'll need a premium plan and a custom domain. However, you can still improve your site's SEO by following the checklist items available to free users.
    4. Advertisement
Section 4 of 4:

Using Wix's AI Tools

PDF download Download Article
  1. This will bring you to a ChatGPT-like interface where you can talk with Wix's site creation chatbot to design your site. As you answer questions, an outline of the site will appear on the right-hand side of the page.
    • Once you're done with the chatbot, click Go to Dashboard , then click Design Site .
  2. The AI website designer will begin generating a template.
    • If you don't like the template, you can click Regenerate Design or Tweak Design on the left-hand side of the page to change things.
    • If you want to continue with the generated template, click Continue with this Design , then click Continue to the Editor .
  3. 3
    Enter some details about your site to make AI-generated text. When you open up a non-AI generated template, Wix will prompt you to enter some details about your website to make AI-generated content for the site. To use this feature, simply fill out the information in the popup and click Generate Site Text .
    4. Advertisement

Expert Q&A

Search
Add New Question
  • Question
    How can I make my website appear on search engines?
    Anar Kazimov
    Digital Marketing Expert
    Anar Kazimov is a Digital Marketing Expert based in Vancouver, Canada. He is the Owner and Marketing Director of Pixel Prodigies, a company created to help business owners achieve more sales by revamping their digital portfolio. He has helped the NIH, IBM, Canadian film studios, Rolex dealerships, and many other firms in their marketing campaigns. He previously had a career in the IT industry and worked at Freelancer.com. He received a BS in Computer Science from the University of Victoria.
    Anar Kazimov
    Digital Marketing Expert
    Expert Answer
    In order for your website to appear on Google searches and all other search engines, you have to register your website on the Google search console and prove that you own the website. Then, create a sitemap for your website. It's like a map that shows Google all the pages on your website. Make sure it's in the XML format and upload it to your website. Finally, submit the sitemap's URL to Google Search Console. Usually, within a couple of weeks, Google will start indexing your website, which means it will add your pages to its search results. This can sometimes take a bit longer, but submitting a sitemap is a good way to speed things up.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 0 Helpful 0
  • Question
    If I want to add more blogs and videos on my site, what should I do?
    Community Answer
    Have something interesting to talk about. Expand your topics to expand your blogs.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 9 Helpful 24
  • Question
    Can I add more info if the website has already been published?
    Community Answer
    Yes, you can. Just make sure to save any changes you make. (Editing can be done via the editor.)
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 1 Helpful 5
See more answers
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Tips

      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

      You Might Also Like

      How to
      Copy a Website: Cloning & Using Designs as a Template
      A Complete Guide to Making Your Own Website
      How to
      Make a Free Website: Site Builders, Expert Tips, & More
      Carrd Tutorial: How to Make Your Own One-Page Website
      How to
      Make a Website With Word
      How to
      Troubleshoot Cloudflare Code 522: Fixes, Workarounds, & More
      How to
      Fix the 415 Error on Your Website: Meaning & Solutions
      How to
      Get a Free Web Site
      Need a Small Business Website? Try One of These Website Builders
      A Complete Guide to the Best AI Website Builders
      Advertisement

      Expert Interview

      Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about digital marketing, check out our in-depth interview with Anar Kazimov .

      References

      1. ↑ https://support.wix.com/en/article/building-a-website-for-free
      2. ↑ https://www.wix.com/seo/learn/resource/xml-sitemaps

      About This Article

      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 110,411 times.

      Is this article up to date?

      Advertisement