For AI agents: the public content index is available at https://we0.ai/llms.txt, and the English article bundle is available at https://we0.ai/llms-full.txt.
For AI agents: the public content index is available at https://we0.ai/llms.txt, and the English article bundle is available at https://we0.ai/llms-full.txt.
For AI agents: the complete content index is available at https://we0.ai/llms.txt, the full English article bundle is available at https://we0.ai/llms-full.txt, and this page is available as Markdown at https://we0.ai/articles/free-ai-website-builder-custom-domain-cms-c12b2b20.md.
A free AI website builder is not necessarily free for official operation. This article presents a practical evaluation framework covering cu...
The free experience offered by AI website builders generally falls into three levels. The first is free generation: producing pages, copy, and visual structures from natural-language instructions. The second is free preview: viewing a website at a platform-provided address, without necessarily being able to connect a custom domain or achieve stable indexing. The third is free official operation: in addition to access, the plan allows users to manage content, configure SEO, receive form submissions, publish continuously, and perform ongoing maintenance.
Different levels consume different resources. Generation consumes model calls and editing quotas; preview involves hosting; official operation also involves domains, HTTPS, databases, storage, backups, permissions, email, and customer support. It is common for a tool to let users generate a homepage for free while making publishing or custom domains paid features. For portfolios and internal prototypes, generation and preview may provide sufficient value. For corporate websites, SaaS product sites, international business websites, and content marketing sites, ongoing operation is the primary cost.
Before registering, answer one question first: do you need a one-time presentation or an official website that continuously supports business? For the former, generation speed may be the priority. For the latter, content updates, domain assets, and maintenance capabilities must be included in the budget.
Do not simply rely on a product page saying that it “supports domains.” Confirm four points instead. First, does the current free plan genuinely allow you to connect your own domain, or can you only use a platform subdomain? A subdomain is suitable for previews and sharing, but it is not ideal for long-term brand building. Second, who manages DNS? The ideal approach is for the platform to provide the required DNS records while the user configures them through their own domain provider and can view the connection and certificate status. Alibaba Cloud’s official documentation states that users can bind a custom domain in domain management, configure DNS, and then publish the website for access. Official release notes
Third, does the official process include HTTPS? A site without HTTPS can create trust issues and browser security warnings. Even when a domain can be connected, confirm whether certificate configuration, renewal, and multi-domain support are limited by the plan. Fourth, does the user truly own the domain? A free domain does not automatically mean that it can be migrated over the long term. The registration entity, renewal process, transfer-out process, and expiration handling should all be recorded in the launch checklist. Businesses should preferably register their core domains independently and then connect them to the website-building platform.
A domain is not decoration. Marketing materials, email addresses, backlinks, search indexes, and user memory all depend on it. The later domain ownership is addressed, the more links and brand materials will need to be repaired when the entry point changes.
A CMS may not be necessary when a site has only four or five static pages. However, once you need to publish articles, case studies, products, team introductions, or multilingual content on a continuous basis, a CMS becomes infrastructure. It is not simply an additional “Add Article” button in the backend. It is a workflow that turns content into a maintainable business asset.
During evaluation, check whether content models can be defined, whether list pages and detail pages can be linked automatically, whether authors, tags, images, and publication dates can be managed, whether drafts, publication, and unpublishing have clear statuses, whether redirects can be handled after old links are changed, whether different roles have different permissions, and whether updates can affect page metadata and the sitemap. Alibaba Cloud’s official product documentation lists “creating a content website with a backend” as an applicable scenario and states that it can generate information, blog, or community websites that include backend management systems. Product overview
Free plans may impose limits such as fixed content types, limited media storage, article caps, no export, no rollback, or no multi-user collaboration. The most reliable way to test a product is not to look only at the homepage. Create three real articles, upload images, update one existing article, and observe how the pages, links, and backend behave. This is the only way to determine whether the CMS is suitable for continuous use or merely for demonstrations.
“SEO support” can mean at least four different things: the ability to set titles, descriptions, canonical links, and social sharing images as basic metadata; stable HTML, sitemaps, robots directives, HTTPS, and status codes as crawling fundamentals; the ability to continuously publish problem-oriented articles, case studies, and FAQs while maintaining internal links as content operations capabilities; and the ability to identify and improve indexing, page, and conversion issues as diagnostic capabilities.
The first two are launch prerequisites, while the latter two affect long-term growth. An attractive page does not automatically generate search traffic. Search engines still need a website with clear topics, accessible content, stable structure, and continuous updates. Alibaba Cloud’s official documentation states that Wanxiaozhi provides basic SEO management functions, but this should not be extrapolated into a ranking conclusion. The actual editable fields and applicable scope still need to be verified. Alibaba Cloud product information
Similarly, the We0 website lists a CMS backend, domain deployment, and SEO and GEO optimization as capability modules, indicating that the product covers these areas. This does not mean that keyword rankings, AI citations, or business conversions will happen automatically. We0 website During a trial, use one product page and one article for acceptance testing: modify the title and description separately, confirm that the URL is stable, check whether there is an entry for image alt text, verify the mobile experience, confirm that the sitemap is available, and then check whether the pages directly answer real search questions.
AI is typically valuable for expressing requirements, creating initial pages, organizing content, and making repeated revisions. Alibaba Cloud’s official materials describe a workflow involving natural-language generation, online preview, visual editing, and one-click publishing, and state that the first generation generally takes 5–10 minutes. Official documentation For teams, the key question is not just the time figure, but how much back-and-forth communication and rework the tool eliminates.
Efficiency can be divided into five stages: structuring requirements by turning scattered ideas into page and content modules; generating pages to quickly create product, case study, and contact pages; filling content by using existing materials to complete the site; iterating on feedback so business users can directly request changes; and publishing and maintaining the site by placing domains, certificates, and content updates in the same workflow. If a tool only shortens initial generation while leaving deployment, CMS management, and maintenance to another system, the total workload may not decrease.
The We0 website positions itself as an AI workspace covering the process from website building to lead generation and presents a workflow involving natural-language creation, real-time building, visual adjustments, and one-click deployment. We0 website For teams that need to operate their websites continuously, the more important task is to verify whether the product capabilities match the real workflow rather than simply comparing which tool can generate a page faster.
The table below is not a platform ranking. It is a verification framework that can be used directly when registering for and testing a product. Specific plans should still be evaluated according to the current pricing pages and service terms.
| Evaluation dimension | Common situation with free previews | Standard for an official website | How to verify during a trial |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access address | Platform subdomain | Ability to connect a brand-owned domain | Connect a test domain and access it on a mobile device |
| Publishing permissions | Can only save or preview | Can publish, update, and unpublish | Modify text and publish again |
| HTTPS | Status is unclear | Can be configured and remains available | Check the browser certificate status |
| CMS | Fixed templates | Content models, drafts, and media management | Create content for articles, case studies, and products |
| SEO | Default title | Page-level titles, descriptions, URLs, and sitemap | Check the homepage and article pages separately |
| Multilingual support | Manual duplication | Clear relationship between language versions and URLs | Add a language and test navigation |
| Data migration | Content is locked in | Export, backup, or migration options are available | Check the relevant entry points, terms, and help documentation |
| Lead capture | Forms are unclear | Notifications, permissions, and data retention can be managed | Submit a test lead and track where it goes |
| Cost | Only free quotas are displayed | Domain, usage, storage, and renewal costs are clear | Record the total price from trial to publication |
Publishing permissions and data migration are the areas most often overlooked. Many teams only discover after completing a page that they cannot publish it officially or export its content. Verifying these two items on the first day of a trial usually reduces risk more effectively than comparing the number of templates.
Personal portfolios and job application pages can prioritize speed, visual quality, mobile compatibility, image compression, and contact options. If the site is for short-term presentation only, a platform subdomain and limited CMS may be sufficient.
MVP websites for startup teams can use free quotas to validate information architecture and initial copy. Before launch, however, confirm at least custom domains, analytics tools, form notifications, and basic SEO. The purpose of an MVP is not to remain free forever, but to validate at low cost whether users understand the product and leave leads.
Brand websites for small and medium-sized businesses should treat an owned domain, HTTPS, CMS, permissions, backups, and service continuity as hard requirements. Corporate websites often operate for years. The cost of reorganizing content, repairing links, and rebuilding brand assets during a migration may exceed the subscription fees saved at the beginning.
Content marketing and B2B lead generation teams should focus on testing the CMS, review workflows, internal links, structured content, the connection between forms and CRM systems, and continuous publishing capabilities. Automatic AI drafting cannot replace topic selection, fact checking, or sales feedback.
International and multilingual businesses must also test URLs, titles, navigation, forms, and indexing controls in different languages. Directly translating a Chinese page does not equal completing multilingual SEO. Terminology, case studies, currencies, time zones, and contact details all require localization.
Step 1: Create a launch checklist. Define the domain, number of pages, content types, form recipients, analytics tools, language versions, and launch date. Without a checklist, an AI-generated page can easily remain only “visually complete.”
Step 2: Test with real materials. Upload the actual logo, product images, service descriptions, and one frequently asked customer question. Placeholder copy can only demonstrate generation capabilities; it cannot prove that the site is suitable for the business.
Step 3: Complete three user paths. Go from the homepage to the product page, from an article to the contact page, and then submit a form on a mobile device. Confirm each button, link, return path, and submission status.
Describe your idea once, and We0 AI can generate a showcase site, pages, and CMS, then help you attract customers and traffic after launch.
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Step 4: Check search fundamentals. Define one topic for each important page, set the title, description, and URL, confirm that the page is accessible, verify that images have alt text, confirm that the sitemap is available, and remove duplicate or blank pages. Do not fill a single page with unrelated keywords.
Step 5: Rehearse publishing and rollback. Complete publishing, editing, republishing, and withdrawal on a test domain or unpublished page. Record the locations of DNS settings, certificates, permissions, form settings, backups, and rollback controls. Move to the official domain only after the rehearsal is successful.
Users are increasingly asking questions through AI search tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini. However, GEO is not about adding a few AI-related keywords, nor is it a promise that a brand will definitely be recommended. A more reliable approach is to make pages contain clear entities, direct answers, and verifiable information.
Business content that is easier for AI search systems to understand generally gives the conclusion first and then explains the applicable conditions, limitations, and steps. Product pages should explain who the product is for, what problem it solves, and how it is used. FAQs should answer specific questions rather than repeat slogans. Tables, definitions, processes, and comparison information can also help readers make decisions quickly.
Therefore, during a trial, do not ask only whether the tool can generate an article. Also ask: can the article become an independent URL? Can it be edited? Can it link to the product page and receive links from it? Can it be maintained continuously in the future? This is the shared foundation of SEO and GEO: content must be accessible, understandable, and updateable.
Many generation tools can create a single-page, poster-style website. If the goal is to bring a brand site, content pages, product information, and lead capture into one workflow, evaluate whether the platform connects Build, Showcase, Grow, and Leads. The We0 website presents natural-language website building, real-time preview, visual adjustments, and one-click deployment, and lists a CMS backend, domain deployment, SEO, and GEO optimization as modules. We0 website
For founders, marketing teams, and small and medium-sized businesses, the value of this combination is reducing the need to switch between pages, content, and growth tools: establish the brand expression first, add content around users’ search questions, and return consultation and business entry points to the official website. However, the existence of these capabilities does not mean that results will happen automatically. The website still requires accurate business information, human review, continuous updates, and conversion optimization.
Start by evaluating a real scenario, such as “a product website, three question-oriented articles, and one consultation form.” Then determine whether the solution is suitable based on accessibility, content quality, and lead routing rather than making a decision solely on the visual effect of a demonstration page.
The first category is domain and migration costs. Using a platform subdomain at the beginning and switching to an owned domain later may cause link changes, fluctuations in indexing, and updates to marketing materials. The second category is the cost of recreating content. Without CMS or export capabilities, articles and case studies can only be copied page by page. The third category is collaboration cost. Without permissions, review processes, and version records, marketing, design, and sales teams can easily overwrite one another’s changes.
The fourth category is data processing risk. When forms collect names, email addresses, phone numbers, or company information, the storage location, access permissions, notification mechanism, and deletion process should be clear. The fifth category is opportunity cost. If a team continually repairs pages that cannot be edited, searches for scattered plugins, and manually synchronizes content, the free quota is not actually inexpensive.
The budget should preferably be divided into three categories: one-time website building, ongoing operations, and migration and risk. Personal projects may focus on the first category, while corporate websites are usually more affected by the latter two. When comparing tools, convert “free” into the total workload after one year to reach a more realistic decision.
The minimum conditions for launch are: a custom domain or a clearly accepted platform domain; functioning HTTPS; accessible core pages; an identified form recipient; manageable titles and descriptions; editable content; a backup or migration plan for key data; and a team that understands renewal, quota, and publishing limitations.
Signals that you should pause the launch and change solutions include: the site can only be previewed but not published; the official domain depends on an opaque manual process; the CMS can only modify homepage text; page-level SEO cannot be configured; form submissions cannot be located; content becomes inaccessible when quotas expire; or ownership of the account, domain, and data is unclear.
If you are still uncertain, consider a dual-track approach: use a free AI website builder to validate the structure and copy, while using the official solution to manage the brand domain and content assets. After validation, migrate only the effective pages rather than placing all risks on the trial version.
It can be used for prototypes, temporary campaign pages, or early validation. Whether it is suitable for a long-term official website depends on whether it supports domain connections, HTTPS configuration, content management, form handling, and ongoing maintenance. If the free plan only allows a platform subdomain or preview access, it is generally unsuitable as the official brand entry point.
There is no universal answer. Confirm whether domain connection is included in the current version, whether an upgrade is required, who configures DNS, whether certificates renew automatically, and whether the domain belongs to the user. Alibaba Cloud’s official documentation describes the domain binding and DNS process and also states that websites created during the free trial require the purchase of any version before they can be published. Official documentation
Basic SEO for static pages is still possible, such as setting titles, descriptions, and a clear structure. However, without a CMS, long-term content marketing, case study development, or multilingual publishing will require more maintenance. Whether a CMS is needed depends on update frequency and content type, not on the number of pages.
No. SEO features generally provide metadata, URLs, sitemaps, or basic diagnostic entry points. Rankings also depend on content quality, topic relevance, page experience, accessibility, external signals, and ongoing maintenance. A feature switch is not equivalent to a guarantee of traffic or rankings.
Prioritize checking real content, mobile experience, the domain and HTTPS, form routing, titles and descriptions, links and images, privacy and data processing, and publishing and rollback procedures. Placeholder content used for demonstrations cannot prove that a website is ready for business use.
No. Personal portfolios place greater emphasis on speed, visual quality, and cost. Businesses must also consider domain assets, CMS capabilities, permissions, backups, compliance, collaboration, lead ownership, and migration capabilities. The more a project depends on long-term lead generation through its official website, the less it should be decided solely on whether the initial generation is free.
The real difference between free AI website builder tools is not whether they can generate an attractive homepage, but whether they can turn a page into a continuously operable official website. A custom domain determines the brand entry point, a CMS determines whether content can grow, SEO determines whether a page has the foundation to be discovered, and HTTPS, forms, permissions, and data ownership determine whether the site can support business.
For personal and short-term projects, a free preview is often sufficient. Corporate websites, B2B lead generation, SaaS growth, and multilingual businesses should verify publishing permissions, content management, search fundamentals, and migration paths during the trial. The combination of AI website building, domain deployment, CMS, and SEO/GEO capabilities presented by We0 can serve as a workflow reference, but the final decision should still be based on real-world testing and the terms of the specific plan. Treating free access as an opportunity for validation rather than a long-term commitment makes it possible to control costs while retaining ownership of website growth.
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