I Let Claude Code Build My Website – What Really Worked and What Didn't

I only wanted to change a single button on my website. Two hours later, Claude had already rebuilt half the site!

Sounds like magic, right? But like any real AI experiment, the road there was paved with learning, confusion, and a few amusing (and slightly frustrating) mistakes. As a former web design instructor who now lives and breathes the world of AI, I decided to jump into the deep end with Claude Code. Here's the full truth about what happened behind the scenes.

What actually is Claude Code?

Claude Code is an advanced development tool from Anthropic that runs directly from the command line (Terminal). Unlike the usual way of using Claude in the browser, Claude Code works as an "agent" – it gets direct access to your website's files, can read them, understand the connections between them, run tests, and write new code directly into your project.

Do you need prior coding knowledge to use it?

That's the million-dollar question. The short answer: not to get started, but yes, to not get lost.

Claude Code really does most of the hard work. It writes the HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for you. But – and here comes the big but – without a basic understanding of how a website is built, it'll be very hard for you to explain what you want, and especially to spot when it's doing something wrong (and it does!). A basic understanding helps you be the AI's manager, not just its audience.

How much does it cost to use Claude Code?

Using Claude Code isn't included in the regular Claude Pro subscription — it's based on pay-as-you-go API usage.

• For small, focused changes, the cost is a few cents.
• If you let it work for hours on a big project with lots of files, the cost can add up to a good few dollars per session. That's still far cheaper than a human developer, but it's worth keeping an eye on your API budget.

What critical mistakes should you avoid?

1. Never work without a backup (Git): Never let Claude Code touch your website without an active version control system (like Git) running. Claude can delete or change code that worked perfectly in a split second. With Git, you can always hit "undo" and turn back the clock.
2. Don't give it huge tasks all at once: Instead of asking "build me a whole website," give it focused tasks. For example: "Create a top navigation menu that works well on mobile."

💡 What I do differently today

I used to just let the AI run and try to solve complex problems all at once. Today, my approach is completely different:

• Small steps and close supervision: I have the AI make one small change at a time, check it in the browser, and only then move on to the next step.
• I stopped trying to do everything myself — but I also stopped trusting it blindly: I've learned that AI is an amazing tool that saves a crazy amount of time, but it needs a human project lead who can tell it, "Stop, you made a mistake here."