WEBSITES · 2026-06-26 · 2 MIN READ
What to check before turning an AI-built website into WordPress
The design converts. The app features don't, at least not automatically. A checklist for Lovable, Emergent, and other AI-built site owners.
Why owners make this move
AI builders are a fast way to get a real site live. Then the business grows and you want things the builder makes hard: your team editing pages without prompts, a plugin ecosystem, an SEO setup you control, and no dependency on one tool's roadmap. Rebuilding the approved design in WordPress is often the practical answer.
The trap is assuming everything converts. Pages convert. Apps don't.
Separate the pages from the app
Walk through your site and sort every feature into two lists. Pages: home, services, about, contact, articles. These rebuild cleanly as editable WordPress pages. App features: logins, saved user data, dashboards, AI chat, anything that reads or writes a database. These are software, and a visual conversion does not migrate them.
- Does anyone log in? That's an app feature.
- Is anything generated or personalized per visitor? App feature.
- Do forms just send email, or do they store and process data? Email converts easily; processing needs evaluation.
- Is there an AI assistant? It needs its own plan, costs, and hosting.
Check these five things before you commit
- URL inventory: list every public URL so the rebuild preserves or redirects each one.
- Content export: confirm you can get your text and images out in usable form.
- Integrations: payment, booking, and CRM connections need WordPress equivalents, which may carry subscriptions.
- Tracking: note your analytics and conversion setup so it survives the move.
- Editing reality: decide who edits the new site and pick the editor accordingly.
What a fair conversion quote looks like
A serious quote starts with a feasibility check, states how many approved visual pages it covers, and names the app features it excludes or prices separately. Ours starts from $4,999 for up to five approved pages after exactly that check. Anyone who quotes the whole thing sight unseen is guessing with your money.