This is the prototype question for me: how fast can we make a new website that is just HTML and a web server?
The nice part is that the answer is: pretty fast. There is no CMS to set up, no database to migrate, and no admin panel to keep patched. I can just write, the agent writes the HTML, and the result is already the website.
What about security?
This is one of the biggest reasons I like this approach. There is no CMS, so there is no login page, no plugin ecosystem, and no pile of moving parts where creepy stuff can happen.
Of course, you still need normal web hygiene: use a trustworthy host, keep deployment credentials safe, and do not paste secrets into random places. But a plain HTML site has a much smaller attack surface than a dynamic system with dashboards and server-side code.
How it works for me
The ideas are written in chat. Then the agent turns those ideas into real files: HTML for pages, CSS for styling, and sometimes a small publishing script.
The agent also does design work. It can suggest structure, tighten the layout, improve spacing, and keep the pages consistent. Sometimes it helps with the writing too, but the core ideas still start with me in chat.
Start with a setup prompt
A useful way to begin is to give the agent a clear prompt for the whole site. For example:
Create a personal website using only plain HTML and CSS.
Use a simple folder structure with index.html, archive.html, posts/, and style.css.
Do not use a static site generator, framework, or CMS.
Make it readable, fast, and easy to edit by hand.
Add a small publish script for uploading the files to hosting.
Keep the design warm, simple, and personal.That is enough to get a first version online quickly. After that, the work becomes a conversation: add a post, improve the archive, tighten the spacing, make mobile better, and publish again.
In my case, I had already set up the DNS for the domain, so the remaining step was simple: upload the files to WebDAV and the posts are online.
What the agent writes
In practice, the agent will usually write three kinds of things:
- The HTML pages themselves.
- The CSS that gives the site its look and layout.
- A script for publishing the site.
That last part depends on how you use it. Maybe you upload with WebDAV, maybe with rsync, maybe with a shell script, maybe with something else. The exact publishing setup is not the point. The point is that the site is still just files.
Why I use Fastmail for publishing
I publish this site using Fastmail's hosting-friendly tools, which fits nicely with the whole small-stack idea.
Referral link: I use Fastmail for this site. If you'd like to try it, here's my referral link.
Why I like this prototype
It feels direct. I have an idea, I write it in chat, the agent turns it into files, and those files are the website. No translation layer, no dashboard, and no complicated machinery between the writing and the page.
For a personal website, that feels like the right level of technology.