Cornerstone · 16

Claude prompts for building a website: a copy-ready library

Updated for Claude · Jun 2026 4 min read

A copy-ready library of Claude prompts for building your website — for briefing Claude, shaping the design, writing the words, adding the practical bits, and fixing what's off. Find the one you need, fill in the brackets, and paste it in.

A good prompt is the difference between something generic and something that’s genuinely yours. Below are copy-ready prompts for the jobs that come up most when you build a website with Claude — sorted by what you’re trying to do. Grab the one you need, fill in the [brackets], and paste it in. A few point to fuller guides where there’s more depth.

Briefing Claude before you build

The most important prompt is the first one — it sets the direction for everything after. Here’s a solid starter brief:

Prompt
I want to build a simple one-page website for my business. Here's what you need to know: - What I do: [one sentence] - Who it's for: [your customer] - The one thing I want a visitor to do: [call / book / buy / sign up] - The feeling it should have: [warm and local / clean and premium / fun and bold] Build me a complete, single self-contained HTML file — mobile-friendly, with realistic placeholder text I can edit later (not "lorem ipsum"). When you're done, tell me in plain English what you built.

For the full briefing template — business, audience, what makes you different, colours, must-haves — see Brief Claude like a pro client. Briefing well is the single highest-leverage thing you can do.

Shaping the design

Once you have a first version, these nudge it toward what you pictured. Change one or two things at a time — you’ll get cleaner results than a long list.

Prompt
Make the header bigger and bolder, and give the whole page more breathing room — more space between sections. Keep everything else exactly as it is.
Prompt
The colours feel too cold. Warm them up — think [soft cream and a warm terracotta] — but keep the same layout. Show me the full updated file.
Prompt
Move the contact section up so it's the first thing people see after the header, and make the button stand out more. Leave the rest the same.

Writing the words

A good-looking site that says the wrong thing won’t convert. These get Claude writing words that do.

Prompt
Write three options for my homepage headline. My business: [what you do] for [who it's for]. The main benefit to them is [the result]. Keep them plain and benefit-focused — no hype, no buzzwords.
Prompt
Write a short, warm "about" section (about 100 words) for [business name], based in [place]. Here's the real story: [a few honest details]. Write it in the first person, human and trustworthy — avoid clichés like "passionate about" and "world-class."

For copy across every page — services, FAQ, calls-to-action — see Business pages: copy-ready prompts.

Adding the practical bits

The small, real things every business site needs.

Prompt
Add a contact section with my email [address] and phone [number], and a clear button that says [Get in touch]. Make the email and phone tappable (a mailto link and a tel link).
Prompt
Add a short FAQ section with these three questions and answers, matching the style of the rest of the page: [Question 1 / Answer 1], [Question 2 / Answer 2], [Question 3 / Answer 3].
Prompt
Add a simple footer with my business name, the current year, and links to my [Instagram / Facebook] — kept light and out of the way.

Making sure it works on a phone

Most of your visitors will be on a phone, so it’s worth a deliberate check.

Prompt
Check that this looks good on a phone: readable text, no sideways scrolling, buttons and links easy to tap, and sections stacking cleanly. Fix anything that breaks on a narrow screen, and give me the full updated file.

Fixing what’s off

When something breaks or Claude drifts, the move is almost always the same — describe what you see, and ask for the whole file back.

Prompt
The [thing] used to work and now it's broken after your last change. Put it back the way it was, and only make the change I asked for.
Prompt
Give me the complete, updated file with all the latest changes included — the whole thing, ready to use, not just the part that changed.

For the full set of un-sticking moves — loops, ignored instructions, blank pages — see What to do when Claude gets stuck.

Three habits that make every prompt work better

  • Be specific. The more real detail you give, the less Claude has to guess — and the closer the first draft lands.
  • One change at a time. Two small, clear requests beat one long list.
  • Ask for the whole file, and save the good ones. That way you always know exactly what you have, and going back is a quick paste instead of a rebuild.

Bookmark this page and grab what you need as you build. The better your prompt, the less you’ll have to fix later.