TL;DR

Workshop builds real websites — not templates, not drag-and-drop, not static pages. You describe what you want, Workshop generates clean HTML/CSS/JS with a FastAPI backend, and you deploy it to serverless infrastructure in one click. Frontend and backend together. Server-side capabilities included. Code is yours to keep.

Websites That Do More Than Render Pages

There's a category of websites that most AI tools can't handle.

Not landing pages — those are solved. Not portfolios — those are fine too. The problem starts when your website needs to do something:

• Process a contact form and send an actual email
• Accept payments and update a database
• Authenticate users and show different content
• Pull data from an API and render it dynamically
• Run server-side logic that shouldn't be exposed to the browser

These are "websites with real backends." They look like websites from the front, but they have server-side logic doing real work behind the scenes.

Building one traditionally means choosing a framework, setting up a server, configuring deployment, managing CORS headers, and wiring up a dozen things before you write the first line of business logic. AI code generators help with the frontend, but they usually leave the backend to you.

Workshop ships frontend and backend together — as one conversation, one project, one deployment.

How It Works

Real Code, Not Templates

Workshop generates clean, modern HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Not templates with placeholders. Not low-code blocks you drag around. Actual code — responsive, accessible, yours to modify.

Every site Workshop builds is unique to the prompt. Reference sites you admire ("I want the layout to feel like Linear's homepage — clean, lots of whitespace, monospace accents") and Workshop uses that as a design direction.

Frontend + Backend, Together

When your site needs server-side capabilities, Workshop generates a FastAPI backend alongside the frontend. The two are built, tested, and deployed as a single package.

This means your website can:

• Process forms — contact forms, signups, feedback — with server-side validation and email delivery
• Connect to databases — store and retrieve data through your Workshop connectors
• Call APIs — integrate with third-party services from the server, keeping keys and logic secure
• Handle auth — restrict pages or features to authenticated users
• Run AI — use managed AI connectors to add intelligent features without exposing API keys

The server-side code runs on serverless infrastructure. No server management. Scale-to-zero economics — you pay only when the site is actively handling requests.

One-Click Deploy

When the site works, hit Publish. Workshop deploys it to a live URL. Share the link. If you want a custom domain, configure it in settings.

And because you own the code, you're not locked in. Download the project and host it on Vercel, AWS, Netlify, or your own server. Workshop is a starting point, not a cage.

Walkthrough: A Small Business Site

Let's build something concrete. Say you're creating a website for a local consulting firm — they need a professional site with a working contact form and a simple blog.

Step 1 — Describe the Site

"Build a professional website for a management consulting firm called Meridian Group. Include: a hero section with the tagline 'Strategy that delivers,' a services page with 4 service cards, an about page with team bios, and a contact page with a form that sends emails to info@meridian.com."

Workshop generates the full site — multiple pages, responsive layout, navigation, and a backend that handles the contact form submission.

Step 2 — Refine the Design

"Make the color scheme darker — navy and white. Add smooth scroll animations when sections come into view. Use a serif font for headings."

Workshop updates the design in real time. You see the changes in the live preview.

Step 3 — Add Dynamic Features

"Add a blog section that loads posts from markdown files. Add a newsletter signup form that saves email addresses to our database."

Now the site has a backend-powered blog and a subscriber list connected to your data source. Server-side logic, built through conversation.

Step 4 — Publish

Hit Publish. The site goes live — frontend, backend, form processing, database connections, all deployed as one package. Share the URL with the client.

What Else Can You Build?

The same workflow applies to a wide range of sites:

• SaaS landing pages — hero, features, pricing with monthly/annual toggle, email waitlist with backend storage
• Portfolio sites — filterable project gallery, contact form, dynamic content from a CMS or database
• E-commerce storefronts — product catalog, cart, checkout with payment processing
• Documentation sites — searchable docs, versioned content, API reference pages
• Event sites — registration with capacity limits, confirmation emails, attendee management
• Internal portals — authenticated access, role-based content, connected to company databases

Any website that needs to do more than render static HTML benefits from Workshop's frontend + backend approach.

Cloud vs Desktop for Websites

Workshop Cloud is the fastest path for websites. Build in your browser, preview instantly, publish in one click. The serverless deployment handles traffic automatically.

Workshop Desktop is for when you need more flexibility. Build with any framework (Next.js, Astro, SvelteKit), work on an existing site, or deploy to your own infrastructure. Desktop can also import projects from other builders — if you started a site somewhere else and want to continue with Workshop's agent, bring it over.

You can start in Cloud and move to Desktop. Push your Cloud project to GitHub, clone it locally, and continue with full control.

Getting Started

1. Sign up at workshop.ai
2. Describe your website — be specific about pages, sections, and functionality
3. Provide reference material — screenshots, URLs of sites you like, brand colors, copy
4. Iterate section by section — get the structure right, then refine
5. Publish — one click to go live

For a detailed walkthrough, see Build and Deploy Websites.

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FAQ

What tech stack does Workshop use for websites? Workshop Cloud generates HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for the frontend, with a FastAPI (Python) backend when server-side logic is needed. On Desktop, you can use any framework — Next.js, Astro, SvelteKit, or anything else.

Can I use my own domain? Yes. After publishing, you can connect a custom domain in your project settings. Workshop handles the SSL certificate automatically.

Is the code really mine? Yes. You can download the full project at any time — HTML, CSS, JS, backend code, everything. Host it wherever you want. There's no vendor lock-in.

How does serverless deployment work? Published sites run on serverless infrastructure that scales automatically. When nobody's visiting, the site sleeps and you're not billed. When traffic comes in, it wakes up instantly. You don't manage servers.

Can Workshop build a site from my existing design? Yes. Share screenshots, Figma links, or reference URLs and describe what you want to replicate. Workshop uses visual references as a design direction — it won't pixel-perfect copy a design, but it gets remarkably close and you can iterate from there.