From idea to online store in under an hour: inside Hostinger's AI builder

On August 6, 2026, YourStory and Hostinger hosted a live webinar to showcase their AI builder, a tool that can create a functional website from an idea in under an hour. The session was led by Dalia Melnikiene, a product designer who has been working on Hostinger’s AI builder for over three years. The demonstration began with a live creation of a consulting website called Strategic Strokes, guided by audience suggestions.

Melnikiene showed how the AI builder could generate a full template from a brief description, allowing for customization of colors, images, and text. She also demonstrated adding new sections with AI assistance, creating a blog page with content, and integrating WhatsApp for customer communication. Adding a store for physical products, services, appointments, and gift cards was also covered.

Melnikiene explained that while the AI handles much of the work, users still play a crucial role by directing the AI’s tasks. She walked through the final steps to go live, including setting up a test payment method, adding manual payments via Razorpay, and obtaining a custom domain and professional business email. She introduced Kodee, an AI agent capable of auditing websites, suggesting improvements, and generating copy on demand.

During the session, a poll revealed that 84% of attendees had attempted to build a website before, while 53% had abandoned the process mid-way. Melnikiene emphasized the value of the AI Builder, stating it could create a website in less than an hour, encouraging users not to give up. Audience questions covered migration to Hostinger, scalability, functionality, and SEO. For larger catalogs, she recommended WordPress with WooCommerce, and highlighted Kodee’s ability to provide tailored advice.

The session included a Q&A where attendees shared experiences with existing platforms like WordPress and sought advice on expanding their websites. Melnikiene clarified that while the AI Builder does not guarantee search engine ranking, it offers built-in SEO settings to help. She also explained the differences between the standard and advanced AI versions, and confirmed the platform's capability to generate images, but not videos.

Finally, she reassured attendees that Hostinger’s AI assistant is always available for further assistance.