Is Your DIY Website Easy to Find?

Squarespace, Wix and GoDaddy are great ways to build your own site, and they handle a lot for you. What they can’t do is explain your business to AI assistants (chat tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity and Gemini). Here’s what each builder covers, what you switch on yourself, and what needs a higher plan.

I’m not here to talk you out of your builder. I’ve seen people build lovely sites on all three. This page covers the part nobody mentions when you sign up: what happens after the site is live and someone asks an AI assistant for a recommendation.

Try this first

A 30-second test

Open an AI assistant and ask it: “Who are the best [what you do] near [where you are]?”

Are you named? Is what it says about you right? Either answer is useful. If you’re not there, or it gets something wrong, that tells you where to look. The sections below show where.

The basic idea

Your builder does the plumbing. You add the meaning.

Every builder gives you a solid base. The parts that tell people, and AI assistants, who you are can only come from you.

Your builder handles
  • A layout that works on phones
  • A secure connection and fast hosting
  • A sitemap, which is a list of your pages for search engines
  • Some behind-the-scenes labels that tell search engines what a page is
You add
  • A short description of every page, written the way you’d explain it to a friend
  • A plain description of every image
  • An About page and a Contact page with your real name, address and hours
  • Reviews and listings (like Google Business Profile) that say the same thing everywhere

No builder can write those for you, and they’re what AI assistants lean on most.

Pick your builder

What each one covers

Tap yours to read more. Everything is written out on this page.

Squarespace

Built in

Squarespace handles the basics for you.

  • Labels (called structured data) that tell search engines and AI assistants what a page is
  • They cover blog posts, events, products, local businesses and more, and you can’t edit them
  • A sitemap, which is a list of your pages for search engines, built for you

Up to you

A few quick things only you can do.

  • Check Settings, then Crawlers: leave “Block known artificial intelligence crawlers” unchecked
  • Crawlers are the programs AI assistants use to read websites. The box is off by default
  • Write a short description for every page and a plain one for every image

Needs a higher plan

Custom code isn’t on the entry plan.

  • Adding your own code to every page (code injection) is on Core, Plus and Advanced, not Basic
  • Squarespace support doesn’t help with custom code, but its forum and experts can
  • Custom code can affect how your site looks and works, so go carefully

Last checked Nov 3, 2026, on Squarespace’s own help pages.

Wix

Built in

Wix sets up the basics for you.

  • Default search settings for every type of page, set up for you from the moment you start
  • A local business label on your homepage once you add your business name and location
  • Labels for store products, blog posts, events and other dynamic pages, added for you

Up to you

Wix gives you tools, and you switch them on.

  • Work through the SEO Setup Checklist (SEO helps search engines understand your site)
  • Turn on NLWeb, which lets AI assistants ask your site questions
  • Fill in your product, event and page details so your labels are accurate

Needs a higher plan

Some newer tools and your own domain need a paid plan.

  • The llms.txt file, a summary page for AI assistants, is automatic only on premium store plans
  • Your own domain name needs a paid plan, so free sites live at a wixsite.com address
  • Wix doesn’t list which plans include its other AI-search tools, so check yours

Last checked Nov 3, 2026, on Wix’s own help pages.

GoDaddy

It depends which builder you have. GoDaddy is in the middle of a change. New sites are built with the Airo AI Builder. Many existing sites were made with the older Websites + Marketing builder. If you’re not sure which you have, look at your GoDaddy dashboard or ask their support.

Airo AI Builder (the newer one)

Built in

GoDaddy says all plans include built-in SEO tools.

  • Built-in SEO tools on every plan, according to GoDaddy’s own page
  • On paid plans, a mobile-friendly site and a secure connection (SSL)
  • Online stores get built-in SEO to help them be found
Up to you

I couldn’t find a list of what those SEO tools do.

  • Look at what the SEO tools on your plan actually offer
  • Write a description for every page and every image
  • Keep an eye on your AI credits, which reset each month and don’t roll over
Needs a higher plan

The free plan is a good place to start.

  • The free plan gives you 50 AI credits a month, and no card is needed
  • A free domain comes with paid plans, and you can download your code
  • Paid plans let you edit text and images without using credits

Websites + Marketing (the older one)

Built in

An SEO tool that makes suggestions for you.

  • It studies your site and suggests phrases people might search
  • It adds them to your page text and image descriptions once you approve
  • It works on up to 5 pages to start, so pick your most important ones
Up to you

You review and extend what it suggests.

  • Review the suggestions, then publish them when you’re happy with them
  • Add more pages through SEO Settings in the website builder, once you’re ready
  • Custom code goes into an HTML section that you add to a page
Needs a higher plan

SEO is on most plans, not all.

  • The SEO tool is on Digital Marketing and most Websites + Marketing plans
  • The full Site Optimizer, which checks structured data, needs a Digital Marketing plan
  • GoDaddy doesn’t say which plans leave it out, so check yours

Last checked Nov 3, 2026, on GoDaddy’s own pages.

Something else

If your site is on another builder, or you’re not sure, start here.

Questions to look up

These work on almost any builder. Look in its help pages.

  • Can I write a description for every page?
  • Can I add a description to every image?
  • Does it create a sitemap for me?
  • Is there a setting that blocks AI crawlers, and is it off?
  • Can I add my own code to every page, and is that included in my plan?

If you tell me which builder you use, I’ll look into it and may add it here. You can reach me on the About & Contact page.

A few quick questions

Straight answers

Do I need to leave my builder?

No, staying put is fine. What matters is whether your pages say clearly who you are and what you do, and no template writes that for you. The quickest way to see where you stand is to ask an AI assistant about your business, as in the test above.

Will an AI assistant read my site if it was built from a template?

Yes, it can read it. Being read and being recommended are different things, though. An assistant names the businesses it can describe clearly, so a template site that’s vague about who it’s for can get skipped. If the answer surprises you, I’m happy to take a look.

What if my builder’s tools say my site is fine?

They’re a good start. They mostly check the basics, like whether a description exists. They can’t tell if it explains your business well, and asking an AI assistant about yourself is the quickest way to find out.

How do I know if an AI assistant can reach my site at all?

Check your builder’s settings for a box that blocks AI crawlers, and make sure it’s off.

Where this leads

A site that explains itself clearly gets recommended by name.

Builders give you a good foundation. A few honest descriptions, a clear About page and a quick settings check can turn it into something people, and the assistants they ask, can find and trust. Questions about your own site? You’re welcome to reach out.