Frequently asked.

What is Themesmith, exactly?

A service that builds and looks after business websites. You write a paragraph about your business; we build the site in about half an hour; we keep looking after it after launch. Looking after it means a conversational AI assistant called Forge for daily edits, and an autonomous Growth Engine on Autopilot for continuous improvements.

How is this different from Wix or Squarespace?

They're page builders: you do the work. We're a service: we do the work. Wix gives you a tool and a templates folder; we give you a brief box and a finished site. After launch, you describe edits to Forge in plain English; with them, you learn their interface and click around.

How is this different from hiring an agency or freelancer?

Same answer, different angle. An agency gives you a project and a retainer; we give you a subscription. The same outcome at one-tenth the price: a custom-designed site that gets looked after over time.

Are you a real company?

Yes. Themesmith.ai Ltd, company number 16926973, registered in England and Wales. Founded by Chris Painter, who spent twenty years in web agencies and scaled one to twenty-five staff. The platform is in production and open to its first cohort of customers.

Where are you based?

Brighton. Built, hosted, supported in the UK. Pricing in pounds. British register.

How long have you been around?

The platform was built across 2025 and went live in early 2026. First sites shipped internally in February. The first paying customers came in over the summer of 2026; we are still on the first cohort.

Do you have customer references?

One on the record so far: Victory Consulting, a defence consultancy we rebuilt in July 2026, whose director put his name and his words to the case study. The sites in our showcase are not customers. They are internal demos, built from briefs we wrote ourselves to stress-test the range, and the showcase says so. More customer stories will go up as the first cohort ships.

How long does the build actually take?

About half an hour from a paragraph to a working site. Sometimes a touch longer for many pages, sometimes a touch quicker.

Can I watch the build as it happens?

Yes. From the moment your brief is received, you can watch sections appearing, copy filling in, photographs settling. Most people make a coffee and come back about half an hour later.

What if my brief is too vague?

There's no such thing. Vague briefs make calmer, more editorial sites; specific briefs make tighter, more conversion-focused ones. If we genuinely can't answer something key, we ask post-draft.

How does the AI know what my industry looks like?

It draws on a wide reading of editorial design: magazines, books, posters, branded sites. We don't use industry templates; we choose visual direction per brief.

What if I want a totally different design after the first draft?

Tell Forge. You can ask for a different register, a different palette, a different page structure, or a complete re-think. The first draft is a starting point.

Can I use my own photographs?

Absolutely. AI-generated, brand-matched imagery is the default, but uploaded photographs almost always read better for service businesses.

What about copy I've already written?

Same answer. Paste it into the brief, or upload through the studio. We preserve your voice and weave the rest of the site around it.

Can you migrate an existing site?

Yes. That's our Site Rescue service. Paste the URL of an existing site (WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, custom HTML), and we extract content, modernise, rebuild.

How much does it cost?

Three monthly tiers: Starter £15, Business £39 (£29 founder offer), Autopilot £129 (£79 founder offer). Or three one-off build packs: Homepage £29, Three-page £59, Five-page £89.

What if I want to cancel?

Cancel any time, in two clicks from your account. Site keeps running until the end of the billing period. No exit fees, no surprises. Your domain stays yours.

Are there setup fees or annual contracts?

No. Monthly billing only. No setup fees. No minimum term.

Can I move between tiers?

Up or down any time. Pro-rated charge or credit on the next bill. No conversation needed, no “sales call to upgrade”.

What's the founder offer?

£29/mo on Business and £79/mo on Autopilot for the first 12 months, while we open to our first cohort. Locked in from your start date: no price-creep, no surprise email three months in.

What if I want to add a page later?

Open Forge, describe the page, approve the structure. Published in a few minutes. Small one-off charge per added page; rate shown in the studio.

What happens if a build fails?

You’re not charged for a build that fails. A support ticket opens automatically and a human follows up the next working day to put it right. If we genuinely can’t deliver, we make it good.

Are there any hidden limits?

Generous monthly allowances on Forge edits across all tiers. Higher tiers get more. The detail is in your account. Designed for typical use.

Do I own my domain and content?

Yes, both. Content, brand and domain are all yours from day one. If you leave, we send a static snapshot you can host anywhere.

What happens if I cancel?

Site keeps running until the period ends. We send you a static HTML snapshot. Your custom domain stays yours and transfers out at any time.

What if Themesmith folds?

Honest answer: we've thought about this. Daily backup snapshots downloadable from the studio. If we ever closed, every customer gets their static files and a 90-day notice. Your domain is registered to you, not us.

Where is my data stored?

Enterprise cloud infrastructure with regional points of presence. Encryption in transit and at rest. GDPR-compliant by design.

Can I export everything?

Yes: pages, copy, brand assets, photographs, content. Standard formats, no proprietary lock-in.

Who has access to my site?

You, anyone you invite, and the Themesmith editorial team for support and quality review. We don't share customer sites externally without permission, or use your content to train models.

Can I connect my own domain?

Yes. DNS setup is walked through from the studio. Most domains propagate in 5-30 minutes. SSL handled automatically.

Do I need any technical skills?

No. The platform is designed for owners who don't want to learn web design. Forge handles edits in plain English.

What about hosting performance?

Enterprise-grade global delivery network. Fast everywhere. SSL, daily backups and DDoS protection are included on every tier.

Do you integrate with email and CRM tools?

Yes. Most major email and CRM platforms connect via webhook or native integration. Mailchimp, ConvertKit, HubSpot, Notion, Google Sheets, Zapier.

Do you support ecommerce?

Yes, through Shopify integration. We render Shopify products, checkout, inventory in the studio's editorial style. For very large catalogues, Shopify directly might be better.

Do you support multiple languages?

Yes. Translations are included on Business and Autopilot. Generate translated versions with one click. SEO-optimised for each market.