Frequently asked.

What is ThemeSmith, exactly?

A service that builds and tends business websites. You write a paragraph about your business; we build the site in roughly twenty-five minutes; we keep tending it after launch — through 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. Same outcome — a custom-designed site that gets tended over time — at one-tenth the price.

Are you a real company?

Yes. ThemeSmith Ltd, registered in London. Built solo by Chris Painter — twenty years in web agencies, scaled one to twenty-five staff. The platform is in production, opening to a first cohort of customers this quarter.

Are you really one person?

For now, yes. AI does the heavy lifting on the build side; the editorial judgement is human. We'll grow the team as the customer base grows — not before.

Where are you based?

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

How long have you been around?

The platform was built across 2025, went live in early 2026. First sites shipped internally in February. Opening to paying customers in May 2026 — the first cohort.

Do you have customer references?

Not yet — pre-launch. The sites in our showcase are internal demos generated to stress-test the platform. Customer stories will appear on the marketing site as the first cohort ships.

How long does the build actually take?

Roughly twenty-five minutes 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 twenty-five minutes 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, palette, 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 £99 (£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 about refunds if a build fails?

Automatic refund in full, plus a support ticket so a human follows up the next working day.

Are there any hidden limits?

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

Do I own my domain and content?

Yes, both. Content, brand, domain — 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 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, DDoS protection — all included on every tier.

Do you integrate with email and CRM tools?

Yes — most major email and CRM platforms 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 included on Business and Autopilot. Generate translated versions with one click. SEO-optimised for each market.