How to build a website with Claude Code, step by step

To build a website with Claude Code using Agent2Ship: install the kit into an empty project folder, restart Claude Code, then run /a2s-brief, /a2s-stack and /a2s-build, restart once more when it asks, and finish with /a2s-deploy to put the site live on Cloudflare. This page walks through every step, including the Windows details that trip people up.

What you need first

• Claude Code. Works best with a Pro or Max plan. Install it from Anthropic's official setup guide.
• Node.js 18 or newer. Check with node --version. The installer and the kit's scripts run on Node.
• Python 3. Needed by the UI UX Pro Max design skill. Check with python --version.
• A free Cloudflare account for hosting.
• A domain. The only extra cost besides the kit and your Claude plan. You can build and test first and buy it before going live.

Installing Claude Code on Windows

Anthropic's setup guide gives this command for Windows PowerShell (checked 2026-10-16). It doesn't need Administrator. When it finishes, open a new terminal and run claude --version; a version number means it worked.

irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex

Claude Code needs a Pro, Max, Team, Enterprise or Console account; the free Claude plan doesn't include it. For macOS, Linux, WSL and other install options, follow the official guide.

Step 1: Download and unzip the kit

Get the kit, then unzip it somewhere easy to find, like your Downloads folder.

Step 2: Install the kit into your project folder

Make a new, empty folder for your website and open a terminal in it. The installer copies the kit's .claude/ files into the folder you point it at; . means "the folder I'm in".

Windows (PowerShell)

Put the path in double quotes. Paths with spaces (like C:\Users\Your Name\Downloads) fail without them.

node "C:\Users\You\Downloads\agent2ship\install.mjs" .

macOS and Linux

Same idea; change the path to wherever you unzipped the kit.

node "$HOME/Downloads/agent2ship/install.mjs" .

General form: node path/to/agent2ship/install.mjs path/to/your-project. Running the installer again later updates the kit and never touches your own files (SITE-CONTEXT.md, SITE-BRIEF.md, geo-prompts.txt, briefs, plans, reports).

Step 3: Restart Claude Code and run /a2s-help

Open Claude Code in your project folder (a new session) and type /a2s-help. It explains the flow, looks at your project, and tells you the one command to run next.

Step 4: Plan the site

1. /a2s-idea (optional). Skip it if you already know what to build.
2. /a2s-brief. Name, domain, competitor, keywords and FAQ questions. Optionally, a site whose look you like.
3. /a2s-stack. Can it run free? 🟢 free, 🟡 free with limits, or 🔴 paid, with options.

Step 5: Build, in two phases with a restart

1. Run /a2s-build (Phase A). It shows the exact commands to install the design skills and the Astro docs MCP into your project and waits for your approval.
2. Close Claude Code completely and open it again in a new session. New skills and MCP servers load reliably in a new session. Building in the same session is the main reason sites look basic.
3. Approve the Astro docs MCP when Claude Code asks about the project's .mcp.json. It asks once.
4. Run /a2s-build again (Phase B). It builds the site in your project root from the SEO-core Astro template, then the design department (/a2s-design) shows you 3 visual directions to pick from.

For screenshot-based design reviews, allow the optional Playwright install (about 150 MB) when asked. Without it, the kit asks you to check the site on desktop and phone yourself.

Step 6: Deploy your Claude Code website to Cloudflare

Run /a2s-deploy. It builds the site, runs npx wrangler deploy, guides you through the Cloudflare dashboard (custom domain, Always Use HTTPS, www to root redirect), checks the redirects, 404 page, sitemap and robots.txt with real requests, and sets up Search Console with your sitemap.

Test deploys are kept out of Google: testDeploy: true in src/site.config.ts adds a noindex tag to every page. /a2s-deploy switches it off when your real domain is live.

Step 7: After launch

• /a2s-adsense-ready if you plan to apply for AdSense.
• /a2s-audit and /a2s-geo-check for a technical and AI-search check of the live site.
• /a2s-grow once a week.

Next: read how the workflow fits together, or keep troubleshooting open in case something fails.