AI-Powered HubSpot Website Creation: Navigating Themes and Tools
The HubSpot Community is buzzing about using AI to speed up website creation. One member kicked off a discussion about leveraging tools like Relume and HubSpot's Elevate theme for AI-assisted design. The core question: How can you build a robust website within HubSpot using AI, and what are the best options for sitemaps, wireframes, style guides, and overall design?
Understanding HubSpot Themes and AI
The original poster questioned whether legacy themes are a dead end for AI website creation, suggesting that the Elevate theme, with its React foundation, might be the only viable option for modern AI creators like Relume. A respondent clarified that the difference between themes like Elevate and traditional HubL themes isn't as vast as it seems. While Elevate uses React, it still incorporates HubL. Traditional themes rely on HTML, HubL, CSS, and JavaScript. The key takeaway is that both types can be used, but each has its own learning curve.
Sitemaps, Wireframes, and Style Guides in HubSpot
The discussion touched on essential website elements. Here’s a breakdown:
- Sitemap: HubSpot automatically generates a sitemap (
domain.com/sitemap.xml) once your pages are published. - Wireframes: While HubSpot doesn't have a specific wireframe feature for prepublished pages, you can use design tools like Figma or even a simple pen and paper to plan your page layout before building it in HubSpot.
- Style Guide: HubSpot provides Brand Kit settings (Content -> Brand) where you can define your logo, colors, and fonts. Theme developers are responsible for incorporating these settings into the theme, ensuring a consistent look and feel.
Building with Reusable Components
A key point raised was the importance of building fully reusable components (custom modules) and templates in HubSpot. Unlike static websites, HubSpot thrives on modularity. Even simple elements like headlines and buttons should be created as custom modules for easy reuse across your site. This approach ensures consistency and simplifies future updates. For example, to create a reusable headline module, you would typically:
- Navigate to Design Manager.
- Create a new custom module.
- Define the fields for the headline text, styling options, etc.
- Use HubL to output the headline with the selected styles.
- Use the module in your templates.
Navigating the AI Landscape
The conversation also addressed using AI tools like Relume. While these tools can be helpful for generating design ideas and even exporting code, integrating them directly into HubSpot can be challenging. HubSpot pages aren't static; they're built on a dynamic system of templates and modules. Therefore, you'll likely need to spend time debugging and adapting the AI-generated code to fit HubSpot's structure.
A suggested workflow for creating pages in HubSpot involves using or creating a template pack, then creating templates, and finally building pages with those templates. This remains technically the same, although the names have changed. Now, you use or create a theme, optionally create reusable sections, modules/components, and then create templates to build pages with them.
Recommendations for Getting Started
If you're new to HubSpot CMS development, here are some recommendations:
- Start with the HubSpot Academy's CMS for Developers certification.
- Begin with the HubL Boilerplate for an easier starting point.
- Work primarily in the Design Manager for easier development and debugging.
- Consider using AI tools like VSCode/Cursor with the HubSpot CLI and Developer MCP beta for local development.
hs fetch @hubspot/Elevate ESHOPMAN Team Comment
This discussion highlights the evolving landscape of HubSpot website development. While AI tools offer exciting possibilities, mastering the fundamentals of HubSpot's CMS, particularly reusable modules and templates, remains crucial. For e-commerce businesses using ESHOPMAN, focusing on building a solid foundation of reusable components will ultimately lead to more scalable and maintainable online storefronts. Don't jump straight into AI without understanding the underlying HubSpot architecture.
Ultimately, the best approach depends on your experience level and goals. If you're comfortable with coding and debugging, exploring AI tools can be a great way to speed up your workflow. However, if you're new to HubSpot, it's best to start with the basics and gradually incorporate AI as you become more familiar with the platform. And if you're feeling overwhelmed, consider hiring a professional HubSpot CMS developer.