From zero to published in ten minutes: inside the onboarding agent
The hardest part of a personal website is not the hosting or the design — it is the blank page. The onboarding agent exists to delete the blank page: you answer five questions, it drafts a complete site you edit instead of author.
The five questions that matter
The agent asks for the minimum it can build from:
- Your name and what you do (one line).
- Who the site is for (clients, readers, employers, community).
- Two to four things you want to show: work, writing, services, bookings.
- How people should reach you.
- A vibe: pick a theme direction, or describe one.
What it generates
| Section | What the agent writes | What you review |
|---|---|---|
| Hero headline | Positioning + audience, from your one-liner | Tone, accuracy |
| About page | A structured bio with highlights | Facts, dates |
| Services / projects | Cards with descriptions pulled from your answers | Prices, claims |
| Link sections | Ordered by your stated priority | Labels, order |
| SEO basics | Title + description per page | Keywords you care about |
Everything lands as draft content in your dashboard — nothing is invented about your credentials, nothing is published without you.
Important
The agent never publishes on its own. Generation fills drafts; the publish button is yours. That separation is deliberate — an assistant that writes is useful, an assistant that publishes for you is a liability.
Getting results you keep
The quality of the draft tracks the quality of your five answers. The pattern that works:
- Answer in specifics: "I design accessible storefronts for small brands" — not "design".
- Name a real audience, even a small one.
- List the work you are actually proud of; the agent will order it.
- Give it one honest number if you have one — scope beats adjectives.
- Regenerate per-section, not whole-site, once you start editing.
Where AI stops and you start
The agent is good at structure, tone and defaults. You are the source of truth for facts, claims and prices. Treat every generated line as a proposal: keep what is true, sharpen what is vague, delete what is decorative.
Tip
The best time to edit is immediately after generation — your memory of intent is fresh. The best time to publish is after one full read-aloud pass. If a sentence is hard to say, it is hard to read.
Ten minutes is not a gimmick; it is what is left when the blank page is gone and the editing is all that remains.