07 Aug 2026 · 4 min read

The Exact Setup: Every Tool You Need to Build a Site With AI (No Coding)

In my last post I explained how I built and deployed this entire site in about three hours without writing code. A lot of people asked the obvious follow-up: okay, but what do I actually need to do that myself?

This is that guide. Every account, every install, every setting - in order, with nothing assumed. I'm on Windows, so that's what I'll show, but the flow is the same on a Mac. Set aside about 30–40 minutes for setup, most of which is just waiting for downloads.

Let me save you the suspense on one thing: you do not need to know how to code, you do not need a design background, and - despite what I assumed going in - you do not need Python. There's exactly one genuine technical install (Node.js), and it's a next-next-finish affair.

Step 0 - The accounts you'll need

Sort these first so nothing blocks you later:

• A paid Claude plan (Pro or Max). This matters twice: it unlocks Cowork in the Claude desktop app (where you'll build the site) and it's required for Claude Code (where you'll push changes). The free Claude plan won't do either.
• A hosting plan and a domain name. I use Hostinger; any basic shared plan hosts a static site fine, and you can register your domain in the same place.
• A newsletter tool (optional). I use beehiiv's free plan. Skip if you don't want email signups yet.

Step 1 - Install the Claude desktop app

This is where the whole build conversation happens.

1. Go to claude.com/download (use the official site - don't grab it from random download portals).
2. Pick the right Windows installer - x64 for most PCs, arm64 for ARM laptops.
3. Install, open it from the Start menu, and sign in with your Claude account.
4. You're looking for Cowork - the mode that can work directly with files on your computer. That's what designs and builds the site.

At this point you can already do everything from my last post: ideate, design, and generate the site files. The remaining steps are only about the "push changes from a chat" superpower.

Step 2 - Install Node.js

Node.js is the one real technical dependency. It's free and it's what the deploy tooling runs on.

1. Go to nodejs.org.
2. Download the LTS version (get version 22 or newer).
3. Run the installer and click through the defaults.
4. To confirm it worked, open Terminal (or PowerShell) and type:

node -v
npm -v

If each prints a version number, you're set.

Step 3 - Install Claude Code

Claude Code is the command-line version of Claude - it's what edits your project and deploys it.

In your terminal, run:

npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

Then start it and sign in:

claude

The first run walks you through logging in with your Claude account (the same paid plan from Step 0). (There's also a native one-click installer on Anthropic's site if you'd rather skip npm - but since you already installed Node.js for the next step, npm is the simplest single path.)

Step 4 - Get your Hostinger API token

This is the key that lets Claude Code talk to your hosting account.

1. Log in to Hostinger's hPanel.
2. In the sidebar, open Dev tools → API.
3. Click Generate API token, give it a name, pick an expiry, and generate.
4. Copy it immediately - it's shown only once. Treat it like a password; don't paste it into any public place.

Step 5 - Connect Claude Code to Hostinger

On that same API page, Hostinger gives you a small block of configuration text and a file location (~/.claude.json). You could paste it in by hand, but there's a safer, easier way - let Claude Code do it for you, so you don't accidentally overwrite its own settings.

Open Claude Code and give it a prompt like:

"Add these MCP servers to my ~/.claude.json, merging into the existing config without touching anything else. Use this token: PASTE_YOUR_TOKEN. Here's the config: PASTE_HOSTINGER'S_CONFIG."

A tip: you only really need the hosting (Websites) tools for managing your site - you can skip domains, billing, and the rest to keep things lean.

Then fully quit and reopen Claude Code so it loads the new connection.

Step 6 - Verify it all works

Open Claude Code and ask:

"List my Hostinger websites."

If it comes back with your actual domains and their statuses, congratulations - the whole chain is live. Your computer's Claude Code is now talking to your hosting account, and you can manage your site by describing what you want.

What you deliberately don't need

Because setup guides love to bloat, here's what to skip:

• Python - not required for this workflow.
• A code editor like VS Code - optional. Claude Code runs in the terminal; an editor is only nice-to-have if you like seeing files. (Git, for version history, is the same: useful later, not required now.)
• Coding knowledge or design skills - genuinely not needed. The skill that matters is knowing what you want and making decisions.

That's the whole stack

To recap, the full setup is: a paid Claude plan, the Claude desktop app, hosting + a domain, Node.js, Claude Code, and a Hostinger API token to connect them. Six things, one afternoon, zero code.

From here, building is a conversation and publishing is a sentence. If you want to see the result this setup produced - and the thinking behind each decision - read how I built this site in three hours. And if you'd like the next guides as I write them, grab the newsletter.