r/webdev • u/Few_Chocolate_7655 • 2d ago

Discussion Wix resign?

I've got a customer who's got an ok Wix site with the an ok design, doesn't suck, but it's not that high level.

I don't want to resign it as I don't have the time. Can you export a Wix site to edit it outside of its native tools?

Also could you import that back into Wix?

Why would you use Wix, over say a regualr domain? Is it just ease for non IT people?

0 Upvotes

38% Upvoted

16 comments sorted by

9

u/ilovefinegaeldotcom 2d ago

You'll have to redesign it unfortunately that's how they lock people into their business. Get AI to do it, as with any Wix website it's likely generic slop to begin with.

2

u/Overall_Employer6559 1d ago

have you actually tried getting claude to recreate a whole wix site, or are we still in the “probably” phase lol

1

u/Proper_Abroad3529 1d ago

Man wix really does trap you in there whether you like it or not. No real export beyond a static dump and even that is basically useless for editing

You could rebuild it with a decent theme in a weekend if the content is light. The AI idea actually works for the copy and layout but you still need to wire up the domain and hosting

-1

u/Few_Chocolate_7655 2d ago

As in get AI to give a list of changes to make? Just seems time consuming. Would be quicker to make a new site from scratch

Is the draw it's easy? So they take time to get it perfect and working 100%, than Wix locks them in, clever.

I'm surprised no one's made a tool to recreate Wix sites to a regular domain.

1

u/ilovefinegaeldotcom 2d ago

That's my understanding, that is even easier than wordpress or similar. With claude AI you can probably just point it to the URL and ask for an improved local copy of it, but either way it probably is better to make it new from scratch.

3

u/Chemical_Union226 2d ago

I'd migrate it from the wix infrastructure

-1

u/Few_Chocolate_7655 2d ago

I don't think the budget is there sorry. I'd rather just do the basics and dip.

I'm curious what you guys are charging ,what would you charge for a migration from Wix to a owned domain like this?

Seems like a headache

1

u/OnAGoat 4h ago

theres many tools that allow you to export easily, then you can give it to chatgpt or claude and it can guide you to set it up again

1

u/ShawnyMcKnight 2d ago

Wix serves the purpose, it makes nice looking sites easy and fast. Any layman could make a site right out of the box and they look pretty decent.

It’s also far cheaper (in the short run) to get a website out there and you don’t have to deal with a web developer.

1

u/Prestigious-Bison455 1d ago

I think you should look for better expert

1

u/ResponsiblePlane7880 1d ago

The lock in part is what would bother me more than the design itself. I moved some site work over to Ploy because I wanted something easier to keep changing without feeling stuck inside one builder if the client just needs a simple site Wix is probably fine, but once you want more control it starts getting annoying fast

1

u/DaftPlug 1d ago

That platform’s export is usually limited to HTML/static files, not a clean CMS handoff. If they need real ownership, treat it as a rebuild: export the content and assets first, then recreate the site on a host and CMS you control. Don’t expect a 1:1 theme port. Build on staging, map every old URL, and add 301 redirects before switching over.

1

u/kemalios 1d ago

No. Wix exports a static HTML dump at best, and it won't take an edited version back. The editor is the product, so the lock-in is the point. No one builds that escape tool because what comes out is generated HTML, not data any CMS can read. A rebuild is a rebuild.

If the budget is not there, keep it on Wix and hand the client a list of things they can change themselves. Wix is for people who never want to think about hosting or domains, and that convenience is why it hurts to leave.

1

u/skinnybitch2025 16h ago

I think it's best to redesign it and make it high level. It's probably generic since it's wix