Bluehost AI Store: Getting Started with AI Store Free Trial

Bluehost AI Store is an AI-powered ecommerce solution that lets you create, launch, and manage an online store through simple conversations. Instead of manually configuring storefront settings, you can use natural language prompts to build and customize your storefront with ease.

This article explains how to get started with the Bluehost AI Store free trial and create your AI-generated website.

Choose one of the following ways to get started:

• 14-Day Free Trial - Build and preview your storefront before upgrading to the paid Sell Online plan.
• Direct-to-Paid Sell Online - Access full publishing capabilities from the start and launch your store immediately after setup.

Follow these steps to get started with the AI Store free trial:

• Step 1: Start Your AI Store
• Step 2: Build Your Website Using AI Prompts
• Step 3: Create or Sign In to Your Bluehost Account
• Step 4: Manage Your Online Store
• Step 5: Upgrade to Sell Online Plan to Publish Your Website

You can also purchase the Sell Online plan directly and choose one of the three tiers: Starter, Grow, or Scale. This Direct-to-Paid option includes full publishing capabilities from the start, allowing you to launch your store without needing to upgrade later. Once your website is ready, you can publish your storefront and start selling online immediately. For detailed instructions, refer to the Creating a Website and Online Store Through the Direct-to-Paid Experience article.

For additional guidance, watch our video tutorial, which walks you through each step of the setup process.

What Can the AI Store Do?

AI Store simplifies online business management by utilizing AI to perform essential tasks, such as:

• Creating and managing products
• Tracking and fulfilling orders
• Handling payments (currently through Stripe)
• Providing insights and performance data for the store
• Assisting with store updates using AI chat

Before You Start

Before you get started, make sure you have the following:

• A valid email address
• A Bluehost account (optional)
• A business idea, product, or website concept
• A Stripe account for payment processing (optional, can be connected later)

Complete the setup process below to access the AI Store's full features.

Step 1: Start Your AI Store

Your journey begins with a free trial that lets you build, customize, and preview your website.

Think of this as your planning and setup phase!

To get started:

1. Visit https://www.bluehost.com/ai-store.

   
   You can also access the AI Store by visiting Bluehost.com:

   1. Click the Build tab in the top menu.
   2. Select AI Store.

      

   Alternatively:

   1. Visit Bluehost.com., then click on the Build tab in the top menu.
   2. Select AI Website Builder.

      
       

   3. Enter your prompt, then select the "I want to sell products online" checkbox to start creating your online store.

      

      For detailed instructions, see the Build a Website Storefront with Bluehost AI Free Trial article.

2. On the AI Store page, you should see a prompt box.

   

Continue the setup steps below.

Step 2: Build Your Website Using AI Prompts

Describe your brand and goals, and AI will build your website from your prompt or a pre-built option.

1. Enter a description of your business, brand, products, or website in the prompt box.
2. If you need inspiration, scroll down to the pre-built prompts, choose a prompt, and then click Get started using this prompt.

   
    

3. Scroll back up to verify that the prompt box is populated with your selected prompt. You can customize the prompt directly from this box.
4. Enhance your prompt by clicking the plus icon (+) located at the bottom-left corner of the prompt box to provide visual inspiration:

   
    

   • Add your logo or photos: Upload your custom brand assets so the AI can build your site around them.
   • Show us a site you like: Paste the link to a reference website to have the AI match its visual style and design structure without copying the content.
   You can upload a maximum of 3 images and provide only 1 reference URL.
5. Click Get Started to continue.

For examples of prompts and best practices, you can also visit the Bluehost AI Store: How to Build an AI Storefront Website Using Effective Prompts article.

Step 3: Create or Sign In to Your Bluehost Account

After submitting your initial prompt:

1. You'll be asked to create a Bluehost account.

   

   If you already have an account with us, sign in using your Bluehost credentials.

   
    

2. After signing in, the system will continue building your website. This process may take a few moments to complete.

   
    

3. Once your website is ready, you can explore it and make additional customizations as needed.

   

Step 4: Manage Your Online Store

After creating or signing into your Bluehost account, you can begin managing and configuring your online store through the AI Store Dashboard.

To manage your online store:

1. In your Bluehost Portal, locate your website from either the Dashboard or Websites tab.
2. Click Manage Store.

   

3. Your AI Store Dashboard will open in a new tab. From there, you can start setting up and managing your online store using the available features.

   
    

Here is the AI Store Setup Checklist:

• Add store details
• Configure taxes
• Add products
• Connect Stripe
• Set up shipping

For detailed setup instructions, see the Bluehost AI Store: Setting Up the AI Store Dashboard article.

Step 5: Upgrade to Sell Online Plan to Publish Your Website

After creating your website and configuring your store, you are now ready to go live. To publish your storefront and unlock the full AI Store experience, you need to upgrade from the free trial to the Sell Online plan. For step-by-step upgrade instructions, please visit the Bluehost AI Store: Upgrade to Sell Online Plan to Publish Website article.

After upgrading to the Sell Online plan, click the Publish button in the editor.

Once your website is published, you can begin accepting orders and processing payments.

Frequently Asked Questions

Summary

Bluehost AI Store, an AI-powered solution, helps you create, customize, and manage your storefront using natural language prompts. You can start with a free trial or choose the Direct-to-Paid option for immediate publishing access. The Sell Online plan is available in three tiers: Starter, Grow, and Scale. This article walks you through starting an AI Store free trial, generating a storefront with AI, and managing products, orders, payments, and store settings through the AI Store Dashboard. To publish the website and start accepting orders, users must upgrade to the Sell Online plan and click Publish.