Start a site from a link
A link to InstaWP Studio can carry a site description, WordPress.org plugins and themes, and a Playground blueprint. The new site starts with all of it.
Anyone who opens a link to InstaWP Studio with these parameters gets a new WordPress site set up the way the link says. Put the link on a landing page, in a newsletter, in a tutorial or in a support reply.
https://studio.instawp.com/?brief=A+bike+repair+shop+in+Leeds&plugins=woocommerce,contact-form-7&themes=astra
What a link can carry #
| Parameter | What it does | Page |
|---|---|---|
brief | Fills the What are we building? box with a description of the site. | below |
plugins, plugin | Installs and activates up to 5 plugins from WordPress.org. | Plugins and themes |
themes, theme | Installs up to 5 themes from WordPress.org. | Plugins and themes |
blueprint-url, blueprint | Runs a WordPress Playground blueprint on the new site. | Blueprints |
The parameters can be combined. Plugins and themes are installed first, then the blueprint runs.
What the visitor sees #
- With a brief, InstaWP Studio opens the New site screen with the description filled in. If the link also names plugins, themes or a blueprint, they are listed under the box as Your site comes with, and each can be removed with ×. Nothing starts until the visitor presses Start designing, because building a site from a description uses AI credits.
- Without a brief, a blank site starts straight away and the plugins, themes and blueprint are installed. This uses no AI and costs nothing.
- While the site opens, the loading screen says what is being installed, one item at a time, with a progress bar.
- When the site is ready, the chat says what was installed, with versions and links to the Plugins and Themes screens, and in a separate note what could not be installed and why. These notes stay in the chat, and the AI reads them too, so it knows which plugins the site already has.
Things to know #
- A link always makes a new site. It never changes a site the visitor already has, even if they have one open.
- The link cleans itself up. InstaWP Studio reads the parameters once and removes them from the address bar, so reloading the page or copying the address does not install everything again.
- Sites live in the visitor's browser until they publish, like every InstaWP Studio draft. Each visitor who opens the link gets their own copy.
Prefill the description #
brief is the site description, URL-encoded (spaces as + or %20), up to 20,000 characters. Line breaks are kept.
https://studio.instawp.com/?brief=A+family+dentist+in+Austin.+Calm%2C+friendly%2C+online+booking.
A plain HTML form works too, with no JavaScript:
<form action="https://studio.instawp.com/" method="get">
<textarea name="brief"></textarea>
<button>Build my site</button>
</form>