Automattic has announced that its WordPress.com hosting platform will now feature a built-in AI assistant, starting Tuesday. This tool is integrated directly into the website environment, allowing it to grasp the site’s content and design so owners can implement changes using everyday language. Users can modify layouts, adjust styles, or update other design elements by simply instructing the AI, with changes appearing in real time as they work. Importantly, prompts do not need to be meticulously crafted—more conversational commands like “make this section feel more modern or spacious,” “change my site’s colors to be brighter and bolder,” or “give me more font options that feel clean and professional” are fully supported.

The assistant can also handle structural adjustments, such as adding a contact page or inserting a testimonials section below existing content. It is important to note, however, that these AI-driven edits are compatible only with block themes; classic themes will not display the assistant in the editor. Beyond design, the AI can revise content—for example, rewriting a bio to sound more confident or translating a section into another language. It also serves as an editorial aid, offering headline ideas, fact-checking, and grammar suggestions.

This editorial functionality is accessible through the block notes editor introduced in WordPress 6.9, which supports team collaboration. Users can now involve the AI in that workflow by typing @ai followed by a request, and the assistant will respond with answers, relevant links, and citations where it references external sources.

For visual content, the assistant utilizes GoogleGemini’s Nano Banana AI models to generate new images or edit existing ones. A new “Generate Image” button in the Media Library lets users specify requirements like aspect ratios or define desired image styles.

The WordPress AI Assistant is an opt-in feature that users can activate manually. To enable it, they need to log in, go to their Sites list, click on the site name, and navigate to Settings. Under Settings, scrolling down to “AI tools” and toggling “Enable AI assistant” will activate the feature. Customers who buy a website through the AI website builder will have the assistant enabled by default.