How I Built a Website Using Only Cursor AI — With Zero Coding Experience

This is Part 4 of “A Civil Engineer’s Website Building Diary.” Keywords chosen. Direction set. Now it’s time to build. Problem: I can’t code.

What Cursor Actually Is (For Non-Programmers)

Cursor is marketed as an “AI-powered code editor.” But that description is for developers.

For me, Cursor is a translator. I speak requirements in plain language. It translates them into code.

More precisely, it’s like pair programming with a senior developer who:

Never gets impatient
Always explains their reasoning
Presents options with trade-off analysis
Fixes bugs without complaining
Works at 2 AM without overtime pay

My Collaboration Model: The 5-Step Loop

1. I describe the requirement (plain language)
2. Cursor proposes approaches (usually 2-3, with comparison)
3. I choose
4. Cursor writes code
5. I check the result → problems? Back to step 1

My entire role consists of three actions: describe, choose, and give feedback.

I never wrote code. I never read documentation. Every technical question was “ask Cursor.”

Real Conversation Examples

Tech Stack Selection:

Me: “I want to build an English finance blog. SEO needs to be excellent. Loading speed needs to be fast. I don’t know any programming.”

Cursor: “I recommend Astro 5.x because: (1) it generates pure static HTML — search engines love this, (2) MDX lets you write content like Markdown notes, (3) Tailwind CSS handles styling with pre-built utilities. Compared to WordPress: Astro is faster and better for SEO, but has no visual dashboard. For your use case (9 articles + video pages), a dashboard isn’t necessary.”

Me: “Sounds good. Let’s use Astro.”

Bug Fixing:

Me: (pastes a 15-line error message)

Cursor: “This error is because Astro 5.x removed the ‘hybrid’ rendering mode. Your configuration references it but it no longer exists. I recommend switching to pure static mode and handling dynamic features (newsletter subscription) with client-side JavaScript.”

Me: “Do it.”

Feature Request:

Me: “I want a newsletter signup box on every video page.”

Cursor: “Option A: Call Kit’s API directly (more flexible, but requires handling CORS). Option B: Use Kit’s official embed script (simpler, but limited styling). Which do you prefer?”

Me: “Let’s try A.” (CORS error after deployment) Me: “CORS error. Switch to B.”

Cursor: “Done. 5 minutes.”

Notice: I don’t need to understand CORS, APIs, or embed scripts. I just describe what I want, check if it works, and redirect when it doesn’t.

The Pitfalls (Because It’s Not All Magic)

Cursor initially suggested calling Kit’s API directly for email subscriptions. It worked locally but failed in production due to CORS (Cross-Origin Resource Sharing) restrictions. Fix: switched to Kit’s official embed script.

Lesson: The API solution isn’t always the best. Sometimes the “simple” approach (embed script) is more reliable.

Pitfall 2: Cloudflare UI Changed

Cursor’s deployment instructions were based on Cloudflare’s old interface. Cloudflare redesigned their dashboard in late 2025. I couldn’t find the “Workers & Pages” entry point.

Fix: Screenshot the new UI and share with Cursor to re-navigate.

Lesson: AI knowledge can be outdated. Use screenshots for real-time assistance.

Pitfall 3: Slash in Tag Names

One of my article tags was “50/30/20 Rule.” Astro uses tag names to generate URL paths. The slash was interpreted as a path separator, breaking the build.

Fix: Added a validation function in taxonomy.ts to prevent special characters in tag slugs.

Lesson: Edge cases are the most unpredictable. Strict data validation is essential.

Pitfall 4: Astro Removed Hybrid Mode

Cursor configured Astro’s hybrid rendering mode (some pages static, some dynamic). Astro 5.x removed this mode entirely.

Fix: Switched to pure static mode. Dynamic features handled client-side.

Lesson: Framework version changes can break your setup. Always check version compatibility.

Pitfall 5: Cursor Fabricates Data ⚠️

This is the most critical one. When creating video pages, each needed a duration field. Cursor filled in plausible-looking values like “PT8M30S” — but these were completely fabricated. It didn’t know my actual video lengths.

Fix: Wrote a helper script to pull real durations from YouTube’s Data API.

Lesson: ALWAYS verify specific data from AI — numbers, dates, URLs, durations. Trust but verify.

Key Principles for Working with AI

1. Don’t Fear Errors

Errors are normal. You don’t need to understand them. Copy the full error message → paste to Cursor → get a fix. I did this dozens of times.

2. Design Before Code

Don’t start with “write me a component.” Start with “here’s what I need — what are my options?” Get the plan first. Then execute.

In construction: blueprint before foundation. Same principle.

3. Iterate, Don’t Expect Perfection

A feature typically takes 3-5 conversation rounds: scaffold → details → bug fix → polish. Don’t expect one prompt to produce perfect results.

4. AI Has Limits

Data may be fabricated (verify numbers)
Knowledge may be outdated (check documentation changes)
Design taste requires human judgment (AI follows instructions, not aesthetics)

Timeline and Cost

Phase	Time	Key Work
Keyword research	1-2 days	Candidate generation + auto-collection + analysis
Tech setup + scaffolding	1 day	Astro initialization + component design
Content creation	2-3 days	9 articles + 12 video pages
SEO optimization	1 day	Structured data + sitemap + internal linking
Deployment	Half day	Cloudflare + domain + SSL
Debug + polish	Scattered	Various fixes throughout

~1 week total, part-time (evenings and weekends around a full-time job and two young children).

Cost: $20/month for Cursor subscription. That’s it.

Full-stack developer on call, 24/7, $20/month. For a non-programmer, this is transformative.

Next: The site architecture deep dive — how 110 pages were organized from zero.

Previous: How I Found a 301K Monthly Search Keyword Using Only Free Tools Site: https://www.moneytipshub.com/