# Chapter 3: Projects and AI Generate

> How to create, manage, duplicate, and delete projects. How to use AI to generate complete sites in seconds.

---

## 3.1 What is a Project

A **project** = a complete website.

Examples:
- "Miami Auto Shop" (has Home, About, Services, Contact)
- "Mendoza Dental Clinic" (has Home, Treatments, Team, Contact)
- "Tampa Roofing" (has Home, Emergency, Gallery, Reviews, Contact)

Each project has:
- **Name** (for you)
- **Slug** (for the URL: `slug.mypagegenius.com`)
- **Pages** (home, about, services, contact, etc.)
- **Settings** (global SEO, language, branding)
- **Domains** (optional: your own custom domain)

> **Example of a published site:** `![Published site with PageGenius](/help/screenshots/pagegenius-published-site.png)`

---

## 3.2 Create a Project with AI

The fastest way. The AI writes the content, picks the widgets, and builds the structure.

### Step by step

1. Go to **Projects** → **"New Project"**
2. Select **"Generate with AI"**
3. Fill out the form:

| Field | What to write | Good example | Bad example |
|-------|--------------|--------------|-------------|
| **Description** | 1-2 sentences about your business | "Auto repair shop in Miami that fixes AC, brakes, and transmissions. Open Saturdays." | "A business" |
| **Language** | English or Spanish | English | (doesn't matter if targeting English speakers) |

4. Click **"Generate"**

### What the AI does behind the scenes

In ~30-90 seconds, the AI:
1. Detects your **industry** (automotive, dental, roofing, etc.)
2. Detects your **city** (for local SEO)
3. Selects **relevant widgets** for that industry
4. Generates **specific copy** (headlines, service descriptions, CTAs)
5. Builds the **page structure** (home + secondary pages)
6. Injects invisible **Schema.org** for Google
7. Applies **consistent colors and typography**

### Typical result

A new project with 4-5 pages:
- **Home:** Hero, Features, Services, Testimonials, Contact Form, Footer
- **About:** Story, Team, Stats
- **Services:** Service list with detailed descriptions
- **Contact:** Map, form, phone, hours
- **(Optional)** Emergency, Gallery, FAQ — depending on industry

---

## 3.3 Create a Blank Project

If you prefer to build everything yourself.

1. Go to **Projects** → **"New Project"**
2. Select **"Blank Project"**
3. Enter the name and choose the language
4. Click **"Create"**

You're taken to the builder with an empty Home page. From there, drag widgets and configure them.

---

## 3.4 Use a Template

1. Go to **Templates** (from the sidebar)
2. Click a template to preview it
3. If you like it, click **"Use this template"**
4. Enter your project name
5. The template is cloned as a new project, ready to edit

### Available templates

| Template | Style | Best for | Plan |
|----------|-------|----------|------|
| **Minimal** | Clean, spacious, Apple-like | Professionals, consultants | Free |
| **Bold** | Strong colors, impact | Fitness, construction | Pro |
| **Professional** | Corporate, blues and grays | Lawyers, accountants | Pro |
| **Visual** | Image-heavy, galleries | Photographers, restaurants | Pro |
| **Vibrant** | Energetic, startups | Apps, marketing | Agency |

---

## 3.5 Projects List

Go to **Projects** in the sidebar. You see a grid or list:

```
+----------------------------------------------------------+
|  MY PROJECTS                              [+ New]       |
+----------------------------------------------------------+
|  ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐        |
|  │ [Thumbnail] │ │ [Thumbnail] │ │ [Thumbnail] │        |
|  │ Auto Shop   │ │ Dental      │ │ Roofing     │        |
|  │ 4 pages     │ │ 5 pages     │ │ 3 pages     │        |
|  │ ✅ Published│ │ 📝 Draft    │ │ ✅ Published│        |
|  │ [Edit]      │ │ [Edit]      │ │ [Edit]      │        |
|  │ [Delete]    │ │ [Delete]    │ │ [Delete]    │        |
|  └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘        |
+----------------------------------------------------------+
```

### Actions per project

| Action | What it does | Shortcut |
|--------|-------------|----------|
| **Edit** | Enters the builder | Click on the card |
| **Publish** | Generates the live version | From the builder |
| **Duplicate** | Creates an exact copy | Menu "..." → Duplicate |
| **Delete** | Deletes the project and all its pages | Menu "..." → Delete |
| **Rename** | Changes the name | Menu "..." → Rename |
| **Domains** | Connect a custom domain | Menu "..." → Domains |

---

## 3.6 Duplicate a Project

Useful for:
- Creating a variant of an existing site
- Using a project as a "base template"
- A/B testing

1. In the projects list, click the **"..."** menu on the project
2. Select **"Duplicate"**
3. Enter the new name
4. An exact copy is created with a different slug

**What gets copied:**
- ✅ All pages and content
- ✅ SEO settings
- ✅ Branding (colors, logo)
- ❌ Custom domains (you'll need to reconnect them)
- ❌ Leads/submissions

---

## 3.7 Delete a Project

**Warning:** This action is irreversible.

1. Menu **"..."** → **"Delete"**
2. We ask for confirmation: "Delete 'Auto Shop' and all its 4 pages?"
3. Click **"Delete permanently"**

**What gets deleted:**
- All pages in the project
- The published HTML (the live site stops working)
- Any connected custom domains

**What does NOT get deleted:**
- Images uploaded to Media (they're yours)
- Leads received (they remain in the global table)

---

## 3.8 Media Library

Go to **Media** in the sidebar.

### Upload images
1. Drag images to the drop area
2. Or click **"Browse"** to select files
3. Supported formats: JPG, PNG, WebP, GIF
4. Max size: 5MB per file

### What happens on upload
- The image is automatically resized to a max width of 1920px
- JPG/PNG are converted to WebP (lighter, faster loading)
- They're stored in `public/uploads/` with a unique name

### Use an image
- In the builder, drag the **"Image"** widget
- Click **"Select from Media"**
- Choose the image from your library

### Common problem: "My image looks blurry"
- **Cause:** You uploaded a very small image and stretched it.
- **Solution:** Upload images of at least 1200px width. The builder adapts them, but doesn't improve them.

---

## 3.9 Plan Limits

| Feature | Free | Pro | Agency |
|---------|------|-----|--------|
| Projects | 1 | 10 | 100 |
| AI Generations | 1 total | 10/month | 999/month |
| Pages per project | 5 | 20 | 100 |
| Premium templates | No | Yes | Yes |
| Custom domains | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| Team members | 1 | 5 | 20 |
| Analytics | Basic | Full | Full |
| White-label | No | No | Yes |

---

## 3.10 Projects Problems and Solutions

### "I can't create more projects"
- **Cause:** You've reached your plan's limit.
- **Solution:** Delete old projects or upgrade in Billing.

### "The AI doesn't understand my business"
- **Cause:** Description was too vague.
- **Solution:** Include: city, specific industry, 3 main services, and something that differentiates you. E.g.: "Dental clinic in Houston that accepts Aetna and Cigna insurance. Specialists in same-day implants and invisible braces."

### "The AI took too long and failed"
- **Cause:** AI API timeout (Groq/Gemini) or rate limit reached.
- **Solution:** Wait 1 minute and retry. If it persists, contact support.

### "My project got stuck on 'Generating...'"
- **Cause:** AI process was interrupted.
- **Solution:** Refresh the page. If the project appears incomplete, delete it and regenerate.

### "I want to change my project slug"
- **Cause:** You chose an ugly slug or made a typo.
- **Solution:** Go to the builder → **Settings** → **Slug**. Change it. **Note:** The previous URL stops working.

### "I want to clone another user's project"
- **Cause:** Not possible.
- **Solution:** PageGenius doesn't have "public projects" to clone. You have to use official templates or generate with AI.

---

## Chapter 3 Summary

| Task | How | Where |
|------|-----|-------|
| Create site with AI | Projects → New → Generate with AI | `/projects/new` |
| Create blank site | Projects → New → Blank | `/projects/new` |
| Use template | Templates → Choose → Use | `/templates` |
| Duplicate project | Menu "..." → Duplicate | `/projects` |
| Delete project | Menu "..." → Delete | `/projects` |
| Upload image | Media → Drag | `/media` |

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**Next chapter:** [Chapter 4: The Builder — Visual Editor](17d-en-builder.md)