What You Get When You Start a GoDaddy Website

GoDaddy offers two separate paths to building a website: the Website Builder, which is a drag-and-drop tool that requires no coding, and WordPress hosting, which gives you the WordPress software on GoDaddy's servers. Most people starting out choose the Website Builder because it handles the technical setup for you — you pick a template, add your content, and publish. WordPress hosting is better if you already know WordPress or plan to use plugins and themes from the wider WordPress ecosystem.

Both options include a domain name (the web address like yourname.com) and hosting (the servers that keep your site online). GoDaddy bundles these together, so you do not buy them separately. The Website Builder starts at a lower price point and includes email tied to your domain. WordPress hosting costs more but gives you more control over how your site works.

Key Takeaways

  • GoDaddy's Website Builder is a drag-and-drop tool where you choose a template, customize colors and text, add pages, and publish — no coding required.
  • You pick your domain name during setup, and GoDaddy registers it and hosts your site on their servers as part of the same plan.
  • The Website Builder includes email addresses at your domain (like hello@yourname.com) and basic SEO tools to help search engines find your site.
  • WordPress hosting on GoDaddy is a separate option that costs more but works better if you need plugins, custom themes, or plan to grow the site significantly.
  • GoDaddy charges a renewal price after the first year, which is usually higher than the introductory rate, so check the renewal cost before you commit.

Choosing Your Domain Name and Plan

When you start building on GoDaddy, the first step is to choose a domain name — the web address people type to reach your site. GoDaddy's setup wizard asks you what you want to call your site and checks whether that name is available. If your first choice is taken, GoDaddy suggests alternatives. You can also search for a domain separately before you start building.

After you pick a name, GoDaddy shows you plan options. The Website Builder comes in several tiers: the basic plan includes a single website, a domain, and email; the standard plan adds more storage and removes GoDaddy branding from your site footer; the premium plan includes more advanced features like scheduling posts and priority support. Read the renewal price for each tier — it appears in smaller text and is usually two to three times the introductory rate.

If you already own a domain somewhere else (like at a different registrar), you can point it to your GoDaddy website instead of buying a new one. You do this by changing the domain's nameservers to GoDaddy's, which takes a few hours to take effect. GoDaddy's help section walks you through this process.

Building Your Site with the Drag-and-Drop Editor

Once you have chosen your plan and domain, GoDaddy takes you to the editor. You start by selecting a template — a pre-designed layout for your type of site (restaurant, portfolio, small business, blog, and so on). The template is not locked in; you can change it later, though you will lose any customizations you made to the old one.

The editor works by clicking on sections of the page and changing them. Click on the headline and type new text. Click on an image and upload your own photo. Click on a button and change where it links. You can add new sections by clicking an add button and choosing from blocks like text, images, contact forms, testimonials, or embedded video. Everything is visual — you see the changes on your screen as you make them.

Most templates come with multiple pages already set up (Home, About, Contact, Services). You can rename these pages, delete the ones you do not need, and add new ones. Each page works the same way: click, edit, move sections around by dragging them. The editor shows you how your site looks on mobile phones and tablets as you work, so you can make sure it reads well on small screens.

Adding Content and Setting Up Email

As you build, you will add text, images, and links. GoDaddy's editor includes basic tools for formatting text (bold, italics, colors) and aligning content. If you need to add a contact form so visitors can send you messages, click the form block and GoDaddy creates one automatically — responses come to your email address.

Your GoDaddy plan includes email addresses at your domain. If your domain is yourname.com, you can create email addresses like hello@yourname.com or info@yourname.com. You set these up in the GoDaddy control panel (called the Account Center), not in the website editor itself. Once created, you can check your email through GoDaddy's webmail interface or connect it to Outlook, Gmail, or Apple Mail using the settings GoDaddy provides.

GoDaddy's Website Builder also includes basic SEO tools — fields where you can write a page title and description that search engines see. These appear in Google search results, so writing clear, specific descriptions helps people decide whether to click your site. The editor prompts you to fill these in for each page.

Publishing and Making Your Site Live

When you are ready to publish, you click a Publish button in the editor. GoDaddy checks that your domain is set up correctly and pushes your site live — it becomes visible to anyone who visits your domain. This usually takes a few minutes. If you registered a brand-new domain with GoDaddy, it may take up to 24 hours for the domain to fully set up across the internet, though your site is usually live much sooner.

After publishing, you can still edit your site. Any changes you make in the editor are saved as drafts until you click Publish again, which updates the live version. This means you can work on changes without visitors seeing incomplete work.

GoDaddy's Website Builder includes basic analytics — a page showing how many people visited your site and which pages they looked at. You find this in the editor under a Stats or Analytics section. For more detailed tracking, you can connect Google Analytics, which is free and shows much more information about visitor behavior.

When to Use WordPress Hosting Instead

GoDaddy's Website Builder works well for small businesses, portfolios, and blogs where you want to publish content without learning code. But if you need more flexibility, WordPress hosting might be better. WordPress is open-source software that runs millions of websites, and GoDaddy hosts it on their servers.

Choose WordPress hosting if you plan to use plugins (add-ons that add features like booking systems, membership areas, or advanced forms), want access to thousands of free and paid themes beyond what the Website Builder offers, or expect your site to grow significantly and need more control. WordPress hosting also makes it easier to move your site to a different host later if you want to — the Website Builder is more locked into GoDaddy's platform.

The downside is that WordPress hosting requires more technical knowledge. You have to install WordPress yourself (though GoDaddy automates this), manage updates, and handle security. GoDaddy offers managed WordPress hosting, which handles updates and backups for you, but it costs more than the Website Builder.

Understanding Costs and Renewal Pricing

GoDaddy advertises low introductory prices for the first year, but the renewal price — what you pay when your plan renews — is usually much higher. A Website Builder plan might cost $5 per month for the first year but $15 per month after that. The domain registration also renews at a higher rate. Before you commit, look for the renewal price in the checkout page or in GoDaddy's pricing table.

You can cancel anytime, though GoDaddy does not refund unused months. If you cancel before renewal, you stop paying. If you want to keep your domain but move your site elsewhere, you can transfer the domain to another registrar — GoDaddy charges a small fee for this, usually around $15.

GoDaddy occasionally runs promotions that lower the renewal price or offer discounts on additional services like SSL certificates (which make your site find) or email add-ons. These deals come and go, so if the renewal price is too high, check back in a few weeks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I move my GoDaddy website to a different host later?

Moving a Website Builder site is harder than moving WordPress because the Website Builder is proprietary to GoDaddy. You would need to rebuild your site on the new platform or hire someone to migrate it. If you think you might move later, WordPress hosting is more portable — you can export your content and move it to another WordPress host relatively easily.

Do I need to know HTML or CSS to use the Website Builder?

No. The Website Builder is designed for people with no coding experience. Everything is done through clicking and typing in the visual editor. If you want to add custom code later, GoDaddy allows you to add HTML or CSS to specific sections, but it is not required to build a functional site.

What happens if I do not renew my plan?

Your site goes offline and your domain becomes available for someone else to register. GoDaddy usually sends reminder emails before your renewal date. If you let it lapse, you have a grace period (usually 30 days) to renew before the domain is released. After that, you would have to buy it again if it is still available.

Can I use my own domain if I already own one?

Yes. You can point an existing domain to your GoDaddy website by updating the domain's nameservers. You do not have to buy a new domain from GoDaddy, though you will still pay GoDaddy's hosting fee for the website itself. The nameserver change takes a few hours to propagate.

Does GoDaddy's Website Builder include SSL (the padlock icon)?

Yes. All GoDaddy Website Builder plans include a free SSL certificate, which encrypts data between your visitor's browser and your site. The padlock icon appears in the address bar automatically — you do not have to set it up or pay extra.