Bye Bye . Website Builders– How to Convert any Design to a Landing Page with OpenAI Codex

Convert Any Design to a Live Website with Codex O3 / O4 (In Under 10 Minutes)

Let’s be honest — traditional website builders are slow, bloated, and limiting. You drag. You drop. You fight with blocks. Not anymore.

With OpenAI Codex (O3 / O4), you can instantly turn — from Figma, Dribbble, Freepik, Pinterest, or even your hand-drawn sketch — into a fully-functional website, landing page, or even a small web app. No boilerplate. No setup hell. Just pure speed and AI magic.

This article shows you step-by-step how to set up Codex and start building modern websites using only prompts.

Step 1: Install Node.js + npm

First, you need to install Node.js and npm:

👉 Download from: https://nodejs.org/en/download
👉 Guide: https://docs.npmjs.com/downloading-and-installing-node-js-and-npm

Codex requires them to run globally.

Step 2: Windows? Install WSL

If you're using Windows 11, install WSL with:

wsl --install

For older Windows versions, use a virtual Linux or WSL manually.

Then, inside your Linux terminal (WSL), install Node again:

sudo apt update

sudo apt install -y curl

curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_20.x | sudo -E bash -

sudo apt install -y nodejs

node -v

npm -v

You must run Codex inside WSL because CMD can’t handle the project structure Codex creates.

Step 3: Install Codex CLI

Once Node is ready, install Codex globally:

npm install -g @openai/codex

Now Codex is available in your terminal globally.

Step 4: Get Your OpenAI API Key

Go to: https://platform.openai.com/api-keys
Click . Copy the key.

Step 5: Set the API Key

To set your key in Linux/macOS terminal:

export OPENAI_API_KEY="your-api-key"

To set in Windows (temporarily):

set OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-proj-...your-key...

To make it permanent (on Windows):

1. Press Win + S, search "Environment Variables"
2. Click "Edit the system environment variables"
3. Go to Environment Variables…
4. Under User variables, click New…
5. Set name to OPENAI_API_KEY, value to your key
6. Click OK three times to apply

🟢 This will make the key available in all terminals and apps.

Step 6: Use WSL for Projects (Important for Windows)

If you're on Windows, don’t use CMD or PowerShell to run Codex. It won't have access to your file system properly. Instead:

• Open WSL terminal
• Create a project folder like Codex
• Or open your Linux folder through: *\wsl$\Ubuntu\home\your-user*

Now, put your assets (images, videos, design screenshots) in a folder here.

Inside WSL terminal:

mkdir Codex

cd Codex

git init

Tip: Using Git from the beginning helps keep a full history of changes. Codex even auto-commits when you approve.

Step 7: Run Codex

Now, run:

codex

Or, for an instant project scaffold:

codex --approval-mode full-auto "create the fanciest todo-list app"

Codex will:

• Create the folder structure
• Install packages
• Build the code
• Run it live in a sandbox
• Show the result
• Ask for your approval
• Commit it

Step 8: Convert a Design to a Website

Now it gets fun. You can turn any design into a website instantly.

Try a prompt like:

codex --approval-mode full-auto "create a website with home page and blog, modern, flat, animated, use bootstrap"

You can get inspired from Figma, Dribbble, Pinterest, Freepik — just describe the layout and style you want.

Step 9: From Image to Website (Literally)

You can even convert an to a website layout.

Just write:

create website like this image

Then . This will auto-insert the image URL, and Codex will use it.

⚠️ Codex can’t access your local image unless the image path is correct and relative to the working folder. Best practice is to drag from a browser directly.

Step 10: Add Assets (Images, Videos)

Create a folder called and put your resources there.

Then run a prompt like:

create a website about ants using assets in the folder ‘assets’

Codex will reference your files (sometimes you’ll need to rename them manually later to match filenames it generates like , ).

Step 11: Run the Site

To see your site in action:

npm install

npm run dev

This will launch the dev server, and you’ll get a link to preview the site live in your browser.

💡 Codex Website Generation Prompt Handbook to Fast Start

Here's a thoughtfully curated list of useful prompts tailored for OpenAI Codex O3 / O4, specifically designed to help you create websites inspired by design samples or existing websites.

Each prompt can be dropped into Codex CLI (with --approval-mode full-auto) and will help scaffold a useful layout or even a full website structure.

Troubleshooting Notes

• Codex might generate image names that don’t match your files. Just rename them manually.
  

• Use Git to track and roll back changes anytime.
  

• Don’t use CMD on Windows — always run everything inside WSL.
  

Where to Go From Here?

You're no longer tied to website builders. With Codex, just describe, approve, and launch. Whether it's for landing pages, blogs, portfolios, or even small web apps — it's never been easier or faster.

Keep experimenting. Try different designs. Prompt creatively. This is just the beginning.

And yes — we’ll keep this article updated as Codex evolves.

Need help or want to see Codex in action with your own design? Let’s talk!