Setting Up an Account in Wix: A Step-by-Step Tutorial

Emily Thomas
May 19
4 min read

If you’re diving into website creation for the first time or even if you’ve dabbled a bit, Wix is an excellent platform that makes website building accessible and intuitive. However, one of the most confusing parts for many beginners is the very first step: setting up your Wix account. In this detailed tutorial, I’m going to walk you through the process of setting up your Wix account smoothly, avoiding common pitfalls and confusion along the way.

Whether you’re here to follow along with my Wix basics course or you’re just getting started on your own, this guide will help you understand exactly what you need to do when you first land on Wix.com and how to navigate the initial steps without getting overwhelmed. Let’s get started!

Step 1: Navigating to Wix and Creating Your Account

The first thing you want to do is head over to Wix.com. You might naturally be inclined to click “Log In” if you think you already have an account or want to start working right away, but if you’re new, the correct button to click is actually Sign Up or Get Started.

From here, you’ll be prompted to enter your email address and create a password. This is your basic credential setup that will allow you to access your Wix dashboard and all the websites you build.

Once you’ve entered your email and password, click the Sign Up button to proceed.

Step 2: Understanding Wix’s Initial Website Setup Prompts

Right after signing up, Wix immediately tries to help you set up a website. This is where things can get a bit confusing, especially if you’re just trying to get your account ready first.

The platform will prompt you to create a website right away, but my recommendation — especially if you’re following a structured course or want to take things step-by-step — is to simply skip this part for now. You don’t need to dive into building your site immediately upon signing up.

Click the Skip button to move forward. This allows you to bypass the initial setup and get to your dashboard without committing to a website just yet.

Step 3: Dealing with Wix’s AI Website Builder Offer

Next, Wix might offer you the option to use their AI Website Builder. This is a neat feature that can help you create a custom website by answering a few questions. However, if you’re a beginner wanting to learn the basics and understand the process yourself, this step is not necessary at this point.

Instead, choose Set Up Without Chat or the equivalent option to skip the AI setup and continue manually.

This keeps things simple and lets you control when and how you want to build your website, rather than jumping into an automated process that might not fit your needs right now.

Step 4: Skipping the Website Type Selection

After bypassing the AI setup, Wix will ask you what kind of website you want to create — whether it’s for a business, portfolio, blog, or something else.

Again, if you’re just setting up your account and not ready to build your website, simply click Skip. This will let you move ahead without making any commitments.

Step 5: Waiting for Your Wix Dashboard to Prepare

Once you’ve skipped all the setup prompts, Wix will take a moment to prepare your dashboard. This is where all your websites will be managed.

Here’s an important point to understand: Wix requires you to have at least one website attached to your account. This is why it initially pushes you to create a site during sign-up — it’s a technical requirement for the account setup.

However, you don’t need to design or publish this site immediately. You can create a site just to fulfill this requirement and then skip or exit the creation process for now.

Step 6: Skipping Website Creation Prompts

Wix will give you one last chance to set up your website right after preparing your dashboard. At this point, simply click Skip or close the prompts (using the “X” button) repeatedly until you see the option to continue to your dashboard.

Once you do this, you’ll finally reach your Wix dashboard — the control center for all your websites.

Step 7: Understanding Your Wix Dashboard and Managing Multiple Sites

The Wix dashboard is a powerful tool that lets you manage multiple websites from one place. One of the great things about Wix is that you can have as many sites as you want in your dashboard without paying for all of them.

Only when you decide to upgrade a site to premium will you start paying. This means you can create multiple sites, experiment, and build without any pressure to pay upfront.

When I create websites, I usually set them up in Wix, keep them in the dashboard, and only upgrade to premium when I’m ready to launch or when I need premium features behind the scenes.

Step 8: What’s Next After Setting Up Your Account?

Now that you’ve successfully set up your Wix account and understand how to navigate the dashboard, the next step is to start creating your first site.

In the upcoming tutorials, we’ll go through:

How to create a new site from scratch
Understanding Wix’s editor interface
Customizing your site’s design and functionality
Publishing your site and connecting a domain

For now, take a moment to explore your dashboard, get comfortable with the layout, and know that you can always return to the setup process when you’re ready.

Summary: Key Tips for Setting Up Your Wix Account

Sign up by clicking “Sign Up” or “Get Started,” not “Log In.”
Skip all website creation prompts initially. You don’t have to build your site immediately.
Choose to set up without AI chat. This gives you more control over your site’s design.
Understand that Wix requires at least one website on your account, but you can skip actual creation for now.
Use your dashboard to manage multiple sites easily. Only upgrade to premium when necessary.

By following these steps, you’ll avoid the common confusion many beginners face and be set up for success as you start your website-building journey with Wix.

Stay tuned for the next tutorial where we’ll dive into creating your first site and mastering the Wix editor!