Category: Development

Anthropic provides insights into the ‘AI biology’ of Claude

Anthropic has provided a more detailed look into the complex inner workings of their advanced language model, Claude. This work aims to demystify how these sophisticated AI systems process information, learn strategies, and ultimately generate human-like text. As the researchers initially highlighted, the internal processes of…

Gemini 2.5: Google cooks up its ‘most intelligent’ AI model to date

Gemini 2.5 is being hailed by Google DeepMind as its “most intelligent AI model” to date. The first model from this latest generation is an experimental version of Gemini 2.5 Pro, which DeepMind says has achieved state-of-the-art results across a wide range of benchmarks. According to…

40+ High-Resolution Packs of Free Textures for Designers — Speckyboy

The number of options, directions, and aesthetic approaches you can take from simply adding a texture to your work is mind-boggling. Of course, not every design, photo, or video benefits from even the most subtle of textures, but you might be surprised at how a high-resolution texture can bring a design to life.

Knowing when to use a texture and which texture to use comes down to the flow of the design and the priority of information on the page. It is a good idea to keep certain textures in mind while working on a project, but don’t finalize them until you’ve seen the design as a whole.

Texture selection can be an involved and time-consuming process. Firstly, you have to search for that particular texture your design needs, and secondly, you have to test and tweak it to discover the one that actually works.

It is that search process we aim to help you with. We have a huge selection of free high-resolution textures for you today that are just shouting out for use in your next project.

Free Paper Textures

10 Ripped Paper Texture Set

5 Glued Paper Textures

16 Free Vintage Paper Textures

10 Free Marble Paper Textures

Free Dirt & Grit Textures

18 Free Grit Textures

Vintage Grit Textures

In AI, EPS & PNG Formats

10 Free Dust & Dirt Overlay Textures

Free Vintage & Retro Textures

8 Free Vintage Textures

10 Vintage Halftone Textures

In EPS & PNG Formats

10 Vintage Noise Animated Textures

12 Film Dust Vintage Grunge Textures

24 Authentic 1930s Vintage Postcard Textures

Free Grunge Textures

24 Free Grunge Textures

10 Free Digital Grunge Textures

5 Subtle Grunge Vectors

10 Free White Subtle Grunge Textures

Free Grain & Noise Textures

20 Subtle Grain Textures

10 Film Grain Textures

5 Photocopy Noise Textures

Free Abstract & Fractal Textures

10 Vivid Gradient Abstract Textures

8 Free Ethnic Abstract Textures

8 Free Abstract Watercolor Textures

5 Holographic Textures

18 High-Resolution Fractal Textures

Free Stone & Concrete Textures

20 Stone Wall Textures

In Photoshop PSD Format

Vector Concrete Texture Pack

5 High-Resolution Brick & Tile Textures

10 Old Wall Textures

10 Marble Textures

In EPS & PNG Formats

10 Free Concrete Textures

Free Metallic Textures

9 High-Resolution Metal Surface Textures

Free Paint & Graffiti Textures

Free Artistic Paint Textures

14 High-Resolution Graffiti Textures

16 Free Sprayed Vector Texture

Free Wood Textures

5 Free High-Resolution Wood Textures

12 Organic Textures

In PSD & AI Formats

20 Organic Vector Textures

10 Free Withered Wood Textures

Free Wood & Paint Textures

Free Fabric Textures

9 High-Resolution Fabric Texture Pack

25 Denim Textures

6 Free High-Resolution Fabric Textures

Free Black & White Textures

Black & White Seamless Textures

Free Miscellaneous Textures

100 Fire & Flame 4K Textures

Seamless Vector Textures

10 Chalk Textures

In AI, EPS & PNG Formats

7 Plastic Textures

Textures in Your Workflow

Once you’ve found the perfect textures, integrating them is a straightforward process. Most photo and video applications allows you to overlay textures onto your artwork. You can then adjust their opacity and blending modes to achieve the desired effect.

Remember to consider the context of your project when choosing textures. Whether you’re creating a vintage poster, a modern website, or an artistic masterpiece, textures can be your trusty companions on the creative journey.

By understanding the role of textures and experimenting with their application, you can breathe life into your work and engage your audience on a whole new level.

While it is true that you can use very subtle, unobtrusive textures, you should also keep in mind that some textures can draw the eye more than just a solid color. This means that it’s best practice to use textures that create contrast and highlight areas of the page that are important.

More Free Texture Packs

Why a Modular Approach Is Better for WordPress Development — Speckyboy

We have the power to bend WordPress to our will. A little (or a lot) of custom code can make the content management system (CMS) do more. The sky’s the limit when it comes to functionality.

That’s quite a magic wand in our pockets. However, it does bring up a few key questions.

Do we go big when building plugins and themes for WordPress? Do we add all the bells and whistles and account for every potential use case? Or do we aim for the bare minimum – just enough to serve our needs?

I prefer the latter approach – start small and adapt as needed. That minimizes bloat and saves on future maintenance. It’s a hard-learned lesson.

The elephant in the room is that our needs tend to change. The plugin that once did the job may no longer do enough, while the theme that helped us achieve one look may not be flexible enough to adapt to a new one.

This is where a modular approach to development is valuable. It’s all about building to suit your current needs while planning for the future. Change is inevitable – so why not account for it now?

Let’s explore this different way to do WordPress development. We’ll cover the basics of what it is, how it looks, and how it benefits your workflow.

First, Consider Your Short-Term Goals

It’s easy to go down a rabbit hole during a development project. The finished plugin or theme might not resemble the idea you started with. We get sidetracked by shiny features and the quest to deliver more than advertised.

Our intent is noble. However, we also complicate our project by straying from the initial plan. Did we build something sustainable? How will we manage the code a year from now?

There’s a danger in going too big, too soon. For one, it can lead to sloppy code and structure. The impacts can be felt in performance and security. You could miss something important while attempting to squeeze more into your project’s timeline.

In addition, half-baked features could be a pain to work with down the road. Poor structure means bolting on additions or (gasp) ripping things apart and starting from scratch.

To avoid this fate, consider your short-term goals. Ask yourself:

What are the minimum requirements for the project?
What features do I need now?
How much time do I have to build this?
How much testing will I need to do?

The idea is to focus on what you need to achieve in the time you have. Anything beyond that can probably wait.

Get Organized to Prepare for the Future

The websites we build will evolve. Clients change their mind or have something new to offer. WordPress and the underlying technology of our sites also move forward.

That impacts our custom plugins and themes. There will likely be new features to add or changes to existing ones. It’s all part of the development lifecycle.

Using a modular approach helps when it’s time for a change. The first step is to get organized. Having a sound structure allows you to build logically and efficiently.

The WordPress developer documentation gives you a head start by outlining plugin and theme structure. Following these guidelines ensures a sustainable start to your project. That’s better than reorganizing a messy jumble of files and code.

For example, here’s the suggested plugin structure:

/plugin-name
     plugin-name.php
     uninstall.php
     /languages
     /includes
     /admin
          /js
          /css
          /images
     /public
          /js
          /css
          /images

The ability to pick up where you left off is priceless. If you haven’t worked on that custom plugin for a few years, you might have difficulty remembering what you did and where things are. A well-organized plugin removes some of the guesswork.

Adding comments to your code also helps with organization. You’ll receive a high-five from your future self for documenting what each snippet does. It’s a small thing that makes a real difference.

The better your organizational skills, the easier it will be to maintain your work.

Add Plugin and Theme Features One at a Time

Sure, it would be cool if our plugin could do x, y, and z right out of the box. Perhaps that’s not realistic, given the budget and timeline. We don’t have to forget about those big ideas, though.

The priority is building something that works as intended. It should do what we outlined in our short-term goals. Once that is established, we can plan for those extra goodies.

Think of these features as items on a checklist where you can only do one at a time. Pick one, make it the best you can, and move on. That ensures your focus will be on the task at hand, rather than scrambling to fit puzzle pieces together.

Besides, trying to do all the things at once rarely works out. This is a difficult challenge for solo developers as there’s only so much time in the day. Not to mention those of us working on multiple projects.

Remember, good things take time. That’s why committing to a single task makes sense. Train your focus on one thing and do it well. The result will be improved quality and some mental clarity.

A Better Way to Build for WordPress

Every developer has a preferred workflow. We use our favorite tools and techniques to enhance our WordPress projects.

That individuality is both freeing and a bit troublesome. It’s great to write code how you want and when you want. However, a lack of foresight and organization can complicate things. It could lead to a buggy product that is a pain to maintain.

Starting with a modular approach is the cure for future chaos. Everyone benefits when every part of your plugin or theme has a place and purpose. You’ll love that you can find what you need with minimal effort. Clients and users will love that it works (even if they don’t realize it).

Writing code is challenging enough. The right approach can help you focus on getting it right.

ARC Prize launches its toughest AI benchmark yet: ARC-AGI-2

ARC Prize has launched the hardcore ARC-AGI-2 benchmark, accompanied by the announcement of their 2025 competition with $1 million in prizes. As AI progresses from performing narrow tasks to demonstrating general, adaptive intelligence, the ARC-AGI-2 challenges aim to uncover capability gaps and actively guide innovation. “Good…

How to Use AI to Build a WordPress Related Posts Plugin – Speckyboy

Artificial intelligence (AI) can elevate your development workflow to the next level. The technology can perform complex and simple tasks – saving you time and increasing your earning power.

Nowhere is that more evident than in AI’s ability to write code. You tell your favorite tool what to do, and it generates the code. This is a boon to WordPress developers as you can create custom plugins with less effort. It’s like having an expert at your side.

That all sounds wonderful. But how does AI help developers in real-world scenarios? Is it capable of generating a decent solution without too much trouble? Let’s find out!

We’ll attempt to build a simple related posts plugin to give you a taste of what’s possible. We don’t expect it to compete with a commercial product. However, we hope to generate a functional piece of code; one that can be enhanced as needed.

What Do We Want Our Plugin to Do?

AI is powerful – but it can’t read our minds just yet. Thus, we should think about what we want to build beforehand. A well-defined prompt will produce better results.

Like any development project, it’s better to start with the basics. With that in mind, let’s consider the core functions of a related posts plugin. It should:

Scan the current post’s metadata, including categories and tags;
Search the site’s database for other posts with similar metadata;
Display links to a specified number of related posts at the bottom of the current post;

The idea is to build a plugin that performs these tasks – and nothing else. Once that is established, you can add more bells and whistles.

Let’s Get To Work

It’s time to see how much effort it takes for AI to produce our plugin. We’ll use ChatGPT for this exercise, but you can use the tool you like best.

We’ll test our plugin on a local site with a selection of Speckyboy posts we’ve imported. The content spans several WordPress taxonomies (categories and tags). It should show us how well the plugin connects the dots (or doesn’t).

Step 1: Write a Prompt

Here’s our prompt to ChatGPT that covers the basics outlined above:

Create a WordPress plugin that displays posts related to the current one. It should do the following:

- Check the categories and tags assigned to the current post;
- Search the site's database for other posts with similar metadata;
- Display links to 4 related posts at the bottom of the current one;

Within a couple of minutes, ChatGPT generates a related posts plugin. Here’s what it tells us about the code:

Here's a WordPress plugin that displays related posts based on shared categories and tags. It retrieves up to four related posts and displays them at the bottom of the current post. The plugin uses `WP_Query` to fetch related posts efficiently.

This plugin fetches and displays related posts by:

1. Checking the current post's categories and tags.
2. Querying the database for other posts with matching categories or tags.
3. Displaying up to four related posts at the bottom of the content.

Step 2: Review the Code

Now, let’s do a quick review of the plugin’s code. That allows us to see what it does and spot any potential issues.

Note that we made a few adjustments to the plugin header to match the desired name and author info. In retrospect, we could have asked ChatGPT to add this. Thankfully, the changes are minimal.

Regardless, here’s our code. We’ll highlight a few items of interest below.

A Bit of Security: The first thing we’ll highlight is a line dedicated to security:

if (!defined('ABSPATH')) exit; // Exit if accessed directly

This code prevents someone from directly accessing the plugin file. It’s a bit of obfuscation that helps protect your website.

Query Our Blog Posts:

$args = [
 'post_type'      => 'post',
 'post_status'    => 'publish',
 'posts_per_page' => 4,
 'post__not_in'   => [$post_id],
 'orderby'        => 'rand',
 'tax_query'      => [
 'relation' => 'OR',
 ]
 ];

Here are the arguments for our WordPress post query. This snippet tells our plugin to look in the 'post' post type and choose four related posts. It uses the post_not_in argument to ensure the current post isn’t included in the query. The orderby argument is set to 'rand' to select related posts randomly.

Search Categories and Tags:

if (!empty($categories)) {
 $args['tax_query'][] = [
 'taxonomy' => 'category',
 'field'    => 'term_id',
 'terms'    => $categories,
 ];
 }
 
 if (!empty($tags)) {
 $args['tax_query'][] = [
 'taxonomy' => 'post_tag',
 'field'    => 'term_id',
 'terms'    => $tags,
 ];
 }

This snippet tells our plugin to look for posts using the same categories or tags as the current post.

Format the Related Posts List:

$output = '<div class="related-posts"><h3>Related Posts</h3><ul>';
 foreach ($related_posts as $related) {
 $output .= '<li><a target="_blank" href="' . get_permalink($related->ID) . '">' . esc_html(get_the_title($related->ID)) . '</a></li>';
 }
 $output .= '</ul></div>';

The plugin will output an unordered list of related posts. Each post’s link and title will be displayed. Notice the use of esc_html() to sanitize the title. That prevents any potentially dangerous code from executing.

Display at the Bottom of the Current Post:

 return $content . $output;
}
add_filter('the_content', 'rpd_display_related_posts');

Lastly, this snippet ensures the related post list displays at the bottom of the current post via the_content filter.

Step 3: Install and Activate the Plugin

Everything looks good so far. Next, we’ll copy the code generated by ChatGPT and place it in a file called speckyboy-related-posts.php. We’ll upload the file to the /wp-content/plugins/ folder on the test site. Finally, we’ll activate the plugin.

The plugin doesn’t produce any PHP errors, and our site didn’t break. We’ll consider that a victory!

Does Our Related Posts Plugin Work?

OK, we generated a plugin and installed it on our test site. It’s time to see if it works as intended.

To check, we’ll navigate to a blog post and hope a related posts list displays at the bottom:

Success! The plugin works well at first glance. There’s an unordered list of four related posts in the correct spot. Clicking each post reveals it shares a category and/or tag with the current post.

And the good news keeps on coming. Checking subsequent posts shows positive results. One or more taxonomies consistently match the current post. It may not be fancy, but it does the job!

We did notice an unintended side effect. Remember, our plugin chooses related posts randomly. Thus, refreshing the current post loads a fresh list at the bottom. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. It might benefit content-heavy sites, as it always gives readers something unique.

Finding the unexpected is part of the testing process. It’s an opportunity to refine and improve our plugin.

Taking Our Plugin to the Next Level

Our plugin works as expected and provides a solid foundation. But development doesn’t have to stop there. We can always add more features and advanced functionality.

We have a few ideas that could take this little related posts plugin to the next level:

Narrow the Scope of Related Posts

The current iteration looks for related posts that match a category and/or tag of the current one. That might be too broad for some use cases. Narrowing the scope of the search makes sense in this case.

We could limit matches to tags or even try to match keywords in the current post’s title. That could produce more relevant results. The downside? A more complicated search might mean a performance hit.

Improve Layout and Styling

The unordered list displayed by our base plugin is simple and accessible. There’s room for improvement, though.

For one, we could ask ChatGPT to create a card layout. That would look nice and neat on just about every site. In addition, we could add more post metadata such as featured images, publication dates, and excerpts.

A little CSS could also go a long way toward making the output look more professional. Hover effects would add some polish to the presentation.

Add a Settings Page

Our plugin has no settings. Adding a settings page could make it more flexible, though. A user might want to tweak several aspects of the plugin, including:

The number of related posts retrieved;
The post type(s) that should display related posts;
The criteria for related posts (taxonomies, keywords, etc.);
Posts or taxonomies to exclude;

It would be nice to have. However, plugin settings would also add a layer of complexity. Options must be saved to and retrieved from the site’s database. Plus, allowing user input comes with extra security responsibilities. That may not be desirable in every situation.

It’s a reminder to think about the consequences of each feature we add. Just because AI can do it, doesn’t mean we should ask!

AI Makes Building Plugins Easier Than Ever

It’s amazing to think about the speed at which AI produced our plugin. We went from a concept to a working prototype in about 10 minutes. It demonstrates the technology’s power and its level of improvement. Earlier versions of ChatGPT may not have been this efficient and accurate.

Granted, we weren’t trying to build the next WooCommerce. That’s still a bridge too far – especially when considering future maintenance and security needs.

Still, AI is adept at producing a simple plugin. Once you have that in hand, you can tweak it to your heart’s content. Adding features or making changes is a matter of writing a few prompts (or coding by hand, if you haven’t forgotten it yet).

Best of all, you can use these tools to your advantage. They’ll help you get projects done faster while expanding your development capabilities. It looks like the future is here!

Frankie Woodhead, Thrive: Why neurodiverse input is crucial for AI development – AI News

AI is shaping the future, but is it truly designed for everyone? Frankie Woodhead, chief product & technology officer at AI-powered learning management system, Thrive, argues that neurodiverse input is not just beneficial but essential for creating inclusive, ethical and effective AI systems. In this Q&A,…

Hugging Face calls for open-source focus in the AI Action Plan

Hugging Face has called on the US government to prioritise open-source development in its forthcoming AI Action Plan. In a statement to the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), Hugging Face emphasised that “thoughtful policy can support innovation while ensuring that AI development remains competitive,…

The 10 Best WordPress Hosting Options for Bloggers in 2025 – Speckyboy

Choosing a WordPress host is one of the biggest decisions a blogger can make. The right choice depends on what you, as a blogger, need. Publishing new content and pricing are very important, but so are speed, storage, support, and security, so they need to be considered.

Every host in this collection meets the needs of WordPress bloggers. They all offer managed WordPress hosting, built-in caching, daily backups, strong security, and easy-to-use dashboards.

Each provider answered a series of blogger-related questions (see the questions at the bottom of this page) that cover performance, pricing, migrations, uptime, user-friendliness, and many more features. So, this isn’t a review of personal experiences, as each host is ranked based on their answers and the needs of WordPress bloggers.

Pricing changes over time, so picking a host should start with features, not price. Some plans cost less but limit traffic or storage, while others charge more but include unlimited traffic or premium support. Bloggers should assess their needs first and then compare costs.

Whether running a small personal blog or a growing content site, the right host makes managing WordPress easier, keeps visitors coming back, and gives you the peace of mind to write your content without worrying about your WordPress installation.

10+ Best AI & Professional Tools For 2025 (Free & Paid) – Speckyboy

A well-designed website isn’t just about words and visuals. It’s about efficiency, responsiveness, and seamless user experience. Without these elements, even the best content can fall flat.

Today’s designers must juggle creativity, functionality, and performance while keeping up with evolving tools and technologies. AI-powered and professional-grade tools can simplify this process, helping you work smarter and deliver high-quality results – without unnecessary friction.

The challenge? The sheer number of design tools available is overwhelming, making it difficult to pinpoint the ones that genuinely enhance your workflow. That’s why we’ve done the heavy lifting for you.

In this guide, we highlight 14 top-tier AI and professional tools that will streamline your design process, boost efficiency, and unlock new creative possibilities in 2025.

From Brizy AI and Mobirise AI for fast website generation to Slider Revolution for stunning animations and WoodMart for high-performance eCommerce, these tools cover a wide spectrum of web design essentials.

Explore the Tools That Match Your Workflow

If you’re curious about AI-powered design, try an AI website builder. Not as a replacement for your creativity, but as a way to speed up ideation and prototyping.

If you manage bookings or client scheduling, automation tools like Trafft and Amelia can eliminate repetitive tasks.

And if you want to take your visuals to the next level, LayerSlider and Essential Grid provide the advanced customization and interactivity you need.

What These Tools Bring to Your Design Workflow

AI-Driven Efficiency: Builders like Brizy AI and Mobirise AI generate site structures instantly, offering customizable templates at lightning speed.
Time-Saving Automation: Trafft and Amelia automate appointment bookings, while WhatFontis quickly identifies fonts, saving designers hours of searching.
Responsive & Scalable Design: Betheme, wpDataTables, and Blocksy ensure designs look flawless across all devices and screen sizes.
Customization Without Limits: Whether you need drag-and-drop flexibility (like in Slider Revolution) or advanced WooCommerce integrations (WoodMart), these tools let you tailor every detail to fit your vision.
Seamless Integration: These tools work smoothly alongside your existing stack, ensuring compatibility with WordPress, WooCommerce, and other major platforms.

Start Exploring

Browse through the descriptions of these AI and professional tools below. Or, jump straight to the ones that match your design and development needs.

However you work, these carefully selected tools will help boost your productivity, creativity, and efficiency in 2025 and beyond.

In Short: In seconds, Brizy AI can deliver a polished website that’s ready to be customized, drastically reducing design time in the process.

Click anywhere on the video to see this builder live.

You can get a website design off to a good start in 60 seconds or less when you have Brizy AI’s Powered website generation capability at your fingertips. Feed Brizy AI with basic information about your proposed design, and a few prompts later, you should have a website design that’s ready to customize.

Wondering what to do next? Demos such as Work Collaboration can give you some good ideas.

• Update Frequency: New demos are released monthly.

• Popular Brizy AI Features Include:

AI-Powered Regeneration: regenerate entire pages or individual elements – design and copy – with AI.
Google My Business Integration: Makes it easy for users to connect their Google profile to their website.
Seamless Integration: AI features are integrated into the website builder, a natural extension of the design process.
White Label AI Builder: A powerful service where developers can offer clients top-tier, fully branded technology.

• Rating: 4.1 out of 5 on Trustpilot, 4.5 out of 5 on G2, 4.6 out of 5 on Capterra.

• Client Feedback: “I love how simple Brizy is to use. I’ve used various platforms and web builders in the past, and Brizy gives a sense of ‘powerful customization with ease!’ It feels like a basic web builder with outstanding results.” – G2 review.

See the Theme in Action

In Short: Trafft’s White Label option allows users to fully customize the platform with their own logo, brand colors, and domain name, ensuring a seamless and consistent brand experience for their clients.

Click anywhere on the video to see this booking software live.

Trafft provides both clients and customers with a smooth booking experience by automating an entire appointment booking process. Trafft’s booking software helps businesses save time and reduce administrative tasks. Trafft users can download the Barbershop demo for some great ideas on how to create attractive customer-friendly booking pages.

• Specific Trafft Features Include:

White Label Option: With white labeling, the Trafft brand remains completely invisible, making it appear as if the booking solution is an in-house, custom-built tool.
Multi-location/ Multi-service support: Users can manage appointments and schedules at multiple locations from a single platform.
Chatbox: Trafft’s AI Chatbot actively interacts with customers, automates booking requests, rescheduling, and cancellations, and provides instant answers to common inquiries – 24/7.

• Rating: 4.9 out of 5 on Capterra.

• Client Feedback: “Trafft has their trip together. The company regularly updates and expands their offer. Support answers questions via chat or email – quite a luxury these days. Four stars because it took me some time to understand the internal logic of the app: which options are where. It is mainly meant for companies who have employees, but as a solopreneur I have found my way.”

See the Plugin in Action

In Short: Mobirise AI is noted for its simplicity, multiple templates and website blocks to choose among, its ease of use, and its free use.

Click anywhere on the video to see this website builder live.

In addition to providing you with the ability to significantly speed up your web design workflows through the use of AI technology the selection of Mobirise AI demos, like the very interesting AI Marketing Assistant, offers some useful hints on how to build a better website.

The quickest way to learn more about Mobirise AI is to visit the website. You won’t encounter a list of features, not even an “About Us” page. Instead, you are invited to give a very brief description of a proposed website. Stand back and see the results!

• Mobirise AI can create entire pages or multi-page examples using prompts, for example:

Try “Choosing the Right Tools for Designing a Quality Website.”
Hit “Prompt”.
Enter your email when prompted to receive a password to open a free Mobirise AI account.
Receive several pages of content that provide an outline of possible subject matter.
Following the final page, you’ll receive more information on building an AI-generated website.
Multiple website blocks and templates to choose to make Mobirise AI exceptionally easy to work with.

• Update Frequency: Monthly demo releases.

See the Builder in Action

In Short: Amelia offers customers a streamlined and convenient booking experience that enables businesses to bundle multiple services into cohesive packages while tailoring the software to their specific needs.

Click anywhere on the video to see this booking plugin live.

Automate your appointment booking and scheduling operation with Amelia and you will immediately notice a significant reduction in administrative tasks. Not long after that, the many benefits of providing all parties concerned with a smooth and friendly booking experience will become apparent. Amelia’s Scott Stevens Photography Portfolio demo shows what an engaging booking or signup page could look like.

Amelia is ideal for services-oriented businesses and agencies.

• Special Features Include:

A friendly UX: ensures quick system navigation for setting schedules and making and managing appointments.
Automated appointment and event booking that pleases clients and reduces the administrative burden on staff by managing appointments efficiently.
Customizing tools and options that allow businesses to tailor notifications to fit their brand.

• Rating: 4.9 out of 5 on Capterra.

• Client Feedback: “I am currently launching a new website which required an online booking system. After lots of research I decided to go with Amelia. I’m finding it really good and fairly easy to use. During the configuration stage, I have submitted lots of tickets to which all have been responded to. I have given it 4/5 as I think it has all the functionality I need.”

See the Plugin in Action

In Short: MapSVG has an advanced map editing feature with options that make it an ideal choice for any project requiring high-quality, informative maps.

Click anywhere on the video to see this map editing plugin live.

MapSVG’s customizable templates are flawlessly integrated with its embedded database and its variety of map types. These customizable templates, working in concert with the database and MapSVG’s advanced map editor with its many options, allow users to create information windows of whatever complexity they deem necessary to meet their requirements.

• Specific Features Include:

Enriched data visualization: MapSVG users can create multi-colored maps that use different colors to represent specific values in different areas in the map.
Store locator map: A business that has multiple stores throughout a given area or around the world can locate them on a map.
Land plot maps: Real estate agencies can gain an advantage when they have the ability to quickly and easily display land plots on a map.
AI Assisted Live Chat: Users can benefit from MapSVG’s Live Chat feature. The chat has an AI assistant that can answer all the basic questions. Live Chat is available 24/7.

• Customer Rating: 4.5

See the Map Editor in Action

In Short: Betheme is known for its more than 70 website-building tools, including BeBuilder, and its selection of 700+ responsive and customizable pre-built websites.

Click anywhere on the video to see this template live.

With Be Builder, WooBuilder, or one of Betheme’s pre-built websites, you can quickly build virtually any type of website for any niche. You can also create websites from scratch without coding since Betheme has the features you need to make that possible.

Most users like to get started with a customizable and responsive pre-built website. If you want color, animation, and counting in your website pages Betheme’s Be Lottie example with its Be’s Lottie Animation feature will help you get off to a great start.

Betheme is well known for its impressive selection of website building tools, aids, and options that include:

Be Builder: Be Builder has been completely rewritten and is faster and more efficient than ever.
Layouts configurator: For portfolio, blog, and shop pages. Build custom layouts and assign them easily for specific pages.
Parallax effect: Create stunning & modern pages with a smooth parallax effect that everyone will love.
WooBuilder: The WooBuilder, together with 40+ WooCommerce demos makes creating an online store fast and easy.
Elementor ready: Betheme is fully compatible with Elementor with over 30 unique elements and 120+ dedicated pre-built websites.

• Update Frequency: New demos are released monthly.

See the Theme in Action

In Short: Upload any font image (including a Google font), wait >10 seconds, and the font will be identified with 90% accuracy.

Click anywhere on the video to see this font identifier live.

WhatFontis is used by designers who are paid for their work and creative types and others who work for fun. In addition to having a huge 50,000 daily users, WhatFontis is also the world’s largest free and commercial font identifier.

• Working with WhatFontis involves:

Font Identification: From its database containing roughly one million fonts, WhatFontis is capable of identifying free and commercial fonts and identifying fonts across all foundries, including Google fonts. Note that WhatFontis identifies fonts, it does not offer or provide them.
Extreme user-friendliness: With a Chrome extension, it is simply a matter of right-clicking on a text image and uploading it for font identification.
Fast response: A list identifying 60 of the closest matching fonts will be provided in 10 seconds or less. The system can even list 10 similar free fonts for every commercial font.
Accuracy: More than 90% of submitted fonts are accurately identified. The WhatFontis community can often help to identify some of the remaining 10%.
AI: AI ensures that the system is quickly able to identify a font.

• Update Frequency: New fonts are incorporated for identification regularly.

See the Font Identifier in Action

In Short: LayerSlider empowers its users to design anything and everything from sleek sliders and captivating slideshows to interactive popups and dynamic, animated web content.

Click anywhere on the video to see this plugin live.

Not all that long ago, LayerSlider became the best known premier slider plugin. LayerSlider has since transformed itself into a creative tool for WordPress, the ultimate creative tool according to many. With LayerSlider, you can turn a design idea into a stunning, visitor-engaging work of art.

LayerSlider’s extensive template library showcases the endless creative possibilities at your fingertips. The Sculptor demo, for example, features an impressive combination of smooth scrolling effects, dynamic layering, and visually captivating animations.

• Key LayerSlider Features Include:

Project Editor: With real-time live preview, intuitive drag-and-drop editing, advanced layer animations, and seamless access to online services, the Project Editor provides a complete toolkit for visual content creation.
Advanced Add-Ons: LayerSlider’s selection of advanced add-ons enhances its user’s ability to meet diverse project needs. Custom 404 pages & Maintenance Mode are particularly popular.
Marketing Popups & Banners: It is easy to create animated popups and banner content for marketing purposes in mere minutes.

• Update Frequency: Yes, typically every two weeks.

• Client Feedback: “I’m no coder, but LayerSlider made it so easy to create professional-looking animations. My website looks 10x better now!”

See the Slider Plugin in Action

In Short: wpDataTables is perfect for those tasked with managing large amounts of complex data from diverse sources and presenting the findings in informative tables and/or charts.

Click anywhere on the video to see this data management plugin live.

The integration of WooCommerce into wpDataTables enables users to create easily customizable product tables. This top feature provides tools needed to manage product listings, display variable product options, filter and sort products, and apply frequently used customer-centric actions.

Demos reflecting these capabilities are a popular addition to the wpDataTables user toolkit. Cycle Shop is one example of the usefulness these demos can be to web designers.

A list of the most important wpDataTables features could take up an entire page. Those that become readily apparent to wpDataTables users for the first time include:

Robust Filtering, Sorting, & Search Options: These options make it easy for users to explore and analyze data.
Multiple Database Connections: This feature enables users to aggregate, manage, and display data from diverse sources.
Large Dataset Handling: wpDataTables easily manages thousands or millions of rows of data with ease.

• Rating: 4.6 out of 5 on WordPress

• Client Feedback: “wpDataTables is an amazing plugin. I am constantly using this plugin on my site. The features allow me to quickly create attractive tables, including from central data sources. I have hundreds of data tables, many of which are linked to Google Sheets.”

See the Plugin in Action

In Short: With Blocksy you’ll find an extensive number of features, a large number indeed, for a free version, making it easy to determine if it’s the right version for you.

Click anywhere on the video to see this template live.

With its speed, lightweight design, and extensive customization options, Blocksy could be exactly what you need to create your online store. Because of Blocksy’s deep integration with WooCommerce, you won’t be loaded down with plugins to achieve the functionality you are looking for, and demos like the e-Bike starter site available to Blocksy Pro subscribers, can get your site-building project off to a rapid start.

• Update Frequency: New demos are released monthly.

• Key features include:

The Content Blocks feature: a powerful feature that lets you insert content anywhere in your website at any time.
The Header and Footer Builder: Each header element in Blocksy is meticulously designed to offer a wide range of customization options.
Client Specific features: include hooks, actions, and filters for developers, popup builders for marketers, and custom templates for designers.
WooCommerce General Menu: helps users find options for customizing online store accounts, checkout and cart pages, and Shop Extra extensions.

• Rating: 5 out of 5 (based on 847 reviews).

• Client Feedback: “The plugin has everything I need for a publishing website. It is highly adaptable and offers a multitude of solutions beyond what initially appears. The support provided was prompt, concise, and extremely helpful.”

See the Theme in Action

In Short: Slider Revolution’s fully customizable visual effects and animations allow beginners and professionals to create website designs that range from quite attractive to absolutely mind-blowing.

Click anywhere on the video to see this plugin live.

Slider Revolution will be a welcome addition to your design toolkit, whether you are creating new websites or upgrading existing ones. The plugin’s combination of full customizability of visual effects and animations enables professional designers to create mind-blowing visual effects. First-time users will also do just fine, perhaps with a little help from a demo like the Electronic Deals Extravaganza.

• Clients Love These Specific Features:

Developers: Developers are offered motivating approaches to content creation.
Marketers: Slider Revolution gives Marketers full control over their marketing content.
Web Designers: Designers can create new and innovative designs that stand out from the pack.
Developers: Developers are provided with exciting approaches to content creation.

• Update Frequency: Monthly.

• Client Feedback: “I remember Slider Revolution stood out straight away as being one of the coolest plugins visually. But obviously, there was a fee. So, I went down the route of looking at some cheaper or free ones. But putting our visuals together with them didn’t look great. I remember it looked good in the plugin, but when it went live, I was like, ‘Oh, that looks a bit cheap’. So, I went back to Slider Revolution at that point.”

See the Plugin in Action

In Short: Essential Grid saves you time while helping you create any responsive gallery layout you envision.

Click anywhere on the video to see this plugin live.

Essential Grid’s top feature is its collection of 50+ customizable templates. You are likely to find exactly what you need in this selection, but if not, you can put Essential Grid’s visual skin editor to good use to create the layout you have in mind.

Essential grid is a great destination for designers of blogs, portfolios, and galleries. A well-chosen layout with special effects can produce results like those shown in Essential Grids Grant Fuhr blog grid for WordPress demo, to results that can be absolutely mind blowing.

• Special features include:

A Drag and Drop Builder: when you are tasked with building a gallery in minutes.
Coding: For those (most of you) who are not in the business of building things from scratch, you can create any gallery design you have in mind without writing any code.
Grid Layouts: Impressive, even masonry and cobble layouts are available and typically suffice, but you can always design your own.

• Rating: 4.85 out of 5 on Trustpilot

• Client Feedback: “Rashid is the reason! He did an amazing job keeping me informed as to the progress of my ticket issue. He also was successful in fixing the problem quickly!”

See the Gallery Plugin in Action

In Short: Hongo is a Shopify AI-powered theme that is ideal for any type of business that features a product line or services.

Click anywhere on the video to see this template live.

Hongo’s most popular features are its customization options, although users will tell you that the theme’s overall design quality is quite impressive. Although Hongo lacks AI-specific features, its integration with Shopify gives it access to multiple Shopify AI features. This Hongo Shopify demo is an example of what Hongo can offer its users.

• Update Frequency: 2 or 3 times a year.

• Users Find the Following Features to be of Particular Value:

Product Listings: A multiplicity of creative and user-friendly product listings and product details are available to choose from and implement.
Mobile Bottom Navigation: This feature makes access to search, shop, and cart easily accessible.

• Client feedback: “I recently purchased this theme, and I am really happy with it. It is really a good investment for the price. There are a lot of customization options, features that are not found on other themes and allows you to have a really professional online store. The few problems I had were resolved quickly by the support who responds quickly. It is the best theme I have been able to use so far.”

See the Theme in Action

In Short: WoodMart users love the selection of high-quality demo websites and well-structured design options to work with.

Click anywhere on the video to see this template live.

There’s a Woodmart demo that can help you with any website niche you plan to design. The WoodMart Landing Gadget demo’s appealing yet straightforward layout can be customized to display any product group. All that’s required of you is to have your own content ready, and away you go!

WoodMart excels in projects involving smaller stores, multi-vendor marketplaces, high-volume stores, and creating innovative storefronts. Since it is a WooCommerce theme, you won’t need to search for plugins to help you create your store.

Update Frequency: Monthly

• Key features include:

Custom Shop Layout Builder: This builder is loaded with client-specific and customer-centric shop features.
Performance optimization: settings are located in the easy-to-navigate Theme Settings feature.
Support: The Woodmart team is ready and willing to go to great lengths to give you whatever assistance you may need.
White Label: There is a White Label option for developers.

• Rating: 4.95 out of 5.

See the Theme in Action

After exploring this curated list of top AI-driven and professional website-building tools, did you find one (or more) that could elevate your work in 2025?

Striking the perfect balance between creativity and functionality is no small feat – especially with an overwhelming number of tools available. That’s why we’ve narrowed it down to 14 standout options, each carefully selected to help you design and build with greater efficiency and impact.

Why These Tools Matter:

Innovation: AI-driven tools leverage smart prompts to streamline website creation and enhance workflows.
Responsive Design: Build layouts effortlessly optimized for mobile, tablet, and desktop experiences.
Efficiency Boosters: Automate tedious tasks, speed up production, and reduce costs.
Seamless Integrations: Enjoy smooth compatibility between themes, plugins, and design systems.
Limitless Customization: Tailor every detail to align with brand identity and project goals.

Take the next step – dive deeper into the tools that caught your eye, explore their capabilities, and see firsthand how they can refine your design process. Whether you’re looking for automation, flexibility, or cutting-edge AI assistance, these tools are here to push your creative potential further than ever.

Quick Recap

AI/Professional Tool	Description	Top Feature
Brizy AI	Makes excellent use of AI to help design and build websites.	AI prompts provide a quick way to get an online business up and running.
Trafft Booking Software	Automated appointment booking operations plugin.	An AI Chatbot serves to streamline the appointment booking and scheduling process.
Mobirise AI	Generate website pages with the help of AI.	Creates one or more entire pages using prompts.
Amelia Booking Plugin	Appointment and event booking plugin	The “packages” feature enables businesses to bundle services.
MapSVG Mapping Plugin	Mapping plugin with innovative map editing features.	Flexibility and 24/7 AI assisted support.
Betheme	Multipurpose WordPress and WooCommerce theme.	Live Builder, 700+ customizable pre-built websites, and 70+ additional design tools and options.
WhatFontis	Fast font identifying service.	Accurately identifies a font image in < 10 seconds.
LayerSlider Plugin	Content-creating tool for upgrading website designs.	Design tools and functions are placed up front, where you expect them to be.
wpDataTables Plugin	Data management and chart and table building plugin.	Users can manage and display data from diverse sources.
Blocksy WooCommerce Theme	Fast multipurpose theme	Hooks that allow content insertion anywhere in a website.
Slider Revolution Plugin	#1 plugin for creating special effects.	Top-selling plugin for creating stunning visual effects.
Essential Grid Gallery Plugin	Gallery layout plugin	50+ carefully crafted grid skins
Hongo Shopify Theme	Fast Shopify-based theme	Customization options and superior design quality.
WoodMart WooCommerce Theme	Premier small store and storefront builder	Custom layouts builder

With resources like these in your design toolkit, you should be well-equipped to tackle any design challenge you face in 2025 with confidence.

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Let’s Get To Work

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Step 3: Install and Activate the Plugin

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