How do I add a CMS to a website built with Lovable, Bolt, v0, or Cursor?

You send the finished website to your client. They look through it and ask, "Can I change the text on this page myself?"

It is a fair question. Unfortunately, the answer is often no.

The website may look complete, but its text and images are probably written directly into the files generated by Lovable, Bolt, v0, or Cursor. Updating the homepage means opening the builder, writing another prompt, checking the result, and publishing again.

That works while you are building the site. It becomes a bad handoff.

Your client should not need to understand prompts, components, databases, or deployment just to replace a photograph. They need a simple editing dashboard.

You can add one without rebuilding the website.

The short answer

Add a content management system (CMS) behind the existing website.

The website keeps its current design. The CMS stores the content your client is allowed to change. Your client signs into a separate dashboard where they can edit text, upload images, add items, and publish updates.

With Dyrected, your AI builder can handle most of the integration for you.

We have created a detailed guide with the exact prompt and checkpoints you need:

[Copy the setup prompt to add Dyrected to your AI-built website](/guide)

The guide works with Lovable, Bolt, v0, Cursor, Replit, Windsurf, and similar tools. It does not assume what kind of website you built.

Why the website is not already editable

AI website builders are designed to help you create and change a website through conversation.

You ask for a page. The tool generates the files. You ask it to change a heading or add a section. It edits those files and produces another version.

That is an effective building workflow. It is not the same as giving a client an editor.

If you give your client access to the builder, they have access to the tool that controls the entire website. A vague request such as "make this heading more exciting" could change the copy, spacing, colours, or component structure.

The client only wanted to change a sentence. They should not have to inspect a generated preview to make sure the rest of the page survived.

A CMS creates a safer boundary:

• You control the design and structure.
• Your client controls approved content.
• The AI builder handles technical changes.
• Dyrected provides the editing dashboard.

This means the client can update their content without gaining access to the machinery behind the website.

What can the client edit?

You decide.

They might be allowed to edit every page, or only a handful of frequently changing details. The right answer depends on the website.

A restaurant may need to update its menu and opening hours. A directory may need to manage listings. A school may publish notices and term dates. A software product may update documentation, announcements, or release notes.

The CMS should reflect the website that actually exists.

This is why we do not recommend starting with a generic prompt that assumes every site has pricing tiers, testimonials, team members, and frequently asked questions. That may work for a conventional marketing website, but it can produce a poor editing structure for anything else.

Our setup guide asks the AI to inspect the real website first. It identifies content that can change without affecting how the interface works. You then review its suggestions in plain language.

The AI might ask:

> Should the client be able to add more items, or only edit the ones already displayed?

You do not need to decide whether something should be a collection, global, relationship, or nested field. Dyrected and the AI tool handle those technical decisions after you approve what the client should experience.

Do I need to connect the website to a database?

You need somewhere to store the editable content, but adding a database alone does not solve the handoff problem.

A database stores information. It does not automatically give your client:

• A login
• Clearly labelled editing fields
• Image uploads
• Permissions
• Validation
• Draft and publishing controls
• Protection from structural changes

You could ask your AI builder to create all of that. You would then own another application inside the website, including its authentication, permissions, upload handling, and future maintenance.

A CMS already provides the content management layer.

Dyrected handles the content structure, admin interface, media, access rules, and API used by the website. Your AI tool connects the existing pages to it.

Will adding a CMS change the design?

It should not.

The visual components remain inside the existing website. The text, images, links, and repeatable content move into Dyrected.

Suppose the website currently has a card containing a title, description, image, and button. The card still controls the layout, font, spacing, border, and animation. Dyrected only supplies the values displayed inside it.

The client can change the title without changing its font. They can replace the image without rewriting the card. If they are allowed to manage a list, they can add another item using the same approved design.

A careless AI prompt can still rewrite more than intended. That is why our guide uses one staged prompt that requires approval before each major change instead of asking the builder to "add a CMS" in one unbounded step.

The AI first inspects the website. Then it separates content from the interface. You approve the editing plan. Only after that does it install Dyrected.

How the Dyrected setup works

The complete process has six stages.

### 1. Create a site in Dyrected

Create a Dyrected site and collect its Site ID, Site API key, and Base URL.

Your existing website stays in Lovable, Bolt, v0, Cursor, or its current hosting provider. Dyrected becomes the editing layer behind it.

### 2. Paste the setup prompt

Paste the setup prompt into the AI tool that built the website.

The AI inspects the real codebase and identifies content that a website owner may reasonably need to update. It does not invent pages or force the website into a standard marketing template.

It explains its suggestions and waits for approval before changing anything.

### 3. Approve the client editing plan

The same prompt turns the AI's findings into a plain-language plan.

You decide what the client can change, which lists they can add to, and what should remain protected. The AI then produces an approved editing plan for the installation.

### 4. Install Dyrected

When the prompt asks, provide the approved plan and your Dyrected site details.

The setup instructions send the AI to the current Dyrected documentation, check the package version, and handle the technical setup.

If the website contains many types of content, the AI works through them in small batches. It verifies each batch before continuing instead of attempting one enormous rewrite.

### 5. Test a real update

Open the generated editor and change one familiar field.

Refresh the website and confirm that the new value appears without changing the design. Test a longer heading, an empty optional field, or a differently shaped image before giving the client access.

### 6. Invite the client

Publish the updated website and invite the client as an Editor.

The client receives access to the content approved during setup. They cannot change the Dyrected configuration, content structure, permissions, or website design.

The [complete Dyrected setup guide](/guide) includes the canonical prompt, troubleshooting instructions, and a handoff checklist.

Can I use this with Lovable?

Yes.

Open the existing website in Lovable and paste the prompt from the guide into the project chat. It tells Lovable to inspect the current site, preserve its design, separate editable content, and connect the approved content to Dyrected.

Your client does not need access to Lovable afterward. They edit through the Dyrected dashboard.

Can I use this with Bolt or v0?

Yes.

Use the same process inside the existing Bolt or v0 project. The prompts are framework agnostic and ask the builder to inspect the project before deciding how to implement the integration.

You do not need to choose database tables or plan an API. The installation prompt sends the builder to the Dyrected documentation and asks it to use the packages and patterns supported by your project.

Can I use this with Cursor?

Yes.

Open the existing codebase in Cursor and paste the setup prompt into Agent or Chat. Cursor can inspect the project files, separate the approved content, and complete the Dyrected integration.

The approval step still matters. Cursor may understand the codebase, but it cannot know how much control you intend to give the client until you tell it.

What happens after handoff?

Routine content updates go through Dyrected.

Your client can change the content you approved without contacting you. You still handle work that affects the structure or design, such as creating a new page template, adding a completely new section, or changing how a component behaves.

That boundary is useful for both sides.

The client does not have to wait for small updates. You do not become the permanent editor of every website you build. Design changes still receive the care they need.

An AI-built website does not have to remain dependent on the person who prompted it into existence.

[Open the setup prompt guide](/guide) to connect your Lovable, Bolt, v0, Cursor, Replit, or Windsurf website to Dyrected.

When you are ready to begin, [join Dyrected early access](/early-access) and create your first site.