The site builder trap

Why this matters

Site builders appeal because they remove complexity. You log in, drag blocks around, publish, done.

The trade-off is control. When you outgrow the platform, changing direction often becomes expensive and slow.

What people mean by the trap

The trap is not the platform existing. It is the gap between what you think you own and what you take with you.

• You own the domain, but not the system that powers the site.
• You edit pages, but you lack control over how pages are built.
• You add features, but only within the platform’s limits.
• You leave, but export does not produce a clean, reusable site.

Hidden costs that show up later

Ownership and portability

• Export is partial or messy, and you lose structure.
• Content comes out as blocks with platform specific markup.
• URL control is limited, and redirects become hard to manage [8]Source 8 .
• You lose features when you leave because they are platform only.

Performance limits

• Platforms ship global scripts you do not remove [4]Source 4 .
• Page weight is harder to control because the builder output is fixed.
• Third-party scripts stack up because it is easy to add them and hard to audit them [4]Source 4 .
• Layout shift increases because widgets and banners load late [3]Source 3 .

Accessibility limits

• Accessibility depends on the platform’s components, not your intent [5]Source 5 .
• If a core component is flawed, fixes may be out of reach [6]Source 6 .
• Custom patterns become difficult, so teams accept broken journeys.
• Editors get nudged into inconsistent headings and semantics [5]Source 5 .

SEO limits

• Control over technical SEO varies, including structured data and advanced metadata [7]Source 7 .
• Redirect management is limited, which raises migration risk [8]Source 8 .
• Platform constraints lead to thin pages and duplicated patterns.

Checks to run before you commit

Export and exit

• Ask what export format looks like. HTML, JSON, CSV, or proprietary.
• Check whether you export pages, blog posts, and media in one usable form.
• Check whether you keep the same URLs after a move.
• Check whether you manage a full redirect map [8]Source 8 .

Performance control

• Check how much script and style loads by default [4]Source 4 .
• Check whether you control image formats and responsive sizes.
• Check whether you remove features that add weight, such as animations, sliders, and embedded widgets.
• Check whether the platform supports stable layout patterns, including reserved space for media and banners [3]Source 3 .

Accessibility control

• Test keyboard navigation on a template and on a form [6]Source 6 .
• Test at 200% zoom and on mobile [5]Source 5 .
• Test any complex component you rely on, menus, modals, tabs, and forms [6]Source 6 .

SEO control

• Check control over titles and descriptions per page.
• Check control over canonical URLs and robots meta.
• Check sitemap control and indexing rules.
• Check support for structured data where it matters [7]Source 7 .

How to use a builder without getting trapped

If you need speed of launch, reduce risk with basic rules.

• Keep the content model simple. Pages, posts, reusable sections.
• Avoid heavy add-ons and unnecessary widgets.
• Keep URLs clean and stable from day one.
• Keep a redirect map document, even if it never gets used [8]Source 8 .
• Own your domain and keep DNS access.

When to move off a builder

• Site speed limits marketing results [2]Source 2 .
• Accessibility blockers affect enquiry, donate, or checkout journeys [5]Source 5 .
• Editing constraints block better content and better structure.
• Features you need exist only through awkward add-ons.
• You need more control over SEO, tracking, and structured data [7]Source 7 .

Next step

If you suspect you are outgrowing a builder, start with an audit focused on your top journeys and your heaviest pages. You get a clear recommendation on whether to improve in-place or plan a migration with minimal SEO risk [8]Source 8 .