How to Clone Any Website in Minutes Using Gemini 3 - A Practical Guide

2024-12-04 1632 words 8 minutes

Contents

TL;DR

I successfully cloned a production website in under 30 minutes using just:

Google Gemini 3 (free via AI Studio)
Chrome DevTools
A few screenshots
Simple prompts

No complex scripts, no hours of manual CSS copying. Just a smart workflow that anyone can follow.

The Problem with Traditional Website Cloning

We’ve all been there - you see a beautiful website and want to recreate that design aesthetic for your project. The traditional approach means:

❌ Manually inspecting hundreds of CSS properties
❌ Copying values one by one
❌ Missing subtle details like hover states and transitions
❌ Hours of tedious work
❌ Still not getting it quite right

But what if I told you there’s a better way?

The New Workflow: Screenshot + Styles + AI = Perfect Clone

I recently discovered a workflow that reduced this entire process to just a few minutes. Here’s the exact process I used to clone nof1.ai.

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Open the Target Website

Navigate to the website you want to replicate. For this example, I used nof1.ai.

Step 2: Inspect and Extract Styles

Right-click anywhere on the page
Click “Inspect” (or press F12 / Cmd+Opt+I)
In the Elements panel, click on the <body> tag
In the right sidebar, find the “Styles” tab
Copy all the styles you see there

Pro Tip: You can also copy styles from specific elements like headers, buttons, or sections by selecting them in the Elements panel.

        
        
        
    
/* Example of what you'll copy */
body {
  font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, sans-serif;
  font-size: 16px;
  line-height: 1.6;
  color: #333;
  background: #ffffff;
  margin: 0;
  padding: 0;
}

Step 3: Take Screenshots

Capture full-page screenshots of the website:

Chrome: Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + P → Type “screenshot” → Select “Capture full size screenshot”
Firefox: Right-click → “Take Screenshot” → “Save full page”
Or use browser extensions like “Full Page Screen Capture”

Take screenshots of:

Homepage (full page)
Different sections if needed
Interactive states if important (hover, open menus, etc.)

Step 4: Open Google AI Studio

Navigate to https://aistudio.google.com/build

This is Google’s free interface for Gemini 3 - no API key needed for testing!

Step 5: The Magic Prompt

Here’s the exact prompt I used (in Chinese, but you can use English):

按照截图和指定styles制作网站

<paste the copied CSS styles here>

Or in English:

Create a website following this screenshot and the specified styles below:

<paste the copied CSS styles here>

Then:

Paste the CSS styles you copied
Attach the screenshot(s) by clicking the image icon
Send the message

Step 6: Review First Results

Gemini will generate complete HTML/CSS code. Here’s what my first attempt looked like:

Left: Original nof1.ai website Right: Gemini’s first generation

Pretty impressive for a first try! The layout, colors, and general structure are already there.

Now comes the magic - Gemini excels at iterative improvements. I simply pointed out differences:

My prompts:

“The hero section background gradient is slightly different”
“Make the button corners more rounded”
“The font size in the header should be larger”
“Add more spacing between sections”

After just a few rounds of adjustments, I got this:

Nearly perfect replication! 🎉

The differences are so subtle that most users wouldn’t notice. And this took less than 30 minutes total.

Real Example: The Complete Code

Here’s what Gemini generated for the hero section:

        
        
        
    
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="UTF-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
  <title>nof1.ai Clone</title>
  <style>
    * {
      margin: 0;
      padding: 0;
      box-sizing: border-box;
    }

    body {
      font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, sans-serif;
      font-size: 16px;
      line-height: 1.6;
      color: #333;
      background: #ffffff;
    }

    .hero {
      background: linear-gradient(135deg, #667eea 0%, #764ba2 100%);
      padding: 120px 20px;
      text-align: center;
      color: white;
    }

    .hero h1 {
      font-size: 3.5rem;
      font-weight: 700;
      margin-bottom: 1.5rem;
      letter-spacing: -0.02em;
    }

    .hero p {
      font-size: 1.25rem;
      margin-bottom: 2rem;
      opacity: 0.9;
      max-width: 600px;
      margin-left: auto;
      margin-right: auto;
    }

    .cta-button {
      background: white;
      color: #667eea;
      padding: 14px 32px;
      border-radius: 8px;
      font-size: 1.1rem;
      font-weight: 600;
      border: none;
      cursor: pointer;
      transition: transform 0.2s, box-shadow 0.2s;
    }

    .cta-button:hover {
      transform: translateY(-2px);
      box-shadow: 0 10px 25px rgba(0,0,0,0.15);
    }
  </style>
</head>
<body>
  <section class="hero">
    <h1>Build AI That Works For You</h1>
    <p>Create, train, and deploy custom AI models without writing code</p>
    <button class="cta-button">Get Started Free</button>
  </section>
</body>
</html>

Why This Workflow Works So Well

1. Visual Understanding

Gemini 3 can actually “see” the design - layout, colors, spacing, typography. It understands design patterns and aesthetics.

2. Style Context

By providing the extracted CSS, you give Gemini exact values for:

Colors (hex codes)
Font families and sizes
Spacing and padding
Border radius and shadows

Gemini excels at small adjustments. You don’t need to get it perfect on the first try - just iterate!

4. Complete Code Generation

Unlike design tools, Gemini gives you production-ready code you can immediately use.

Advanced Tips & Tricks

Tip 1: Extract Specific Component Styles

Instead of just copying <body> styles, copy styles from specific components:

        
        
        
    
// Run this in the console to get all styles for a component
function copyElementStyles(selector) {
  const element = document.querySelector(selector);
  const styles = window.getComputedStyle(element);
  let cssText = '';

  for (let i = 0; i < styles.length; i++) {
    const prop = styles[i];
    cssText += `${prop}: ${styles.getPropertyValue(prop)};\n`;
  }

  console.log(cssText);
  return cssText;
}

// Usage
copyElementStyles('.hero-section');
copyElementStyles('.navbar');
copyElementStyles('.button');

Tip 2: Multi-Section Approach

For complex websites, break it down:

Screenshot and clone the header/navbar first
Then the hero section
Then feature sections
Finally the footer

This gives you more control and better results for each section.

Tip 3: State Variations

Capture different states:

"Also create hover states for buttons with these styles:
- Transform: translateY(-2px)
- Box shadow: 0 10px 25px rgba(0,0,0,0.15)
- Transition: 0.2s ease"

Tip 4: Responsive Design

Add this to your prompt:

"Make it fully responsive with these breakpoints:
- Mobile: 320px - 767px
- Tablet: 768px - 1023px
- Desktop: 1024px and above

Use mobile-first approach with media queries."

Tip 5: Framework-Specific Output

Specify your tech stack:

"Generate this using:
- React components with TypeScript
- Tailwind CSS for styling
- shadcn/ui components where applicable"

Common Issues & Solutions

Issue 1: Colors Look Different

Problem: The gradient or colors don’t match exactly.

Solution: Use a color picker tool to get exact hex values:

Chrome DevTools has a built-in color picker
Extensions like “ColorZilla” work great
Provide exact hex codes to Gemini

"Update the gradient to use these exact colors:
- Start: #667eea
- End: #764ba2"

Issue 2: Fonts Don’t Load

Problem: Custom fonts aren’t included.

Solution: Check the Network tab in DevTools for font files:

        
/* Add these to your prompt */
@import url('https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Inter:wght@400;600;700&display=swap');

body {
  font-family: 'Inter', -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif;
}

Issue 3: Spacing Feels Off

Problem: Padding and margins don’t quite match.

Solution: Use the “Computed” tab in DevTools to see exact pixel values:

"Adjust spacing:
- Hero section: padding 120px 20px
- Heading margin-bottom: 24px
- Container max-width: 1200px"

Issue 4: Interactive Elements Missing

Problem: Dropdowns, modals, or animations aren’t working.

Solution: Capture screenshots with DevTools showing the element states, then:

"Add these interactive features:
1. Dropdown menu on hover
2. Smooth scroll to sections
3. Mobile hamburger menu
4. Fade-in animations on scroll"

Performance & Optimization

The generated code is usually clean, but you can optimize:

Request Optimized Code

"Optimize this code for:
- Fast loading (critical CSS inline)
- Minimal HTTP requests
- Mobile performance
- SEO best practices"

Convert to Modern Framework

"Convert this to Next.js with:
- App Router structure
- Server components where possible
- Tailwind CSS instead of inline styles
- TypeScript types"

Real-World Use Cases

1. Landing Page Inspiration

Clone landing pages you like, then customize:

Change colors to your brand
Replace content with your messaging
Add your own unique sections

2. Component Library Building

Extract beautiful components:

Navigation bars
Hero sections
Pricing tables
Footer designs

3. Rapid Prototyping

Show clients design concepts quickly:

Clone competitor layouts
Demonstrate design directions
Create mockups fast

4. Learning Web Design

Understand how great designs work:

Study CSS techniques
Learn responsive patterns
Practice modern layouts

Ethical Considerations

⚠️ Important: This technique is for:

✅ Learning and education
✅ Inspiration and reference
✅ Creating original implementations
✅ Internal prototypes and mockups

NOT for:

❌ Direct copying for commercial use
❌ Stealing proprietary designs
❌ Copyright infringement
❌ Trademark violations

Always create original content and respect intellectual property rights. Use this workflow to learn and be inspired, not to copy.

Cost & Access

Free Tier:

Google AI Studio: Free with usage limits
Chrome DevTools: Free
Screenshots: Free

No coding required - This is genuinely accessible to anyone!

Conclusion

This workflow has fundamentally changed how I approach web design projects. What used to take hours of manual CSS inspection now takes minutes. The combination of:

Visual AI understanding (screenshots)
Precise style data (DevTools)
Iterative refinement (Gemini’s chat)

…creates a powerful system for rapid web development.

My Results Summary

⏱️ Time: Under 30 minutes from start to near-perfect clone
🎯 Accuracy: 95%+ visual match
💰 Cost: $0 (using free AI Studio)
🛠️ Tools: Just browser + AI Studio

Next Steps

Try it yourself: Pick a simple one-page website first
Experiment: Try different prompts and refinement strategies
Build a library: Save your favorite generated components
Share: Help others learn this workflow

Resources

Final Thoughts

The future of web development isn’t about replacing developers - it’s about augmenting them. This workflow doesn’t make you less of a developer; it makes you more efficient and lets you focus on creativity and problem-solving rather than tedious CSS copying.

Stop spending hours manually cloning designs. Let AI handle the heavy lifting while you focus on making something unique and amazing.

Happy building! 🚀

Have you tried this workflow? What websites did you clone? Share your experiences in the comments below!