AI Was Supposed to Kill Wix. Google Just Gave It a Way to Fight Back.

Wix (WIX) has spent most of 2026 stuck on the wrong side of the artificial intelligence (AI) trade. The market decided that once anyone could ask a chatbot to build a website, a website builder wouldn't be worth much. This hit WIX stock hard. Shares started the year at just over $100 and plummeted to a 52-week low of around $40 by June. Along the way, Wix also cut roughly 20% of its staff. On Aug. 24, however, Wix announced a partnership with Alphabet's (GOOGL) Google, lending the struggling company a potential lifeline.

The deal itself is straightforward. Wix has placed its Wix Harmony builder directly inside Google Gemini as a connected app. Through the integration, a user can now type "@Wix" in the chat, describe the site they want by voice or text, and generate a working website hosted on Wix's own infrastructure — even with features like commerce, payments, scheduling, and SEO already built in.

The service is now live for Gemini users in eligible markets, and WIX shares climbed on the news. Let's take a closer look.

Wix Turned the Threat Into an Opportunity

The very thing investors feared would bury Wix is now the channel carrying its product to a far bigger audience. Rather than fighting the chatbot, Wix embedded itself within Gemini and became the engine doing the actual building. Gemini handles the conversation, while Wix builds the site, hosts it, and keeps the paying customer. That is a stronger position than trying to win users on Google's own turf.

However, it is worth noting that, as a connected app, Wix does the work behind the scenes while Google owns the entry point and the first thing users see. Wix gains reach through the partnership but gives up the direct relationship with the customer. Whether that trade works depends on how many Gemini-built sites turn into paying Wix subscribers.

WIX stock has roughly doubled off its June low and recovered strongly since the last earnings report, wherein revenue increased 15% and Wix's own AI products finally started to contribute meaningfully.

Wix provides a web development platform for creators, delivering services through a Software-as-a-Service model. Its products include website templates, website builders, website designs, an app market, web hosting, domain names, site accessibility, a mobile app builder, and an AI website builder. The company serves individuals, small businesses, entrepreneurs, and enterprises looking to build and manage their online presence. Founded in 2006, Wix is headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel.