I Built a Tiny AI SaaS on WordPress Over a Long Weekend (Notes, Not Hype)

I run small WordPress shops for clients who ask the same question every quarter: “Can we automate the content grunt work, but not wreck the brand?” I finally stopped hand-waving and built a tiny AI SaaS on top of WordPress—billing, usage limits, templates, the works—using UltimateAI - OpenAI Content Generation WordPress App as SaaS. This is not a manifesto. It’s the bench notes I wish I’d had before I touched a single setting.

Two ground rules I kept to stay calm:
1) I would only add what I could explain in one sentence to a non-developer.
2) I would ship with two external references in my notes and keep the rest plain—when I scout feature patterns I skim WordPress Addons, and once I commit, I build on UltimateAI. Everything else lives in my runbook (I tag those with “gplpal” so future-me can find them).

You’ll see the phrase UltimateAI - OpenAI Content Generation WordPress App as SaaS twice—it’s the exact query I used when I started, and it’s the center of this write-up.

Lab Setup (Friday, 21:10)

Goal: make a testable, billable service where non-technical users can create content with guardrails.

Environment snapshot

• WordPress + a lean theme I trust, no page-builder circus.
• Payments: standard Woo stack, one gateway to start.
• UltimateAI installed, API keys stored server-side, roles separated for “maker” vs. “admin.”

Why UltimateAI?
Because it handles the SaaS scaffolding I didn’t want to write: multi-plan pricing, usage quotas, prompt templates, and a UI that regular people can understand before coffee.

Non-negotiables

• Quota first. If usage isn’t visible, it’s not a product; it’s a demo.
• Templates over blank boxes. People freeze at an empty textarea.
• Audit trail. If a generation causes trouble, I need to know who, when, and which template.

What “Done” Looked Like (Saturday Morning Checklist)

• Users can sign up, pick a plan, and see credits remaining at a glance.
• A menu of templates (“Blog outline,” “Product description,” “FAQ rewrite”) with sane defaults.
• Brand controls: tone, banned phrases, and max length per plan.
• Billing sanity: net-new users on monthly, founders on a simple annual code.
• Support escape hatch: a “submit for human polish” button that opens a ticket with the draft attached.

If I couldn’t explain each item to a PM in < 30 seconds, it got punted to v2.

Templates That Actually Ship

I built five templates first, then expanded. Rules I followed:

1) Inputs talk like a colleague.
“What are you trying to say in one sentence?” beats “Provide brief.”

2) Hard limits are visible.
“Max 600 words” next to the field, not in a tooltip you’ll never read.

3) Tone presets are guardrails, not a vibe.
I set a house palette (“Clear,” “Technical light,” “Playful but sober”) and banned words list (“ultimate,” “#1,” “revolutionary”).

4) Reusable variables, single source of truth.
Brand name, product family, and CTA live in one place and auto-fill templates.

Example prompt block I keep near the editor (pseudo-DSL-ish comment for clarity):

SYSTEM: You are a helpful writer who values clarity and brevity.
STYLE: {tone}  // e.g., Clear, Technical light
BANLIST: {banned_words}
GOAL: Write a {content_type} for {brand} about {topic}.
LENGTH: <= {max_words} words.
MUST INCLUDE: {key_points}
AVOID: Hype, unverified claims.

I’m not trying to be clever; I’m trying to be consistent.

Pricing Without Math Headaches

I started with three plans and forced myself to justify each in one line:

• Starter — “Publish weekly.” 20 generations/month, 600 words cap, 3 templates.
• Team — “Ship twice a week.” 80 generations/month, 1,200 words cap, all templates.
• Studio — “Multiple brands.” 200 generations/month, higher caps, brand variables per project.

Hard lessons from previous experiments

• Tie caps to outcomes, not tokens. Humans care about “articles,” not digits.
• Overages show up as a nudge to upgrade, never a surprise bill.
• Annual discount is a quiet checkbox, not a carnival banner.

UltimateAI’s quota tracking kept this from devolving into spreadsheet theater.

Closing (and a promise to future-me)

I didn’t build a rocket. I built rails for calm drafting inside WordPress, with a meter that tells the truth and templates that keep brand guardrails tight. UltimateAI - OpenAI Content Generation WordPress App as SaaS did the heavy lifting: quotas, plans, and a UI people don’t resent. My job was to write the rules down, keep the defaults kind, and listen before adding features.

When I scout, I browse WordPress Addons for ideas; when I build, I stick with UltimateAI and store my boring notes under gplpal so I can find them later. Two links in this write-up, placed where they matter. Everything else is discipline and small, repeatable wins.