This story features a step-by-step guide to create a free website using GitHub pages.
If you want to see what I was able to create, check out my website using this link: https://info.the-techgirly.com/
I recently decided that I wanted to create a portfolio for some of my most recent projects, but didn’t wait to pay to host it. After researching several options I finally landed on Github Pages. And here are the steps I used to make it happen:
- Create a free Github Account
If you’re unfamiliar with Github, it is a code hosting platform for version control and collaboration. If the concept of GitHub intimidates, don’t worry, you don’t need to know any command line code to make this project work.
- Click ‘Create a New Repository’
- Name your repository with the structure: <anything-you-want>.github.io
Examples could be: hello.github.io or myportfolio.github.io
Leave the rest of the settings at their default selection, and scroll down to the bottom.
- finalize the creation by clicking ‘create repository’
Now that you’ve create a repository, we need to get to work on your website.
- Get started by clicking ‘creating a new file’
- Name the file ‘index.html’
It is really important that you name this file index.html, otherwise your website won’t be functional.
- Next, we need to write some code for our index.html file
Feel free to use this sample code below to help you get started.
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<meta name="author" content="Portfolio">
<title>About Me</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>About Me Page: My Name</h1>
<div>
<h3>Basic Information About Me:</h3>
<p> I like to code! </p>
</div>
</body>
</html>- Once you’ve added some code, scroll to the bottom and commit your changes.
- Next, in the top navigation bar, select ‘Settings’, then in the left side panel, select ‘Pages’
- At the top it will say something like this:
(Note, I used a custom domain, so you’re url format might be a little different, if anyones interested in how I implemented the custom domain for only 1$ a year, comment below!)
Once, the link is ready, click it, and taa-daa! Your own free website!
