How to upload an HTML website from a computer
You have a folder with a ready-made website - index.html, styles, pictures. We'll figure out how to put it on the Internet in a minute: what to check before uploading, two ways to publish without FileZilla and purchasing hosting, and what to configure immediately after.
What is considered a ready-made website
A finished site is a folder containing
index.html and everything that comes with it: styles, scripts, pictures, fonts. Such a folder can be given to any server, and it will begin distributing it to visitors. There is no need to install or “launch” anything additional - the static site works on its own.
A typical structure looks like this:
index.html— main page, required;about.html,contacts.html- remaining pages, if any;css/- styles;js/- scripts;img/- images;404.html- “not found” page, optional, but desirable.
If instead you have a folder src, file
package.json and instructions about npm run build - the site is not ready yet, it needs to be built. This does not need to be done manually: the deployment platform will perform the build itself, accepting the sources.
Check the folder before downloading
Six points that save an hour on “why it doesn’t work” investigations.
index.html in the root
Not Index.html, not main.html, not inside a subfolder. Exactly index.html at the top level.
Relative paths
img/logo.png is correct. C:/Users/Ivan/site/img/logo.png - only works on your computer.
Latin in file names
Cyrillic alphabet and spaces in paths are broken. foto-1.jpg instead Photo 1.jpg.
Uniform letter case
The server distinguishes Logo.PNG and logo.png, Windows - no. Keep everything lowercase.
Nothing extra
Sources in PSD, archives, notes and backups in the folder are not needed - they will increase in size and become publicly available.
No passwords in the code
Everything that lies in HTML and JS is visible to visitors by viewing the source code. Access keys should not go there.
How to upload a website: two ways
Both give the same result - a work address with HTTPS. The only difference is what is more convenient for you to use.
Via browser, without terminal
- Login to app.layero.ru by mail or via Yandex
- Create a project and drag the site folder into it
- Wait until publication finishes - 30-60 seconds
- Open the issued link like
your-project.layero.ru
Via the terminal, with one command
- Open the site folder in the terminal
- Execute
npx layero@latest deploy - Log in using the link that the command will show
- Get the website address in the command output
The second method is convenient because re-publishing is the same one command. Full description - in the CLI documentation.
Upload your website for free
No FTP, no hosting purchase and no server setup. HTTPS and CDN in Russia - immediately.
What about FTP
Most instructions on the Internet describe publishing a website like this: buy hosting, install FileZilla, connect via FTP, copy files to a folder public_html. It's a method that works, it's over twenty years old, and it's still in use today - but it comes with a price.
- Manual copy for every change. We corrected the text in one file - we need to remember which file to overwrite.
- No version history. If the new version turns out to be worse, you can only return from your own backup copy, if you made one.
- You do the build of the frontend. Every time locally, before every boot.
- Hosting is paid from the first day, even if the site is a one-page portfolio.
When FTP is still needed: website in PHP, ready-made CMS (WordPress, 1C-Bitrix, OpenCart), the need for a MySQL database and mail on your domain in one plan. Deployment platforms do not cover such tasks - they require classic hosting. For static sites and frontend, FTP today is an extra step.
Where else can you put up an HTML site?
Layero isn't the only option, and it's helpful to honestly compare the two before you spend the evening. Below are sites that are really suitable for a ready-made folder with statics.
| Where | What you need to be able to do | Price | When this is your option |
|---|---|---|---|
| Layero | Drag folder | Free plan | You need quick results, an audience in Russia, your own domain and HTTPS without configuration |
| GitHub Pages | Basic git | Free | The code is already on GitHub, the website is documentation or portfolio, the audience is international |
| Virtual hosting | FTP client, control panel | From ~150 ₽/month | You need PHP, a database, mail on your domain or a ready-made CMS |
| Object storage (S3) | Cloud console, rights settings and CDN | Payment for traffic and storage | You are already working with the cloud and want to collect the distribution yourself |
| Own VPS | Linux, nginx, certificates | From ~300 ₽/month | Need full control over the server and a non-standard environment |
For one static folder, the bottom two options are work for work's sake: you'll spend an evening doing something that is done with drag and drop elsewhere. They are justified when the site is only part of a larger infrastructure.
What to configure after publication
Own domain
The technical address is working, but the client site usually needs its own. The domain is purchased from the registrar, added to the panel, and then a CNAME record is registered with the registrar. An HTTPS certificate for your domain is issued automatically - there is no need to pay extra. Details - in documentation.
Page 404
Place the file in the root 404.html - it will be shown instead of the standard error when the visitor arrives at a non-existent address. A small thing, but noticeable: the standard error page looks like the site is broken.
Website update
Repeated publication does not break the address: visitors continue to follow the same link and see the new version. Previous versions remain in the deployment history; you can return to any of them with one button.
Close the site from outsiders
If the site is shown to the customer before launch and should not be included in search engines, enable password protection - only those to whom you have given the password will have access.