Hosting Your Static Website for Free - A Step-by-Step Guide to a Private, Free Jekyll Website on Cloudflare Pages

Published on Oct 24, 2023

In today’s digital age, having an online presence is essential for personal blogs, portfolios, or small business websites. However, the cost of web hosting can quickly add up, especially for those just starting. Fortunately, there are free hosting options available, and one of the most attractive combinations for static sites is Jekyll and Cloudflare Pages.

Jekyll is a static site generator, which means it creates HTML files from your content, making it quick and efficient. Cloudflare Pages, on the other hand, is a robust platform for hosting static websites that offers free plans, making it an excellent choice for budget-conscious webmasters.

In this step-by-step guide, we’ll walk you through the process of deploying a private, free Jekyll website on Cloudflare Pages.

Prerequisites

Before we dive into the deployment process, you’ll need a few things:

  1. A Jekyll Website: Create your Jekyll website or have an existing one ready to go. If you’re new to Jekyll, you can follow the official Jekyll documentation to get started.

  2. GitHub Account: You’ll need a GitHub account to host your Jekyll website’s source code. If you don’t have one, sign up for free at GitHub.

Step 1: Set Up Your GitHub Repository

  1. Log in to your GitHub account.

  2. Create a new repository for your Jekyll website. You can do this by clicking on the “+” sign in the upper right corner and selecting “New repository.”

  3. Name your repository and provide a brief description. You can keep it public or private, depending on your preference.

  4. Click “Create repository.”

Step 2: Deploy with Cloudflare Pages

  1. Go to the Cloudflare Pages website and log in with your GitHub account.

  2. Click on the “Create a project” button.

  3. Choose your GitHub repository that contains your Jekyll website. Make sure it’s the correct repository.

  4. Configure the build settings. For a basic Jekyll setup, the default settings should work just fine. Click “Begin setup.”

  5. Cloudflare Pages will start building your site. This process might take a few minutes.

  6. Once the build is complete, you’ll be able to choose your domain name and set your site to be private, if desired.

  7. Click “Deploy.”

Step 3: Configure Domain and SSL

  1. If you want a custom domain, you can configure it in the Cloudflare Pages dashboard. Follow the prompts to add your domain and configure DNS settings.

  2. Cloudflare Pages provides free SSL certificates for your custom domain, ensuring a secure connection for your visitors.

Step 4: Update Your Website

  1. With your Jekyll website now hosted on Cloudflare Pages, you can make updates to your content or design as needed.

  2. Commit your changes to your GitHub repository, and Cloudflare Pages will automatically rebuild your site.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You’ve successfully deployed a private, free Jekyll website on Cloudflare Pages. This budget-friendly solution allows you to have a fast, secure, and reliable website without breaking the bank. Feel free to explore more advanced features and optimizations offered by both Jekyll and Cloudflare Pages to enhance your website further.

Remember that while this setup is cost-effective, it may have limitations for extremely high-traffic websites. However, it’s an excellent starting point for personal and small business websites. Enjoy your new online presence!