Introduction: Why Deployment Matters

You’ve built your website — now it’s time to share it with the world. In this guide, you’ll learn how to deploy a website using GitHub and Netlify quickly and easily, even if you’re a beginner. These powerful platforms let you publish your site directly from your GitHub repository with just a few clicks, and set up automatic updates every time you push new code.

Deploying your project might sound complicated at first, but once you know how to deploy a website using GitHub and Netlify, it becomes one of the simplest parts of web development.

Step 1: Push Your Project to GitHub

If your project isn’t already on GitHub, start by uploading it there.

1. Create a free GitHub account (if you don’t have one).
2. On the GitHub dashboard, click “New Repository.”
3. Name your repo — for example: my-portfolio or my-web-app.
4. Initialize it with a README (optional).
5. Push your project to GitHub using Git or GitHub Desktop.

git init
git add .
git commit -m "Initial commit"
git remote add origin https://github.com/yourusername/my-website.git
git push -u origin main

git init
git add .
git commit -m "Initial commit"
git remote add origin https://github.com/yourusername/my-website.git
git push -u origin main

Now your website code is safely stored and version-controlled on GitHub.

Step 2: Create a Netlify Account and Connect GitHub

Next, go to Netlify and sign up for free using your GitHub account.

Once you’re in the dashboard:

1. Click “Add new site” → “Import an existing project.”
2. Choose GitHub as your source.
3. Authorize Netlify to access your repositories.
4. Select your project repo.

Netlify will automatically detect your site’s build settings (for example, it might see npm run build for React apps or dist folder for static sites).

Step 3: Configure Your Build Settings

Netlify usually detects everything automatically, but if it doesn’t, here’s what to do:

• For static sites (HTML, CSS, JS):
  • Build command: (leave blank)
  • Publish directory: /
• For React, Vue, or other frameworks:
  • Build command: npm run build
  • Publish directory: dist or build

Click “Deploy Site.”

Netlify will start building your site from your GitHub repository.
When it’s done, you’ll get a live link — something like: https://your-site-name.netlify.app

Congratulations! You’ve just deployed your website.

Step 4: Enable Continuous Deployment

Here’s the best part: once connected, Netlify automatically redeploys your website every time you push new code to GitHub.

That means:

• No need to manually upload files.
• Every update you commit goes live instantly.
• You can track all deployments and logs in the Netlify dashboard.

This setup is perfect for developers who want speed, automation, and reliability.

Step 5: Add a Custom Domain (Optional)

Want a professional-looking domain?
You can connect your own domain easily:

1. In your Netlify dashboard, open Site Settings → Domain Management.
2. Click “Add custom domain.”
3. Enter your domain name (e.g., mywebsite.com).
4. Update your DNS settings to point to Netlify’s nameservers.

Netlify even offers free HTTPS certificates through Let’s Encrypt — so your site will be secure by default.

Final Thoughts

Deploying your site doesn’t have to be complicated. With this simple GitHub + Netlify workflow, you can:

• Keep your code organized and version-controlled.
• Deploy automatically with every commit.
• Manage custom domains and SSL effortlessly.

If you’re just getting started in web development, learning how to deploy a website using GitHub and Netlify is one of the most valuable skills you can gain — it bridges the gap between local projects and real-world web hosting.