Create a GitHub account and repository
GitHub is a service that keeps files in repositories (folders with a history). Its GitHub Pages serve the files of a repository as a website, free for public repositories. This page sets up what static publishing needs on GitHub. The names of GitHub's buttons are given in bold; GitHub changes its screens now and then, so look for the same words if a screen looks different.
What you'll have at the end
A GitHub account, an empty public repository for your site, and a token stored in Exponential.
1. The account
- Go to
https://github.com/and choose Sign up. - Enter an e-mail address, a password and a username. Choose the username with care: your site's free address
will be
https://<username>.github.io/. - Confirm your e-mail address. The Free plan is enough.
- Switch on two-factor authentication in Settings > Password and authentication; GitHub asks for it anyway.
An organization (for a club, a company or a school) is made from your account under Your organizations > New
organization; its sites live at https://<organization>.github.io/.
2. The repository
- Press + at the top, then New repository.
- Owner: you or your organization. Repository name: short, lower case, for example
my-site. It becomes part of the address:https://<username>.github.io/my-site/. - Choose Public. Free plans serve GitHub Pages only from public repositories.
- Leave Add a README and the other boxes unticked, and press Create repository.
The page that follows shows the repository's address, https://github.com/<username>/my-site.git. Keep it for the
wizard.
3. The token
Exponential signs in with a fine-grained token that may only touch this one repository: Connect to GitHub: token, deploy key or GitHub App lists the clicks and the permissions. Store it in Setup > Secrets right away; GitHub shows it only once.
Good to know
- Everything in a public repository can be seen by anyone, including its history. Publish only what may be public: Keep private content private.
- GitHub's terms apply to your site: GitHub Pages limits and terms.
Next step
Make a free website in 15 minutes, step 2.