Going Live with GitHub Pages

This is it. The moment your website goes from "files on a screen" to "live on the internet." And it's going to take you about two minutes.

Step 1: Go to Your Repository

Open your browser and go to your GitHub repository:

https://github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/my-bakery-website

Step 2: Open Pages Settings

1. Click Settings in the top menu bar
2. In the left sidebar, click Pages

Step 3: Configure the Source

1. Under Source, select "Deploy from a branch"
2. Select branch "main"
3. Leave folder as "/ (root)"
4. Click Save

Step 4: Wait for the Build

GitHub needs 1–2 minutes. Check the Actions tab for progress. Green checkmark = you're live.

Step 5: Visit Your Live Site

Go back to Settings → Pages. You'll see:

Your site is live at https://YOUR-USERNAME.github.io/my-bakery-website/

That's your website. On the internet. Right now. Anyone with that link can see it.

Troubleshooting

Site not showing up?

• Check the Actions tab for build errors
• Make sure your main file is called index.html
• Verify you selected the right branch and folder

Getting a 404?

• Make sure index.html is in the root, not a subfolder
• Wait a few more minutes

CSS or images not loading?

• Check file paths — use styles.css not /styles.css
• Tell Claude: "Fix the file paths to work with GitHub Pages."

You Just Did It

You have a live website on the internet. Free hosting. Copy that URL and text it to someone. That URL works on any phone, any computer, anywhere in the world.

Next up: connecting a custom domain and setting up SEO so people can find you on Google.