Jane Doe
Full-Stack Developer
I build web applications with modern tools.
Currently exploring cloud infrastructure and open source.
```
Open `index.html` in your browser to preview it locally.
> **Tip:** You can also use an AI assistant like Claude or ChatGPT to generate your site. See the [Build with AI](https://docs.danubedata.ro/static-sites-ai) guide for prompts and examples.
## Step 2: Package your site as a ZIP file
Select all files inside your `my-site` folder and compress them into a ZIP file.
**macOS:**
```bash
cd my-site
zip -r ../my-site.zip .
```
**Windows:**
Right-click the files inside the folder > **Send to** > **Compressed (zipped) folder**.
**Linux:**
```bash
cd my-site
zip -r ../my-site.zip .
```
Important: the `index.html` must be at the **root** of the ZIP, not nested inside a subfolder.
## Step 3: Create a static site in the dashboard
1. Log in to the DanubeData dashboard
2. Click **Static Sites** in the sidebar
3. Click **Create Static Site**
4. Fill in the form:
- **Site name** — `my-portfolio` (or any name you like)
- **Slug** — auto-generated from the name; this becomes your URL
- **Description** — optional
5. Choose a plan:
| Plan | Storage | Bandwidth | Sites | Custom domains | Price |
|------|---------|-----------|-------|----------------|-------|
| **Free** | 100 MB | 10 GB | 2 | 2 | EUR 0.00/mo |
| **Starter** | 500 MB | 100 GB | 10 | 10 per site | EUR 2.99/mo |
| **Pro** | 2 GB | 500 GB | 50 | 50 per site | EUR 9.99/mo |
6. Select **ZIP Upload** as the deployment method
7. Click **Create Static Site**
## Step 4: Upload your ZIP file
1. On the site detail page, click the **Upload** button
2. Select your `my-site.zip` file
3. The upload starts and a build is triggered automatically
## Step 5: Wait for deployment
Watch the status on the dashboard — it updates in real time:
1. **Pending** — Build queued
2. **Building** — Your site is being built
3. **Deploying** — Rolling out your site
4. **Active** — Your site is live
Most builds complete in 1-2 minutes.
## Step 6: Visit your site
Once the status shows **Active**, click the URL on the site detail page:
```
https://{your-slug}.pages.danubedata.ro
```
Your site is now live with automatic HTTPS.
## Step 7: Update your site
To deploy a new version:
1. Edit your local files
2. Create a new ZIP file
3. On the site detail page, click **Upload** and select the new ZIP
4. The previous version stays live until the new build succeeds
## Next steps
Now that your site is deployed, here are some things you can do:
### Add a custom domain
Point your own domain (e.g., `www.janedoe.com`) to your static site with automatic TLS:
1. Go to the site detail page > **Domains** tab
2. Click **Add Domain** and enter your domain
3. Add the DNS TXT record shown in the dashboard for verification
4. After verification, add a CNAME record pointing to `{slug}.pages.danubedata.ro`
5. A TLS certificate is provisioned automatically
See the [Custom Domains guide](https://docs.danubedata.ro/static-sites-domains) for detailed DNS instructions.
### Switch to Git deployment
For continuous deployment from GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket:
1. Push your site files to a Git repository
2. Edit your static site in the dashboard
3. Change the deployment method to **Git Repository**
4. Enter your repository URL, branch, and publish directory
5. Set up a webhook for automatic deploys on push
See the [Git Deployments guide](https://docs.danubedata.ro/static-sites-git) for step-by-step webhook setup.
### Deploy from CI/CD
Use the API to deploy from any CI/CD pipeline:
```bash
# Create a tarball of your site files
tar -czf site.tar.gz -C ./dist .
# Deploy via API
curl -X POST \
-H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN" \
-F "file=@site.tar.gz" \
https://api.danubedata.ro/api/v1/static-sites/{site-id}/deploy
```
### Enable password protection
Restrict access to your site (useful for staging or client previews):
1. Go to the site detail page > **Edit**
2. Enable **Password Protection**
3. Enter a username and password
4. Click **Save**
### Roll back to a previous version
If something goes wrong after a deploy:
1. Go to the site detail page > **Deployments** tab
2. Find the version you want to restore
3. Click **Activate**
Rollbacks are instant — no rebuild required.
## Quick reference
| Operation | How |
|-----------|-----|
| Upload new version | Site detail page > **Upload** > select ZIP file |
| Trigger rebuild | Site detail page > **Redeploy** |
| View build logs | Site detail page > click on a build entry |
| Roll back | **Deployments** tab > **Activate** on a previous deployment |
| Add custom domain | **Domains** tab > **Add Domain** |
| Enable password protection | **Edit** > toggle **Password Protection** |
| Delete site | Site detail page > **Delete** |
## Troubleshooting
### Build failed
- Check the build logs on the site detail page for error details
- Ensure your ZIP file contains valid static files (HTML, CSS, JS)
- Verify the ZIP is not corrupted and is within your plan's upload limit (100 MB on Free, 500 MB on Starter and Pro)
- Make sure `index.html` is at the root level of the ZIP, not in a subfolder
### Site shows "404 Not Found"
- Ensure your site has an `index.html` file at the root of the publish directory
- For SPAs, verify that the publish directory setting matches your build output folder
### Custom domain not working
- Verify the DNS TXT record is in place and verification status shows **Verified**
- Ensure you have added a CNAME record pointing to `{slug}.pages.danubedata.ro`
- DNS changes may take up to 24 hours to propagate, though most take only minutes
### Git webhook not triggering builds
- Verify the webhook URL and secret match what is shown in the dashboard
- Check that the webhook is configured for push events
- Ensure **Auto-deploy on push** is enabled in the site settings
## Related guides
- [Build with AI](https://docs.danubedata.ro/static-sites-ai) — Use Claude, ChatGPT, or other AI assistants to generate your website
- [Static Sites product documentation](https://docs.danubedata.ro/static-sites) — Full feature reference
- [Custom Domains](https://docs.danubedata.ro/static-sites-domains) — DNS verification and TLS setup
- [Git Deployments](https://docs.danubedata.ro/static-sites-git) — Webhooks and auto-deploy
---
**Questions?** Contact support at support@danubedata.ro