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In config.yml

This guide covers Phase 12 of the Quick Start — deploying your Jekyll site to GitHub Pages, Azure, or any static hosting provider.

GitHub Pages is the simplest way to host a Jekyll site. It's free, automatic, and tightly integrated with your repository.

Setup Steps

  1. Push your repo to GitHub
  2. Go to Settings → Pages
  3. Set source to GitHub Actions (recommended) or the gh-pages branch
  4. Your site will be live at https://username.github.io/repo-name/

Custom Domain

To use your own domain:

Step 1 — Configure Jekyll:

# In _config.yml
url: "https://yourdomain.com"
baseurl: ""

Step 2 — Create CNAME file:

Create a CNAME file at the repo root containing your domain:

yourdomain.com

Step 3 — Configure DNS:

Add these records with your domain registrar:

Type Name Value
A @ 185.199.108.153
A @ 185.199.109.153
A @ 185.199.110.153
A @ 185.199.111.153
CNAME www username.github.io

Step 4 — Enable HTTPS:

In Settings → Pages, check Enforce HTTPS (available after DNS propagates).

Azure Static Web Apps

For more control, use Azure Static Web Apps with the IT-Journey deployment script:

./scripts/azure-jekyll-deploy.sh deploy \
  --app-name my-jekyll-site \
  --github-repo https://github.com/username/repo

Azure Configuration

Setting Value
App location /
API location api/
Output location _site/

The script handles: - Azure resource creation - GitHub Actions workflow generation - Secret configuration - Domain setup

Script Subcommands

# Full deployment
./scripts/azure-jekyll-deploy.sh deploy --app-name <name> --github-repo <url>

# Setup only (configure without deploying)
./scripts/azure-jekyll-deploy.sh setup

# Clean up resources
./scripts/azure-jekyll-deploy.sh cleanup --force

Manual Build + Any Host

Build the site and upload the output to any static hosting provider:

# Build the production site
JEKYLL_ENV=production bundle exec jekyll build

# The _site/ folder contains all static files
# Upload _site/ contents to your host

Compatible Hosts

Host Method Notes
Netlify Git push or drag-and-drop Auto-builds from repo
Vercel Git push Auto-builds from repo
Cloudflare Pages Git push Auto-builds from repo
AWS S3 + CloudFront CLI upload aws s3 sync _site/ s3://bucket/
Any web server FTP/SCP upload Upload _site/ contents to docroot

Environment-Specific Builds

Environment Build Command Config
Development bundle exec jekyll serve --config _config.yml,_config_dev.yml Local theme, drafts visible
Production JEKYLL_ENV=production bundle exec jekyll build Remote theme, minified, no drafts
Docker docker-compose up -d Uses both configs automatically

The JEKYLL_ENV variable controls environment-specific behavior:

{% raw %}{% if jekyll.environment == "production" %}
  {% include analytics.html %}
{% endif %}{% endraw %}

Deployment Checklist

  • Site builds without errors locally
  • _config.yml has correct url and baseurl
  • CNAME file present (for custom domains)
  • DNS records configured and propagated
  • HTTPS enforced
  • All images optimized
  • No draft posts published accidentally
  • robots.txt and sitemap.xml generated

What's Next

Next Step Guide
Set up CI/CD for automated deployment CI/CD & Automation
Optimize for SEO, performance, and accessibility Optimization & Maintenance

IT-Journey Quests: GitHub Pages Basics · Azure Ascension · CI/CD Fundamentals

External Docs: GitHub Pages Docs · Azure Static Web Apps · Jekyll Deployment