Build Your Own Website in few easy steps: GitHub Pages, Jekyll Themes, and GoDaddy.

Setting up a website can be overwhelming, Here is a solution that worked well for me: GitHub Pages + Jekyll themes + GoDaddy. GitHub Pages provides reliable and cost-effective hosting, Jekyll themes enhance the site’s appearance, and GoDaddy makes domain management easy.

GitHub pages + Jekyll Theme

• Go to https://jekyllthemes.io/ and choose a free theme. I chose minimal mistakes.
• Click on the GitHub link to got to the repository.
• Fork the repository and give repository name as <yourgithubusername>.github.io. Using this specific repository name allows GitHub to automatically publish the contents of the repository as a website accessible at https://yourgithubusername.github.io. It simplifies the setup process and makes it easy for users to have their own personal websites hosted on GitHub Pages.
• In the repository, go to Settings > Pages and select the branch to deploy and save.
• In the repository, go to _config.yml and edit some info and commit the changes. This should trigger deployment.
• Navigate to https://yourgithubusername.github.io to see your website.

Replacing GitHub URL with custom domain

• Purchase your domain from GoDaddy which gives you an account login as well. (Assume your new domain is called example.de)
• Go to Github and click on your profile icon and select Settings. Go to the Pages link under the section Code, planning, and automation.
• Click on Add a domain, enter your domain “example.de” and click add domain. This will give you the instructions to verify the domain.

• Login to your GoDaddy account, click on your name and select the option My Products.
• Next to your domain, click on DNS which will take you to the DNS management page.
• Click on Add New Record and enter the details from the verification step.

• Here we are using the apex domain, example.de. So let us add the following records as well in DNS management. (If you are using a subdomain, read here)

Type = A, Name = example.de, Value=185.199.108.153, TTL=default
Type = A, Name = example.de, Value=185.199.109.153, TTL=default
Type = A, Name = example.de, Value=185.199.110.153, TTL=default
Type = A, Name = example.de, Value=185.199.111.153, TTL=default

• Go back to GitHub account Settings>Pages and click on Verify. If everything is done right, you should get a positive message.
• Now, navigate to your repository page Settings > Pages. In the custom domain field, give example.de and verify
• Entering example.de in your browser should now redirect you to your website.

This article covers only the very basic steps in the setup. You need to edit the markdown files in the repo to configure your pages.