Quick wins for a faster PC:
Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →You can build and publish a first website without buying a domain or renting hosting. Start with a small purpose, write the page in HTML, style it with CSS, and add JavaScript only if the site needs an interaction. For a simple portfolio or informational site, GitHub Pages can publish those static files from a repository; WordPress is a better fit when managing pages and posts is the priority.
What should your first website do?
Pick one clear purpose before opening an editor: for example, introduce yourself, present a project, or explain a service. A single well-organized page is enough to begin; a small site can also have a few pages if visitors need distinct sections of information.
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Sketch the page or pages and gather the text and images you intend to use. Planning the content first makes it easier to decide what the page needs and avoids building features before you know whether they serve the site. MDN’s beginner module recommends starting small and preparing assets before construction. MDN’s “Your first website” guide puts the goal plainly: “It’s not hard to make your own simple website online, so we’ll start there.”
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesBuild the page with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
Use HTML for structure and content
HTML describes the content and structure of a page: headings, paragraphs, links, and images. Start by putting the information in a sensible order and using elements that reflect what each piece of content is. The result is the basic page visitors can read before you add visual styling.
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Use CSS for appearance
CSS controls presentation: such as typography, spacing, colors, and layout. Add it after the content has a clear structure, then adjust the design to make the page readable and consistent rather than decorating every element independently.
Add JavaScript only when the site needs behavior
JavaScript can make a page interactive. A straightforward informational page does not need it to be a website, so leave it out until you have a specific behavior to implement. Keeping the first project small makes it easier to understand which layer is responsible when something needs changing.
MDN’s first-website module walks beginners through these roles and assumes access to a code editor and web browsers.
Preview the site and make practical revisions
Open the page in a browser as you work. Check the content, links, images, and layout—not just whether the files exist. Preview it in more than one browser and at a narrow viewport, such as a phone-sized window, to catch layout problems that a wide desktop view can hide.
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- Confirm that headings and paragraphs appear in the intended order.
- Follow each link and check that images load.
- Reduce the browser width and check for cramped text, overflow, or awkwardly stacked content.
- Make a change, refresh the preview, and verify the result before adding more features.
Publish a static site with GitHub Pages
For a site made of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files, GitHub Pages offers a route to publish directly from a GitHub repository. You choose the repository and configure its Pages publishing settings; GitHub documents optional build processes as well as publishing static files. The published site can use a GitHub-provided github.io address or a custom domain. See GitHub’s GitHub Pages documentation for the current setup and publishing options.
- Put the site files in a GitHub repository. Keep the HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and other static assets the published site needs together in the repository.
- Configure Pages for that repository. Use the repository’s Pages settings to select the publishing source and branch or build process supported by your project.
- Visit the published address and check the result. Confirm that the page and its assets load as expected. You can use the provided
github.ioaddress first and consider a custom domain later.
GitHub Pages is static hosting, not a general-purpose backend. A feature that depends on server-side code needs a separate solution; a static page alone does not provide arbitrary server-side processing.
When do you need hosting and a domain?
Hosting is where a site’s files or content are stored and served; a domain is the address visitors use to reach it. They are separate decisions. With a service-provided address such as GitHub Pages’ github.io address, you can publish a first static site without first buying a personal domain. MDN also documents free publishing options in its guide to publishing your website.
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A custom domain is an optional choice when you want a personal address. It is not a prerequisite for learning HTML, CSS, or publishing a first static project.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Choose between a hand-coded site and WordPress
The choice depends on what you want to learn and how you prefer to update the site. A hand-coded static site makes the files and their structure part of your work. WordPress gives you a content-management workflow for pages and posts, while requiring decisions about a host and address.
| Choice | Good fit | What you take on | Dynamic or server-side needs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hand-coded static site with GitHub Pages | Learning web fundamentals, a portfolio, or informational content that can be served as static files | Writing and updating the files, using a GitHub repository, and configuring Pages publishing settings | GitHub Pages serves static files; a backend-dependent feature needs a separate solution |
| WordPress | Managing a site’s pages and posts through WordPress | Choosing hosting and a site address, then learning WordPress’s content workflow | WordPress templates use database information to generate requested pages; specific feature requirements depend on the site setup |
These are different workflows rather than a universal ranking. If your main goal is to understand how a web page is built, hand-coding keeps HTML, CSS, and any JavaScript in view. If you would rather manage content through WordPress, its setup course explains the host as the place where pages, posts, images, and other content live, and the domain as the address visitors use. Start with WordPress Learn’s site-setup course; its guidance on creating and organizing pages covers pages and subpages, while templates use database information to generate requested pages.
Quick Recap
A sensible first-project checklist
- Choose one purpose and keep the initial scope to one page or a few necessary pages.
- Gather the text and images before coding.
- Use HTML for structure, CSS for visual presentation, and JavaScript only for a needed interaction.
- Preview the result in multiple browsers and at a narrow viewport.
- For a static site, publish through a suitable static-hosting route such as GitHub Pages; add a personal domain only if you want one.
- Choose WordPress when its page-and-post management workflow better matches how you want to maintain content.
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