Learn about various deployment options for your Jekyll site and best practices for site maintenance.
By Kevin McAleer, 2 Minutes
Introduction
Deploying and managing a Jekyll site efficiently are crucial aspects of web development. This lesson will guide you through various deployment options and provide insights into maintaining and updating your site.
Part 1: Deployment Options
Jekyll sites can be deployed in several ways, depending on your preferences and needs.
GitHub Pages
A convenient and free way to host Jekyll sites.
Automatic build and deployment process when you push to your GitHub repository.
Netlify
Offers more customization options than GitHub Pages.
Provides features like continuous deployment, serverless functions, and form handling.
Traditional Web Hosting
For complete control, you can host your Jekyll site on any traditional web hosting service.
Requires manual build and upload process.
Part 2: Integrating with GitHub Pages
GitHub Pages is a popular choice for hosting Jekyll sites due to its simplicity and integration with Git repositories.
Setting Up
Create a repository for your Jekyll site on GitHub.
Push your site’s content to the repository.
Enable GitHub Pages in the repository settings.
Custom Domain
You can link a custom domain to your GitHub Pages site in the repository settings.
Part 3: Site Maintenance and Updating
Regular maintenance ensures your site runs smoothly and remains secure.
Keeping Jekyll Updated
Regularly update Jekyll and dependencies to their latest versions.
Use bundle update to update Gems in your project.
Backups and Version Control
Regularly backup your site.
Use version control (like Git) to track changes and rollback if necessary.
Conclusion
Deploying and maintaining a Jekyll site is straightforward but requires attention to detail. By following best practices, you can ensure your site remains secure, up-to-date, and performs well.