Deploy to Other Hosts

Deploy to Other Hosts

Netlify is the recommended host for ForgeDocs because it includes Identity and Git Gateway for Decap CMS. But you can deploy ForgeDocs to any static host.

This guide covers deployment to:

• Vercel
• Cloudflare Pages
• Firebase Hosting
• AWS S3 + CloudFront
• cPanel
• VPS (Ubuntu + Nginx)

Each section includes build settings and deployment steps.

Important: Decap CMS requires a Git-based backend with authentication. Netlify Identity + Git Gateway is the easiest setup. Other hosts can use Decap CMS with GitHub OAuth or another backend — but the setup is more involved. If you’re using Decap CMS, Netlify is recommended.

If you’re using Code Only, any static host works.

Common Build Settings

All static hosts use the same build settings:

Setting	Value
Build command	npm run build
Output directory	dist
Node version	18 or 20
Install command	npm install

Vercel

Vercel is a popular static host with a generous free tier.

Deploy via GitHub

1. Go to vercel.com/new
2. Sign in with GitHub
3. Click Import next to your forgedocs repository
4. Vercel auto-detects Astro. Verify:
   • Framework Preset: Astro
   • Build Command: npm run build
   • Output Directory: dist
5. Click Deploy

Your site is live at https://your-project.vercel.app.

Connect a Custom Domain

1. Go to your project → Settings → Domains
2. Enter your domain
3. Follow Vercel’s DNS instructions

Decap CMS on Vercel

Vercel does not include Identity or Git Gateway. To use Decap CMS:

• Use GitHub OAuth instead of Git Gateway
• Configure the OAuth app in GitHub settings
• Add backend: name: github in config.yml

The setup is documented in Decap CMS docs.

Cloudflare Pages

Cloudflare Pages is fast and free, with unlimited bandwidth.

Deploy via GitHub

1. Go to dash.cloudflare.com
2. Sign in or create an account
3. Click Workers & Pages → Create application → Pages → Connect to Git
4. Authorize Cloudflare to access GitHub
5. Select your forgedocs repository
6. Configure build settings:
   • Framework preset: Astro
   • Build command: npm run build
   • Build output directory: dist
7. Click Save and Deploy

Your site is live at https://your-project.pages.dev.

Connect a Custom Domain

1. Go to your Pages project → Custom domains
2. Click Set up a custom domain
3. Enter your domain
4. Follow Cloudflare’s DNS instructions

Decap CMS on Cloudflare

Cloudflare does not include Identity or Git Gateway. Use GitHub OAuth instead — same setup as Vercel.

Firebase Hosting

Firebase Hosting is Google’s static hosting service.

Prerequisites

• Node.js installed
• A Google account
• Firebase CLI installed:

npm install -g firebase-tools

Deploy Steps

1. Log in to Firebase:

firebase login

2. Initialize Firebase in your project:

firebase init hosting

When prompted:

• Project: create a new project or select an existing one
• Public directory: dist
• Single-page app: No
• Set up automatic builds with GitHub: optional
• Overwrite dist/index.html: No

3. Build your site:

npm run build

4. Deploy:

firebase deploy

Your site is live at https://your-project.web.app.

Connect a Custom Domain

1. Go to Firebase Console
2. Select your project
3. Go to Hosting → Add custom domain
4. Follow Firebase’s DNS instructions

Decap CMS on Firebase

Firebase does not include Identity or Git Gateway. Use GitHub OAuth instead.

AWS S3 + CloudFront

AWS S3 is a low-cost static host. CloudFront adds CDN and HTTPS.

Prerequisites

• An AWS account
• AWS CLI installed and configured

Deploy Steps

1. Build your site:

npm run build

2. Create an S3 bucket:

aws s3 mb s3://your-bucket-name

3. Enable static website hosting:

aws s3 website s3://your-bucket-name --index-document index.html --error-document 404.html

4. Upload files:

aws s3 sync dist/ s3://your-bucket-name --delete

5. Make files public:

aws s3api put-bucket-policy --bucket your-bucket-name --policy file://policy.json

Create policy.json:

{
  "Version": "2012-10-17",
  "Statement": [
    {
      "Sid": "PublicReadGetObject",
      "Effect": "Allow",
      "Principal": "*",
      "Action": "s3:GetObject",
      "Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::your-bucket-name/*"
    }
  ]
}

6. Access your site at:

http://your-bucket-name.s3-website-your-region.amazonaws.com

Add CloudFront (Recommended)

For HTTPS and global CDN:

1. Go to AWS Console → CloudFront → Create distribution
2. Origin domain: select your S3 bucket
3. Viewer protocol policy: Redirect HTTP to HTTPS
4. Default root object: index.html
5. Click Create distribution

Decap CMS on AWS

AWS does not include Identity or Git Gateway. Use GitHub OAuth instead.

cPanel

cPanel is a control panel used by many shared hosts. It works if your host allows Node.js builds or if you upload the built files.

Option 1 — Upload Built Files

1. Build your site locally:

npm run build

2. Zip the contents of dist/:

cd dist
tar -czf ../forgedocs-build.tar.gz .

3. Log in to cPanel
4. Open File Manager
5. Navigate to public_html/
6. Upload forgedocs-build.tar.gz
7. Extract it in public_html/

Your site is live at your domain.

Note: You’ll need to rebuild and re-upload every time you change content.

Option 2 — Node.js App (If Supported)

Some cPanel hosts support Node.js apps via Setup Node.js App. If yours does:

1. Go to Setup Node.js App → Create Application

2. Node.js version: 18 or 20

3. Application root: forgedocs

4. Application URL: your domain

5. Application startup file: leave blank

6. Click Create

7. Upload your project files to forgedocs/

8. Run:

cd forgedocs
npm install
npm run build

9. Point the document root to forgedocs/dist/

Decap CMS on cPanel

cPanel does not include Identity or Git Gateway. Use GitHub OAuth instead. This requires a backend server for OAuth — either a separate service or a serverless function.

VPS (Ubuntu + Nginx)

A VPS gives you full control. This guide uses Ubuntu 22.04 and Nginx.

Prerequisites

• A VPS with Ubuntu 22.04
• SSH access
• A domain pointed to your VPS IP

Step 1 — Install Node.js

curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_20.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt install -y nodejs
node --version

Step 2 — Install Nginx

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y nginx

Step 3 — Clone Your Project

cd /var/www
sudo git clone https://github.com/yourusername/forgedocs.git
cd forgedocs
sudo npm install
sudo npm run build

Step 4 — Configure Nginx

Create a new config file:

sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/forgedocs

Add:

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name your-domain.com www.your-domain.com;

    root /var/www/forgedocs/dist;
    index index.html;

    location / {
        try_files $uri $uri/ /404.html;
    }

    location ~* \.(jpg|jpeg|png|gif|ico|css|js|svg|webp|avif)$ {
        expires 1y;
        add_header Cache-Control "public, immutable";
    }

    gzip on;
    gzip_types text/plain text/css application/json application/javascript text/xml application/xml;
}

Enable the site:

sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/forgedocs /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl reload nginx

Step 5 — Add HTTPS with Let’s Encrypt

sudo apt install -y certbot python3-certbot-nginx
sudo certbot --nginx -d your-domain.com -d www.your-domain.com

Follow the prompts. Certbot auto-renews every 90 days.

Step 6 — Auto-Deploy on Git Push (Optional)

Create a deploy script:

sudo nano /var/www/forgedocs/deploy.sh

Add:

#!/bin/bash
cd /var/www/forgedocs
git pull
npm install
npm run build

Make it executable:

sudo chmod +x /var/www/forgedocs/deploy.sh

Add a GitHub webhook:

1. Go to your GitHub repo → Settings → Webhooks
2. Add webhook: https://your-domain.com/deploy
3. Set a secret

Then create a small Node.js server to handle the webhook, or use a service like webhook.site.

Decap CMS on VPS

VPS does not include Identity or Git Gateway. Use GitHub OAuth with a small backend — or use Decap CMS with a local backend if you only edit from your own machine.

Which Host Should You Choose?

Host	Free	Decap CMS	Best For
Netlify	Yes	✅ Easiest	Decap CMS users
Vercel	Yes	⚠️ GitHub OAuth	Next.js/Astro users
Cloudflare Pages	Yes	⚠️ GitHub OAuth	Speed-focused
Firebase	Yes	⚠️ GitHub OAuth	Google ecosystem
AWS S3	No	⚠️ Complex	Enterprise
cPanel	Depends	❌	Shared hosting
VPS	No	⚠️ Custom	Full control

Recommendation: Use Netlify if you’re using Decap CMS. Use Cloudflare Pages or Vercel if you’re using Code Only and want speed.

Common Issues

Build succeeds locally but fails on host

Check Node.js version. Set it to 18 or 20 in your host’s settings.

Site shows 404 on refresh

Configure your host to serve 404.html for unknown routes. For Nginx:

error_page 404 /404.html;

Assets have wrong paths

Verify site in astro.config.mjs matches your domain. Astro uses this to generate absolute URLs.

CSS/JS not loading

Check the build output directory. It should be dist, not public.

What’s Next

Now that you’re deployed, explore the Developer Guide:

→ Project Structure

→ Update JSON Data

→ Update Pages

Need Help?

If you’re stuck:

• Check the FAQ
• Email creativebydre@gmail.com
• For custom work, hire me on Fiverr