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Static by default

How to publish a Jekyll site

Jekyll builds a finished site into _site. Publishing it somewhere other than GitHub Pages is mostly a matter of running that build yourself first.

Build command
bundle exec jekyll build
Folder to upload
_site
Upload your _site folder How it works

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.droply.id

  1. Build the project

    Run bundle exec jekyll build in the project folder. This is the step Droply does not do for you: we publish finished pages, we never run your build.

  2. Find the output folder

    The build writes a finished site to _site. That folder, not the project folder, is what gets uploaded.

  3. Drag it in

    Drop the folder (or a ZIP of it) into Droply. It is live on an HTTPS droply.id subdomain in seconds, and re-uploading publishes a new version at the same URL.

Worth knowing about Jekyll

  • Build with JEKYLL_ENV=production in front of the command. The default environment is development, and themes commonly hide analytics, comments and SEO tags outside production, so a site built without it can be missing exactly the tags you wanted.

  • Set url in _config.yml to where the site will live and leave baseurl empty. baseurl is for a site served from a subfolder, which a subdomain is not.

  • Run it through Bundler (bundle exec) rather than a bare jekyll, so the build uses the gem versions pinned in your Gemfile.lock instead of whatever is installed globally.

  • GitHub Pages allows a restricted plugin set. A site that builds locally with extra plugins is fine here, because you upload the result rather than ask anyone to rebuild it.

Did an AI tool build this project?

Hosting an AI-generated website covers the question that comes before the build command: whether what you are holding is a single file or a project, and which of the two every tool actually hands back.

Frequently asked questions

Does Droply build my Jekyll project for me?
No, and it never will. Droply publishes finished static files. Running your build would mean running your dependencies on our servers, which is a different and much riskier product. Build locally or in your existing CI, then upload the result.
Which folder do I upload?
The _site folder that bundle exec jekyll build creates, not the project folder. Upload it directly or ZIP it first; both work.
What happens when I update the site?
Build again and upload again. The new version replaces the old one at the same URL, so a link you have already shared keeps working. The Pro, Business and Enterprise plans keep a version history you can roll back to in one click.
Can I use my own domain?
Yes, on the Pro, Business and Enterprise plans. Point your domain at Droply, and the certificate is issued and renewed automatically.
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