How do you host a website on GitHub Pages?

How to publish

• Create a repository with your site's files, or with a build setup.
• Go to Settings, then Pages.
• Choose the source: deploy from a branch, for plain HTML, or GitHub Actions, for sites that need a build step.
• GitHub assigns a github.io address based on the account and repository names. Use the exact published address shown in Pages settings; a custom domain might instead be https://site.example/project.

Deploying a React or Vite app

• Use a GitHub Actions workflow that runs npm run build and publishes the output folder. GitHub provides starter workflows for common tools.
• For a project site under /repository/, set the base path in your build config, such as base in vite.config, or assets will load from the wrong path.
• GitHub Pages has no single-page app fallback. Client-side routes return 404 on direct visits unless you use a 404.html workaround or hash-based routing.

Custom domain and HTTPS

• Add the domain in the Pages settings, which writes a CNAME file to the repository.
• At your DNS provider, point www with a CNAME to account.example, and the bare domain with A records to GitHub's Pages IP addresses listed in the documentation.
• Verify the domain in your account settings to prevent takeover.
• Tick Enforce HTTPS once the certificate is issued.

Limits to know first

• Static files only: no server code, no database, no server-side API keys.
• Published sites may be no larger than 1 GB, with a soft bandwidth limit of 100 GB per month and a soft limit of 10 builds per hour.
• Free for public repositories. Pages from private repositories need a paid GitHub plan.
• GitHub's terms say Pages is not intended as free hosting for an online business, e-commerce site or software as a service.

Everything in a GitHub Pages site, and in a public repository, is public. Never commit API keys, even in a file you think is not served.

What a scan can and cannot tell you

WebAuditOS checks a GitHub Pages site like any other: HTTPS and redirects, a sitemap, a real 404 for unknown URLs, and everything else on the page.

It does not see your repository or workflow, so it cannot tell you a build failed. It can only see that the site did not change.

If a scan finds 404s on routes that work when you click through the app, the missing single-page app fallback is the cause.

Short answers

Is GitHub Pages free? Yes, for public repositories.

Can GitHub Pages run a backend? No. Use a backend service or another host for server code.

Can I use my own domain? Yes, with free HTTPS.

Why do my React routes 404 on GitHub Pages? Pages has no fallback to index.html. Use a 404.html workaround or hash routing.