Html website with custom domain

HTML plus a name people can type

You already have (or can write) HTML files. You want https://yourname.com to show them—not only a random preview hostname. This guide stitches plain HTML hosting to DNS and certificates without dragging in framework lore.

StaticHost serves your files over HTTPS on a preview URL immediately after upload. A custom domain gets its certificate after DNS verifies. There is no cPanel zone editor drama as the core workflow, no email product, no forever-free plan (trial ~1 day), and no SPA fallback if you later bolt on a client router. For multipage HTML, that last point rarely matters. Starter is $9/mo (1 site, 2 GB); Pro $30, Scale $65, Business $130 if you grow.

Step 1 — Make a clean HTML root

site/
  index.html
  about.html
  styles.css
  images/logo.svg

Links between pages use simple relative hrefs. Zip the contents of site/—zip a static site without 404. Beginner path: HTML hosting for beginners. Publishing mindset: how to publish HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files.

Step 2 — Deploy and trust preview

Create a site on Starter or during trial. Upload the zip. Open the HTTPS preview. Fix CSS/image paths until preview is something you would show a client. Deploy history covers mistakes.

Do not start DNS while preview is broken. Domain cutovers amplify file bugs. nginx will =404 missing paths; fix links as real files (about.html or about/index.html), not as invented router paths.

Step 3 — Choose hostnames

Decide:

• Apex only: example.com
• www only: www.example.com
• Both, with one canonical

Add the hostname(s) in StaticHost. Copy the DNS records the dashboard shows.

Step 4 — Edit DNS at the registrar

Create matching records. Remove stale A/CNAME values pointing at an old host if migrating. Wait for StaticHost to verify DNS. Verification failure usually means wrong values, incomplete propagation, or leftover conflicts.

Leave MX records alone unless you intend to move mail. StaticHost does not provide email; breaking MX is a self-inflicted outage beside your website project.

Step 5 — Wait for the certificate

After verification, the certificate for that hostname issues. Visit https://example.com and confirm the padlock. If assets were hard-coded to http://, fix mixed content—static hosting with free SSL. Broader domain procedure twin: static hosting with a custom domain.

Order of operations is always: HTTPS preview → DNS verify → certificate. Skipping ahead creates confusing “why isn’t SSL done” moments that are really DNS moments.

Step 6 — Post-cutover HTML checks

• Every navigation link works on the custom host
• Favicon loads
• Forms still post to their HTTPS endpoints
• No references to the old preview host in share meta tags (update and redeploy if needed)
• mailto: and phone links still work on mobile

Worked example: apex + www with a canonical home

You own northwind.example and want apex primary.

1. Deploy HTML; confirm preview.
2. Add northwind.example and www.northwind.example in StaticHost as instructed by the dashboard.
3. At the registrar, set the exact records shown (often an apex record plus a www CNAME—follow the dashboard, not a random blog).
4. Wait until both hostnames verify.
5. Confirm certificates on both.
6. Put a canonical link in HTML if you care about duplicate URL signals:

<link rel="canonical" href="https://northwind.example/" />

1. Redeploy that one-line change. Keep pages light—fast static site hosting.

Optional Git

If you maintain HTML in a repo, push the HTML itself (no build) and use git deploy a static site. StaticHost still will not compile anything—there is nothing to compile.

When not to rush a custom domain

• Preview still has broken CSS.
• You do not control DNS (client’s IT is on vacation).
• You planned to “test SSL” before pointing DNS—certificate waits on verification by design.
• Your HTML is actually a history-mode SPA—read host a single-page application first.

Failure table (HTML + domain)

Plans if you grow beyond one brochure

Pro $30 (3 sites, 10 GB, staging), Scale $65 (10×30 GB), Business $130 (30×100 GB, teams). No built-in CDN product. No WordPress on this host—if editing requirements demand WP, use a PHP host.

Extra procedure: migrate off an old host without mail pain

You already have HTML on Shared Host X and mail at the same registrar.

1. Deploy the HTML tree to StaticHost; perfect the HTTPS preview.
2. Inventory current DNS: apex, www, MX, TXT (SPF/DKIM), any CDN CNAMEs.
3. Add hostnames in StaticHost; copy only the records the dashboard requires for web.
4. Change web records; do not clear MX/TXT used for mail.
5. Wait for verification; confirm certificates on apex and/or www.
6. Spot-check links on the custom host; watch for mixed content.
7. Keep the old host warm until TTL drains; then cancel it.

If verification stalls, you usually have a conflicting leftover A/CNAME—not a certificate bug. Order remains HTTPS preview → DNS verify → certificate.

Canonical and sitemap hygiene after cutover

Update absolute URLs in canonical tags, sitemap.xml, and social meta to the custom host; redeploy. Leaving preview hostnames in share cards confuses scrapers for months. Multipage HTML with real files continues to play nicely with try_files $uri $uri/ =404. If you later bolt on a history-mode SPA, read host a single-page application before promising pretty paths.

Starter ($9, 1×2 GB) covers most single brochure domains. Pro ($30) adds staging for client approval builds. Scale ($65) and Business ($130) raise site counts and storage. No forever-free, no email product, no cPanel, no built-in CDN, no WordPress runtime.

Worked DNS wait script for nervous launches

1. Preview is green on StaticHost HTTPS.
2. Records pasted exactly from the dashboard; screenshot saved.
3. dig/nslookup shows the new targets (or registrar UI agrees).
4. Dashboard verification flips to verified—do not declare victory early.
5. Certificate appears; visit https:// on phone data, not only office Wi‑Fi.
6. Check MX still points at the mail vendor.
7. Redeploy HTML if canonical/share meta still advertise the preview host.

Skipping ahead to “why no SSL?” usually means step 4 was wishful. The pipeline is HTTPS preview → DNS verify → certificate, every time.

FAQ

Can I use a free subdomain from my registrar?

If StaticHost accepts that hostname and DNS can be pointed per the dashboard, yes.

How long does DNS take?

Minutes to hours. Plan launches with margin.

Do I need www?

No. Pick a canonical and stick to it.

Will email break when I change DNS?

If you change MX accidentally, yes. Edit only the records StaticHost asks for unless you intend to move mail.

Is HTML hosting different from static hosting?

HTML hosting is static hosting. The files happen to be hand-authored.