Free publishing guide

Make your start page available anywhere.

Here we tell you how to make your start page available anywhere for free using GitHub Pages. For the simplest setup, rename your saved start page to index.html.

Not sure what to do? Ask AI to guide you

Copy this prompt into an AI assistant. It asks the AI to guide you one step at a time, use index.html, work out your final URL, write a README, and help you choose a shortcut.

Copy/paste AI prompt

I have created a personal start page as a standalone HTML file and I want to publish it with GitHub Pages so I can open it anywhere.

Please guide me step by step. Do not give all instructions at once. Ask me for one piece of information at a time and wait for my answer.

Important rule for simplicity:
- Help me rename my downloaded start page to index.html.
- Help me put index.html in the correct publishing location.
- If I publish from the repository root, index.html should be at /index.html.
- If I publish from /docs, index.html should be at /docs/index.html.

Help me with:
1. Checking whether I have a GitHub account.
2. Choosing a repository name for my start page.
3. Deciding whether to publish from the repository root or from a docs/ folder.
4. Renaming my exported start page to index.html.
5. Uploading index.html to the right place.
6. Enabling GitHub Pages in repository Settings → Pages.
7. Working out my final URL.
8. Creating a simple README.md that includes the live start-page URL and explains what the repository is for.
9. Choosing a shortcut method so I can open the start page quickly.

When calculating the URL, use this rule:
- For a normal project repository, the URL will usually be: https://USERNAME.github.io/REPOSITORY/
- For a special user site repository named USERNAME.github.io, the URL will usually be: https://USERNAME.github.io/

When writing the README.md, include:
- the live start-page URL
- what the repository is for
- where index.html is stored
- how I can update the page later

Ask me which shortcut system I want to use, for example:
- browser bookmark or bookmarks bar
- browser homepage/start page setting
- desktop shortcut
- phone/tablet “Add to Home Screen”
- a notes app, launcher app or shortcut manager

After each step, check that I have completed it before moving on.

Simple local use

Save your start page, save it somewhere safe, and set that file as your browser homepage or start page.

Use anywhere

Publish the saved start page as index.html in a GitHub Pages repository, then open it from your GitHub Pages address.

The simple rule: use index.html

GitHub Pages works most smoothly when the page you want people to see first is called index.html. Put that file at the top level of whichever folder GitHub Pages is publishing.

Publishing from repository root

Put your file here:

/index.html

This is often the simplest option for a repository that only contains your personal start page.

Publishing from /docs

Put your file here:

/docs/index.html

This is useful if your repository has other files but the website itself lives in docs/.

Basic GitHub Pages workflow

This is the practical version for a single exported start page.

Create a GitHub repository
For example, create a repository called my-start-page.
Rename your saved page
Rename the exported start page to index.html.
Upload index.html
Put it in the repository root, or inside docs/ if you choose /docs as your publishing folder.
Enable GitHub Pages
In repository settings, enable Pages and choose the branch/folder that contains your index.html.
Open it anywhere
Use the GitHub Pages URL on your desktop, tablet or phone.

What your URL will look like

For most people using a normal repository, the address follows this pattern:

Normal project repository

If your GitHub username is janebloggs and your repository is my-start-page, your address will usually be:

https://janebloggs.github.io/my-start-page/

Special user site repository

If your repository is named exactly like janebloggs.github.io, your address will usually be:

https://janebloggs.github.io/

README suggestion

Add a small README.md to your repository so you remember what it is and where the live start page is.

# My Start Page

Live start page: https://USERNAME.github.io/REPOSITORY/

This repository publishes my personal browser start page using GitHub Pages.
The page is a standalone HTML file created with Personal Start Page Creator.

Published file:
- index.html

To update it:
1. Edit the menu in the builder.
2. Save a new start page.
3. Rename it to index.html.
4. Replace the old index.html in this repository.

Make it easy to open

After publishing, choose the shortcut system that suits you. You might set the URL as your browser homepage, add it to the bookmarks bar, create a desktop shortcut, add it to your phone or tablet home screen, or use a launcher/shortcut app. The best option depends on your device and browser, so the AI prompt above asks which route you want to use.

Updating later

Keep your menu config JSON. When you want to change your menu, rebuild with it in the builder, save a new start page, rename it to index.html, and replace the old file in your repository.

Privacy note: if you publish a start page on GitHub Pages, the links on that page are public. Use local files for private menus.