How to Upload Your First HTML Website to Your Hosting Account

So, you’ve built your first HTML website. Congratulations! It looks great on your computer, but the real magic happens when you share it with the world. To do that, you need to upload your HTML website to hosting. This guide will walk you through the essential steps, making the process straightforward even if you’re a complete beginner.

Uploading your website means transferring all your website files – your HTML documents, CSS stylesheets, JavaScript files, images, and any other assets – from your local computer to a web server. This server is provided by your web hosting company and is connected to the internet, allowing anyone with your website’s address (domain name) to access your files and view your site.

What You Need Before Uploading Your HTML Website

Before you can start the upload process, ensure you have a few key things ready:

• Your Website Files: All the files and folders that make up your HTML website. Make sure your main page is named `index.html` (or sometimes `index.htm`, `default.html`, etc., depending on server configuration, but `index.html` is standard). This is usually the file the server looks for automatically when someone visits your domain.
• Web Hosting Account: You need space on a web server. If you haven’t chosen one yet, shared hosting is a popular and affordable choice for beginners. You can learn more in our guide: What is Shared Hosting and Is It Right for Your First Website?
• Domain Name: Your website’s address on the internet (e.g., yourwebsite.com). Ensure your domain name is pointed correctly to your hosting account’s servers. We have a tutorial for this too: How to Point Your Domain Name to Your Web Host.
• Login Credentials: You’ll need the login details for your hosting account, specifically for FTP/SFTP access or access to your hosting control panel (like cPanel or Plesk).

Methods to Upload Your HTML Website to Hosting

There are a couple of primary ways to get your files from your computer to your web server:

1. Using an FTP or SFTP Client

FTP (File Transfer Protocol) and SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol) are standard ways to transfer files between computers over a network. SFTP is generally more secure as it encrypts the connection.

What you need:

• An FTP/SFTP client software. Popular free options include FileZilla (filezilla-project.org), Cyberduck (for Mac and Windows), or WinSCP (for Windows).
• Your hosting FTP/SFTP credentials: Hostname/Server Address, Username, Password, and Port (usually 21 for FTP, 22 for SFTP). You can find these in your hosting account’s dashboard or welcome email.

Steps using an FTP client (like FileZilla):

1. Download and install your chosen FTP client.
2. Open the client. You’ll typically see fields for Host, Username, Password, and Port.
3. Enter the credentials provided by your hosting provider.
4. Click “Quickconnect” or “Connect”. If successful, you’ll see your local computer’s files on one side and the server’s files on the other.
5. Navigate the server side to the root directory where your website files should go. This is commonly named public_html, www, or htdocs. Your hosting provider’s documentation will confirm the exact directory.
6. On the local side, navigate to the folder containing your website files.
7. Select all the files and folders you want to upload from your local site window.
8. Drag and drop them into the correct directory (e.g., public_html) on the remote server side window. Alternatively, right-click the selected files and choose “Upload”.
9. The client will show the progress of the file transfer. Wait for it to complete.

[Hint: Insert image/video of an FTP client interface showing local and remote sites]

Once the upload is finished, your HTML website files are now on the server!

2. Using Your Hosting Provider’s File Manager

Most web hosting providers offer a web-based control panel (like cPanel, Plesk, or a custom panel) that includes a File Manager. This allows you to manage your server files directly through your web browser, without needing separate software.

What you need:

• Login access to your hosting account’s control panel.

Steps using a File Manager (common in cPanel):

1. Log in to your hosting account’s control panel.
2. Find and click on the “File Manager” icon.
3. Navigate to the correct root directory for your website, typically public_html.
4. Look for an “Upload” button or option within the File Manager interface.
5. Click “Upload”. A new window or area will open where you can drag and drop files or click a button to select files from your computer.
6. You can usually upload individual files or a zipped archive (`.zip`) of your entire website folder. Uploading a zip file and then extracting it on the server can sometimes be faster for many files.
7. Select your website files or the zip file and start the upload.
8. If you uploaded a zip file, right-click it in the File Manager after uploading and select “Extract”. Ensure it extracts into the correct public directory.

[Hint: Insert image/video of a File Manager interface in a hosting control panel]

Verifying Your Upload and Going Live

After uploading, open your web browser and type in your domain name. If your domain is pointed correctly and your files (including `index.html`) are in the right public directory, you should see your website! It might take a few minutes for changes to propagate globally due to DNS caching.

If you encounter issues, double-check the following:

• Did you upload the files to the correct directory (e.g., public_html)?
• Is your main HTML file named correctly (e.g., `index.html`) and placed directly in the root public directory, not inside another folder within it?
• Are file permissions set correctly? For most website files, permissions like 644 for files and 755 for folders are standard for security and accessibility. Learn more about permissions here: Understanding File Permissions (CHMOD).
• Has enough time passed for DNS changes if you recently pointed your domain?

Conclusion

Uploading your first HTML website to hosting might seem daunting, but with the right tools and a clear understanding of the process, it’s a manageable step. Whether you choose the flexibility of an FTP client like FileZilla or the convenience of your hosting provider’s File Manager, the goal is the same: to transfer your files to the designated public directory on your web server.

By following these steps, you’ve successfully taken your project from your local machine to the global internet. Now you can share your creation with friends, family, or anyone around the world!

For more tips on managing your first website, check out our related article: Common Web Hosting Problems and How to Fix Them.