Deploying via ZIP Files

Deploying from a ZIP file is the fastest way to get local HTML/CSS assignments live on the internet. It eliminates the need for Git setup, CLI terminals, or file transfer protocols (FTP).

Requirements and Constraints

To ensure your ZIP file deploys correctly, verify it complies with these rules:

HTML Entry Point: Your archive must contain an index.html file located directly at the root of the ZIP.
Size Limit: Maximum file size is 10 MB. Large audio, video, or database files should be hosted externally (e.g., using YouTube embeds, Google Drive, or Cloudinary).
No Double Nesting: Do not ZIP the parent folder itself. ZIP the *contents* of the folder.

Incorrect Structure:

my-project.zip
└── my-project/ (nested folder)
    ├── index.html
    ├── style.css
    └── script.js

Correct Structure:

my-project.zip
├── index.html
├── style.css
└── script.js

Step-by-Step Deploy Guide

Step 1: Uploading the Archive

On your ClassHost dashboard, click Deploy Existing Code and select Upload ZIP. Drag your ZIP archive directly into the drop zone, or browse your device storage to select it.

Step 2: Browser Extraction

ClassHost extracts the ZIP file completely in the client's browser using a JavaScript-based zip parser. It lists all files found inside. Review this list to ensure files like images, CSS stylesheets, and JS scripts are mapped correctly.

Step 3: Naming Your Repository

Provide a slug name for your project (e.g. portfolio-website). This name will form the URL of your site:

https://yourusername.github.io/portfolio-website/

Step 4: Select Visibility

Choose how your project is shown in ClassHost galleries:

Public: Visible on the Explore page and student profiles. Anyone can view and remix.
Unlisted: Accessible to anyone with the URL, but hidden from public feeds.
Private: Only visible to you and your teacher (for classroom assignment submissions).

Step 5: Commit and Wait

Click Start Deploy. ClassHost base64-encodes the files and submits them to GitHub via a single commit.

Dealing with the 404 Error: GitHub Pages takes 30 to 120 seconds to compile your code and build the CDN cache. If your live site link returns a 404, simply wait and refresh your browser. You can check the build status indicator directly in ClassHost.

Deploy from ZIP File