Right now, only you can see your website
Be honest: your website is great, but it’s running on localhost or on a GitHub Pages address with a weird name. The project boss is going to change that. By the end of this level, your website will:
- have its own address (like
myschool.com), - have the lock icon of HTTPS,
- be fast, even on an old phone,
- and update itself every time you push a change to GitHub.
All of this together is called deploying to production – turning a project into a product that real people actually use.
Show me: what separates a project from a product
| Project (now) | Product (after Level 6) |
|---|---|
| localhost:3000 | your own domain |
| ”it works on my machine” | works for everyone, always |
| uploading by hand | push = deployed automatically |
| no idea who’s looking | you can see visitor numbers |
| http | https with a lock icon |
Why is it called production? Programmers separate their work into environments: development (your computer, where you can break things) and production (the live website, seen by the world). The pros have a saying: “Don’t touch production on a Friday afternoon.” 🙂
Now it’s your turn 💪: plan your launch
Every good boss starts with a plan. Write down (in a file called LAUNCH.md in your project):
- What I’m launching – in one sentence, what your website does and who it’s for.
- Dream address – 3 ideas for a domain (we’ll check what’s available later).
- Who will use it – classmates? parents? your club?
- What must work on launch day – the 3 most important things.
🏫 School website – example plan
Launching: our school’s website with the schedule, events, and photos. Addresses: ourschool.com, myschool-site.com. Users: parents and classmates. Must work: schedule, contacts, photo gallery.
🙋 Personal website – example plan
Launching: my portfolio. Addresses: jakebuildswebsites.com, jake-smith.com. Users: friends, maybe an employer one day. Must work: intro, my projects, contact.
🌍 Travel journal – example plan
Launching: a trip journal with a map. Addresses: ourtrips.com, family-on-the-road.com. Users: family and friends. Must work: map, latest trip, photos.
⚽ Club website – example plan
Launching: our youth team’s website. Addresses: hawkseagles.com, youngeagles.com. Users: parents, players, opponents. Must work: match dates, roster, field map.
Check: You have a LAUNCH.md with all four parts of the plan. You know what production means, and you know what’s coming in this level.
What to take away from this lesson
- Deploying to production means putting your website on its own address, available to everyone, always.
- A launch needs a plan: what, for whom, what must work.
- In the next lesson, we’ll pick and register a domain.
© 2026 Ing. Martin Polak / AlgoRhino · Content usage terms