Deployment Guide for poulos.house

Current Status

✅ Site is built and tested locally ✅ Git repository initialized with initial commit ⏳ Ready to deploy to GitHub Pages ⏳ DNS configuration needed

Step 1: Create GitHub Repository and Push

1. Create a new GitHub repository:
   • Go to https://github.com/new
   • Repository name: www_campaign (or poulos-house)
   • Description: “Campaign website for Poulos for Congress”
   • Keep it Public (required for free GitHub Pages)
   • Do NOT initialize with README, .gitignore, or license (we already have these)
   • Click “Create repository”
2. Add GitHub as remote and push:

   cd /media/jason/Dropbox/github/www_campaign
   
   # Add your GitHub repository as remote (replace USERNAME with your GitHub username)
   git remote add origin https://github.com/USERNAME/www_campaign.git
   
   # Rename branch to main (GitHub's default)
   git branch -M main
   
   # Push to GitHub
   git push -u origin main
   

Step 2: Enable GitHub Pages

1. Configure GitHub Pages:
   • Go to your repository on GitHub
   • Click Settings → Pages (in left sidebar)
   • Under “Source”:
     • Branch: Select main
     • Folder: Select / (root)
   • Click Save
2. Wait for deployment:
   • GitHub will build and deploy your site (usually takes 1-2 minutes)
   • You’ll see a notification: “Your site is published at https://USERNAME.github.io/www_campaign/”
   • The CNAME file will tell GitHub to use poulos.house as the custom domain

Step 3: Configure DNS for poulos.house

You need to configure your DNS records at your domain registrar (wherever you purchased poulos.house).

Option A: Using Apex Domain (poulos.house)

Add the following A records pointing to GitHub Pages:

Type: A
Name: @
Value: 185.199.108.153

Type: A
Name: @
Value: 185.199.109.153

Type: A
Name: @
Value: 185.199.110.153

Type: A
Name: @
Value: 185.199.111.153

Also add a CNAME record for www subdomain:

Type: CNAME
Name: www
Value: USERNAME.github.io

Option B: Using www Subdomain (www.poulos.house)

If you prefer www.poulos.house as primary:

Type: CNAME
Name: www
Value: USERNAME.github.io

Type: A (for apex redirect)
Name: @
Value: 185.199.108.153
(repeat for all 4 IPs above)

DNS Configuration Examples by Provider:

Namecheap:

1. Login → Domain List → Manage → Advanced DNS
2. Add the A records and CNAME as shown above
3. TTL can be set to “Automatic” or “1 min” for faster propagation

GoDaddy:

1. My Products → Domains → DNS
2. Add records as shown above

Cloudflare:

1. DNS tab → Add record
2. Add the records (leave proxy status as “Proxied” for SSL benefits)

Step 4: Configure Custom Domain in GitHub

1. After DNS records are added (allow up to 48 hours for propagation, usually much faster):
   • Go to GitHub repository → Settings → Pages
   • Under “Custom domain”, enter: poulos.house
   • Click Save
2. Enable HTTPS (recommended):
   • Wait a few minutes for DNS to verify
   • Check the box “Enforce HTTPS”
   • GitHub will automatically provision an SSL certificate

Step 5: Verify Deployment

1. Check DNS propagation:

   # Check if DNS is resolving
   dig poulos.house
   
   # Should show GitHub Pages IPs
   

2. Test the site:
   • Visit https://poulos.house
   • All pages should load correctly
   • Check that Google Analytics is tracking (use browser dev tools → Network tab)
   • Test mobile responsiveness (browser dev tools → Device toolbar)

Updating the Site

After making changes:

cd /media/jason/Dropbox/github/www_campaign

# Make your edits to files...

# Stage and commit changes
git add .
git commit -m "Description of changes"

# Push to GitHub
git push origin main

GitHub Pages will automatically rebuild and deploy within 1-2 minutes.

Troubleshooting

DNS not resolving

• DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to propagate worldwide
• Check DNS with: dig poulos.house or nslookup poulos.house
• Use online tools: https://www.whatsmydns.net/

GitHub Pages not building

• Check repository → Actions tab for build errors
• Ensure CNAME file contains only: poulos.house
• Verify _config.yml has correct url: http://poulos.house

HTTPS certificate issues

• Wait 24 hours after DNS configuration for cert provisioning
• Remove and re-add custom domain in GitHub settings
• Ensure DNS is pointing correctly to GitHub IPs

Site shows 404

• Check that GitHub Pages is enabled on the main branch
• Verify CNAME file exists in root directory
• Check that build completed successfully in Actions tab

Additional Resources

• GitHub Pages Documentation
• Configuring Custom Domain
• Jekyll Documentation

Support

For technical issues with the site, contact: jason@poulos.house