How to Host Personal Website On Google’s Servers For Free

Everyone now maintains a personal or portfolio website to display their information online. This post is perfect for you if you want to host your own personal website but don’t actually have the money for it.

You may host a basic website (created using HTML and CSS) on Google’s servers for free by following this short instruction. And it won’t take you more than an hour or three to finish this.

Although Google technically does not offer free hosting options, they do offer a Platform As A Service (PAAS) called Google App Engine (GAE). This tutorial demonstrates how to host a static HTML-CSS website on GAE’s servers using App Engine’s Static files functionality.

Learn more.

You will receive your own individual website at a personalised sub-domain address like this: your-custom-name>.appspot.com at the conclusion of this instruction. You can use it as a contact page, a way to reach out to potential customers, or an expansion

1. Make a personal website using a free HTML-CSS website template
2. Download and Install Python and GAE SDK
3. Sign up for Google App Engine
4. Create app at Google App Engine
5. Develop app using GAE Python SDK
6. Deploy/upload your custom app to GAE servers

I have a GAE-hosted website called atakapribot.appspot.com. It only requires 7 actions:

Task 1: Make a Personal Website

Let’s get started.

• I am Creative by EGrappler
• OnePager by EGrappler

It can be challenging and challenging to build a website from scratch, especially if you are not a dedicated web designer or an expert at writing tagged parts in HTML. But you can always work on a site template and make your own version of it. A few excellent, simple-to-edit, and Creative Commons-licensed website templates are included below:

Download the template from the aforementioned sites, unzip the files, then alter the index.html or other.html files to make the website template uniquely yours. You can edit these files with any text editor, such as Notepad or WordPad, although Notepad++ is the suggested and easier option. Save the file after adding your personal information, such as your name, skills, work, portfolio, and contact details.

Task 2: Get Python and GAE SDK

Alternately, you may try learning HTML5 and CSS if you want to improve your website. We offer many ofHTML5/CSS tutorialsto learn from. Please have a look.

• Python
• App Engine Python SDK

The next step is to download and install the tools listed below in order to edit and deploy programmes to GAE servers.

Task 3: Sign up for Google App Engine

Note:In order to avoid issues with the instruction, install the software with its default choices and settings.

• Go to appengine.google.com
• If you already have a Gmail account then move to next step, otherwise press the Create an account link and enter required details to create an account.

• Enter your account credentials and press Sign in button to access the GAE dashboard.

• Google App Engine will greet you with a welcome message.

Task 4: Create App at Google App Engine

Third in line, create a Google App Engine account. It merely takes a sign-in if you already have a Gmail account.

• Click the Create Application button.
• You may be asked to verify your account. Verify your account by following the on-page instructions.
• You will see the “Create Application” page as below:

• Enter the address you want in Application Identifier. This name will make your sub-domain address, e.g. your-name.appspot.com.
• Once given a name, application identifier cannot be changed. So, choose your application identifier wisely.
• Enter Application Title in the second text field. This name will be displayed when people access your app on the GAE.
• For Authentication Options, leave it in the default option (Open to all Google Account users).
• Click on Create Application button. You will see a page notifying “Application Registered Successfully” as below:

Task 5: Develop app using GAE Python SDK

You must now construct a GAE application.

• Open Google App Engine Launcher app on your system using Start menu or Start screen (if you are working on Windows 8).

• Open File menu > Create New Application. Alternatively, you can press the key combination Ctrl+N to create a new application in GAE Launcher.

• Enter your application identifier in the field of Application Name.
• Choose a local parent directory for your app by clicking on Browse button. Your app s directory will be created inside this directory.
• Leave the Port and Admin Port to default values.
• Click on Create button.

It’s time to use Python and the App Engine Python SDK to develop your GAE programme on your system.

• Choose your app in GAE Launcher.
• Click on Edit.
• Your app s “app.yaml” file will open in WordPad.
• Replace the whole text (delete old text and enter new text) with the following:

application: <your-app-name-here>
 version: 1
 runtime: python27
 api_version: 1
 threadsafe: yes
 handlers:

 - url: /
 static_files: www/index.html
 upload: www/index.html

 - url: /
 static_dir: www
 libraries:

 - name: webapp2
 version: "2.5.2"

• Replace <your-app-name-here> with your application identifier on the first line of this file.
• Save this file and close WordPad.

To change the settings for your local GAE app:

• Open the local parent directory of your GAE app.
• Open your app s directory.
• Delete the files named favicon.ico and main.py present in this directory.
• Create a new directory (or folder) named www inside this directory. (If you want to change this directory s name, you have to rename this directory and replace all www in your new directory s name in the app.yaml file.)
• Copy your website s files (all files and sub-directories inside its folders, e.g. index.html) to this wwwdirectory.

To add files to your local GAE app from your personal website:

Task 6: Deploy/Upload your custom app to GAE servers

Your app’s directory should contain two files (app.yamlandindex.yaml) and a subdirectory if everything works according to plan (www). The sub-directory www will hold your website s files and directories.

After creating your local GAE app, you must now deploy or publish it to the GAE servers.

• Choose your app in GAE Launcher.
• Click on Run.
• You will be shown your website in the web browser on your computer. (If you don t, backtrack and check to see if you followed the instructions in the tutorial correctly.)

To check the GAE app in your area:

• Choose your app in GAE Launcher.
• Click on Deploy.
• You will be asked for your gmail id and password. Enter your account s credentials and press OK.
• You will see a Python window detailing the progress of the upload operation. It will take some time to upload your app depending on your Internet connection s speed.

All done!

How to launch your GAE app: