A safe static-site update is a release process: prepare the files locally, deploy one complete ZIP, verify the public result, and keep the previous release available for rollback. Avoid editing a live site file by file.

Before deploying

  1. Copy the currently working project to a dated folder or commit it to Git.
  2. Make changes locally and test the main pages.
  3. Build a new publish folder with a root index.html.
  4. Give changed CSS and JavaScript a new filename if your build tool does not already hash them.
  5. Compress the publish folder’s contents into a new ZIP.

Deploy one complete release

Upload the new archive from the site’s deploy screen. The archive should include every file the new HTML references. A partial ZIP that omits an old image or stylesheet is a common cause of a broken live page.

Verify immediately

  • Open the home page in a private window.
  • Open an internal page directly.
  • Test the most important action: contact form, sign-up link, or checkout link.
  • Open DevTools Network and look for 404s or JavaScript errors.
  • Test on a phone-sized viewport.

If the release is wrong

Roll back to the previous working deployment first. Then diagnose locally, rebuild the complete ZIP, and deploy again. This preserves uptime for visitors and keeps the fix process calm instead of trying to repair a broken public release under pressure.