A ZIP file becomes a website only when its contents are arranged like a website first. The important rule is simple: index.html must be at the top level of the archive. ZipHost extracts the archive and looks for that file as the homepage.

1. Prepare the folder, not just the ZIP

Make a folder for the published files. It should contain the finished HTML, CSS, JavaScript, images, fonts, and other assets. Do not put your source files, editor settings, or private keys in it.

my-site/
├── index.html
├── about.html
├── assets/
│   ├── site.css
│   ├── app.js
│   └── logo.svg
└── images/
    └── hero.webp

Open index.html locally before uploading. Check that the browser title, images, navigation, and buttons work. This catches missing files before the deploy.

2. Make links portable

Use paths that make sense after the files are on a server. A local path such as C:\Users\me\Desktop\site\images\logo.png cannot work for a visitor. Prefer relative paths:

<link rel="stylesheet" href="assets/site.css">
<img src="images/hero.webp" alt="Product screenshot">
<script src="assets/app.js" defer></script>

3. Create the ZIP correctly

Open my-site, select its contents, and compress those files. A common mistake is uploading a ZIP that contains another wrapper folder:

Wrong: archive.zip → my-site/ → index.html
Right: archive.zip → index.html

ZipHost flattens a single top-level folder in normal deployments, but making the archive root explicit avoids surprises and makes the same ZIP portable to other hosts.

4. Upload and publish

  1. Create a site in the dashboard and choose a static site.
  2. Give it a clear name; it becomes part of the preview address.
  3. Upload the ZIP and wait for the deploy result.
  4. Open the supplied HTTPS URL in a private browser window.

A private window matters because it avoids an old cached CSS or JavaScript file making a new deploy look broken.

5. Test before sharing

  • Open the home page and one internal page directly.
  • Check that images and fonts load without 404 errors in browser DevTools.
  • Resize the browser or test on a phone.
  • Click the contact link, navigation, and any external links.
  • Confirm the URL starts with https://.

If the site does not appear

Start with the deploy log and confirm the archive has index.html at its root. Then check filename case: Logo.png and logo.png are different files on a Linux server. For a blank page, open the browser console; a JavaScript error often identifies the exact file and line.

Once the preview is correct, connect a custom domain from the site settings. Keep the preview URL until DNS and SSL are confirmed so you always have a working fallback.