A ZIP is a delivery format, not a website by itself. Browsers need extracted HTML, CSS, JavaScript, images, and fonts at public URLs. A ZIP-hosting workflow publishes those files in the right structure and gives them a live address.

What the archive should contain

Package the finished public site rather than the whole development project. A typical static archive contains index.html, an assets folder for CSS and JavaScript, and an images folder. index.html is the usual entry document for a directory URL. If it is buried inside folders, the server may not find the homepage.

index.html
assets/site.css
assets/app.js
images/logo.svg
images/hero.webp

Prepare the ZIP safely

  1. Build or copy finished browser files into a clean publish, dist, or public folder.
  2. Open index.html locally and check navigation, images, and the main call to action.
  3. Remove .env files, API keys, database exports, private notes, node_modules, and .git.
  4. Compress the contents of the publish folder. Avoid an accidental my-site/publish/index.html nesting.
  5. Open the completed ZIP once. You should see index.html immediately, or one obvious top-level website folder.

Deploy, then test the actual site

Upload the archive, wait for the deployment result, and open the supplied URL in a private browser window. Test an internal page as well as the home page. In DevTools → Network, failed CSS, JavaScript, or images will be shown as 404 requests.

SymptomLikely causeFix
404 at the homepageindex.html is missing or nestedRebuild the archive with publish contents at its root.
Unstyled pageWrong CSS path or filename caseMatch the HTML URL to the exact archive path.
Works locally, not liveLocal paths, source rather than build output, or server codeUse portable paths, publish generated files, and choose a compatible runtime for application code.

Know when a static ZIP is not enough

HTML, CSS, browser JavaScript, images, and downloads are static assets. PHP, Node, Python, databases, and server-side sessions require a host that explicitly runs that technology. Never assume that uploading a ZIP enables a backend runtime.

Final checklist

  • index.html is at the published root.
  • Every asset is included and uses a portable URL.
  • No credentials or private files are in the archive.
  • The live home page and an internal page work.
  • You retain the last working archive for a rollback.