What Netlify means
Netlify offers global CDN hosting, deploy previews, forms, serverless functions and automatic SSL. It is popular for Jamstack and Next.js sites.
Why it matters for your website
Platforms like Netlify can make sites fast and secure by serving pages from a global network without a traditional server to manage. Every change pushed to Git can build and deploy automatically, which cuts down on manual uploads and mistakes. It suits static and modern framework sites more than traditional PHP sites like WordPress.
Example
A photographer's portfolio is built with a static site generator and hosted on Netlify. When she adds a new gallery and pushes to GitHub, the site rebuilds and goes live in minutes.
Tips
- Use deploy previews to check changes on a test link before they go live.
- Store API keys in environment variables, not in your code.
- Review usage limits on your plan so traffic spikes or builds don't surprise you.
Common mistakes
- Expecting to run a standard WordPress install directly on Netlify.
- Forgetting to set up redirects when moving pages from an old site.
Questions about Netlify
What is Netlify?
A hosting platform for static and modern web sites that builds and deploys from Git.
Can I use a custom domain with Netlify?
Yes. You can point your domain to Netlify with DNS records or use Netlify's DNS, and it can provide a free HTTPS certificate.
Does Netlify handle forms?
Netlify offers built-in form handling for HTML forms, so simple contact forms can work without a separate back end.
