View on GitHub

GitHub Pages - Quick Start Guide
For Work Portfolio Hosting

Learn to create a website on GitHub Pages to host a work portfolio and feel confident and assured in showcasing your samples to future employers
By Jared Prewitt, Emilie Barnard, Christa Mitchell

Audience: Intended for novice website creators looking to host their content on GitHub Pages.

Prerequisites:

Navigation

Create a GitHub repository

A repository is a hosting location where README files written in Markdown will store your content to host as a work portfolio.

  1. Select Your account icon on the top right and choose Your repositories.
  2. Select New.
  3. Type your_GitHub_username.github.io under Repository name.

  4. Select Public.

    Note: A public repository is visible to anyone on the internet. Private is only visible to you and others you share with. Private repositories will impact GitHub Pages visibility as it will be unpublished and does not work with free accounts. You can change the repository from private to public anytime.

  5. Select Add a README file checkbox.
  6. Select Create repository. You will be redirected to your new repository.

README file use and work portfolio content

README file is the foundation for the GitHub Pages itself. Markdown language acts as the copy to configure content from plain text documentation and embed images from your work by uploading files.

Add text documentation

  1. Navigate to Your repositories and select your newly-created repository.
  2. Click the Pencil icon to edit the README file.
  3. Type your text with Markdown language to set up your content for employers to see.
  4. Select the Preview tab to see your work prior to publishing.

  5. Scroll to the bottom and select Commit changes.

    Note: It is optional to type a message about the changes made to your documentation.

  6. Navigate to your GitHub Pages site link to see the live changes. It may take several minutes to sync. You are done if you see your text!

Insert images

  1. Navigate to Your repositories and select your newly-created repository.

  2. Select Add File for your main repository and choose Upload files.

    Note: Create new file centers on creating a new file within the repository as a Markdown copy.

  3. Select an image file from your desktop to store in your repository.
  4. Select Commit changes.
  5. Navigate to your main repository. Right click on the image file and copy the link address.
  6. Click the Pencil icon to edit the README file.

  7. Type ![Name of file](Paste image file link here).

    Note: Edit the image file link from “blob” to “raw” on the README file if the image does not render on the Pages site after committing changes in step 9.

  8. Select the Preview tab to see your work prior to publishing.

  9. Scroll to the bottom and select Commit changes.

    Note: It is optional to type a message about the changes made to your documentation.

  10. Navigate to your GitHub Pages site link to see the live changes. It may take several minutes to sync. You are done if you see your image!

Note: To delete a file, click on the file name in your main repository and select the Trash Can icon next to the Download button. Select Commit changes and the file will be removed.

View your GitHub Pages site

Disclaimer: GitHub Pages creation and content changes can take several minutes to process. If you do not see your site link or see a 404-error message when visiting your GitHub Pages site, please wait for it to finish updating and try again.

  1. Select Settings in your repository.
  2. Navigate to Code and automation on the left and select Pages.
  3. Under GitHub Pages select Visit Site and you’ll be redirected to your new website.

Note: If the Visit Site option does not appear, you will need to add text or an image to your README file first. Steps on how to do this are in the README file use and work portfolio content section for adding text to documentation. Commits may take several minutes to sync.

Additional documentation