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Creating a static site connects a Git repository to Sevalla, sets how the site is built, and starts its first deployment right away. The site’s free <name>.sevalla.page domain starts serving it as soon as that deployment succeeds.

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Before you begin

  • The company has billing details and a valid payment method on the Billing page. Static sites are free up to the monthly allowances, but the dashboard asks for both before you create any service.
  • For a private repository, you have a GitHub, GitLab or Bitbucket account with access to it. You connect it during the steps; see Git providers.
  • You can create static sites in the company, or in the project you’ll put the site in. See Users and roles.
  • The company has fewer than 100 static sites.

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Create the static site

1

Open the create form

In the sidebar, click Static sites, then click Create static site. If the company has no static sites yet, click Create a static site.
2

Choose the source

Under Source, click Private repository for a repository on your GitHub, GitLab or Bitbucket account, or Public repository for any public Git URL.
3

Pick the repository and branch

For a private repository, click the Git provider (GitHub, GitLab or Bitbucket). If it isn’t connected yet, click Connect to GitHub (or GitLab, Bitbucket), finish in the new tab, and the form picks up the connection. Choose the Repository and the Branch.For a public repository, enter the Repository URL, for example https://github.com/acme/shop-site, and the Branch.
4

Choose how it deploys

For a private repository, leave Auto-deploy on to deploy every push to the branch. Turn on Pull request previews to build a preview of every other branch you push.
5

Name the site

Under Details, check the Name. It starts as the repository’s name. If your company has projects, choose a Project.
6

Check the build settings

Under Build settings, check the Build command and Publish directory. When Sevalla recognizes the framework, it fills them in and shows Framework detected with its name. If the repository already holds the finished files, turn off Build site before publishing.
7

Add environment variables

Optional. Under Environment variables, add the keys and values the build needs, or click Import .env.
8

Create it

Check the summary and the estimated cost, then click Create static site.
The site opens on its Overview tab and its first deployment starts. When the deployment shows Deployed, the site’s status changes to Live: click Visit site to open it. To follow the build, click the deployment under Recent deployments; see Deployments.

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Form fields

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Source

A site built from a public repository can’t deploy automatically or preview branches: deploy it by hand. You can switch it to a private repository later with Update source.

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Details

Sevalla also derives the site’s permanent name from the display name: lowercase, special characters and leading digits removed, spaces turned into hyphens, cut to 27 characters, plus a random suffix. For example, Acme shop becomes acme-shop-k3x9p, and the site’s default domain is acme-shop-k3x9p.sevalla.page. You can update the display name later; the permanent name never changes.

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Build settings

For a private repository, Sevalla reads package.json on the chosen branch and fills in the build command, publish directory and Node version for the frameworks it recognizes. See Framework detection for the list, and Build settings for what each field does.
With the build on and the Publish directory empty, Sevalla publishes the whole root directory after the build, source files included (except .git, node_modules and .env files). Set the publish directory to your build’s output folder, such as dist.

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Environment variables

Add a Key and a Value per row. Click Add another for more rows, click Import .env to load a .env file, or paste a .env file’s contents into a key field. With Pull request previews on, choose whether the variables apply to Production, Preview or both (both are selected). Without previews, the variables apply to production. See Environment variables.

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Summary

The summary card shows the Source, Branch, Name, Project (when the company has projects) and Build command, the estimated monthly cost, and the company’s payment method. The estimate is $0.00: bandwidth up to 100 GB and builds up to 600 minutes a month are free per company, and the card lists the price beyond each allowance, tax included.

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What happens next

  • The first deployment of the default branch starts as soon as the site exists. It shows on the Overview and Deployments tabs with the trigger Manual.
  • Git LFS is on, pretty URLs are off, and every push to the default branch deploys (no deploy paths). Change these on the Settings tab.
  • The <name>.sevalla.page domain starts serving the site when its first deployment succeeds. To add your own domain, see Custom domains.
If creating the site fails with Repository not found for URL "<url>", Sevalla can’t read the repository: check the URL of a public repository, or grant Sevalla access to the private one. See Troubleshoot static sites.

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API and CLI

The API also accepts an install command, deploy paths and a project; the CLI accepts deploy paths (--allow-deploy-paths, --ignore-deploy-paths) and a project (--project). Both start the first deployment automatically, like the dashboard.