FINAL PHASE

From a clean ZIP to the internet

You received an audited, cleaned build. Here is the exact path to a working website — read it fully before spending money.

Step 1. Domain

You already own a domain

  1. Decide where the site will live (Step 2) — the hosting gives you DNS records or nameservers.
  2. In your registrar's DNS panel add the records the hosting requires (usually an A record and a CNAME for www).
  3. Wait for DNS propagation (5 minutes to 48 hours) and check the HTTPS certificate is issued.

You don't have a domain yet

A domain costs roughly $10–15 per year for a .com. Buy it from any accredited registrar:

If your project lives in Lovable, a domain can also be bought and connected directly in Project Settings → Domains, without a separate registrar.

Step 2. Hosting — where the files will live

Static build (HTML/CSS/JS, no server code)

  • Netlify Drop — drag the ZIP onto the page, the site is live in a minute; free tier is enough to start
  • Vercel — best for Next.js projects
  • Cloudflare Pages — fast and free for static sites
  • GitHub Pages — free, if the code is already in a GitHub repository

Build with a backend (database, auth, payments)

A static host is not enough. Options: import the project into Lovable and publish it there (backend, auth and database included); or deploy on Render / Railway / a VPS — that variant requires a developer.

Step 3. The team you honestly need

Money is earned by people, not programs. Even a perfect build does not run itself. For one person several roles can be combined, but someone must cover each of them:

Product owner — you

Decides what the product does, talks to users, sets priorities. Cannot be delegated.

Developer (part-time is fine)

Applies audit fixes, connects payments and domains, reacts when something breaks. For a small project a few hours a week is enough.

Administrator

Watches hosting bills, domain renewals, backups, access and passwords. Often the same person as the developer.

Someone who brings users

Marketing, sales, community — without this role even a perfect product stays invisible.

Launch checklist

Before announcing the site

  • Audit passed: no exposed keys, no platform traces, no placeholders
  • Domain connected, HTTPS works on both www and the bare domain
  • Privacy policy, terms and cookie notice are on the site
  • A working contact channel (email or form) — test it yourself
  • A backup copy of the clean ZIP is stored in two places
  • Each team role above is assigned to a specific person

This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. Prices of registrars and hostings change — check current conditions on their sites.

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