06. Hosting & deployment
Getting your app from your laptop to the internet, and keeping it there. Covers domains, DNS, HTTPS, hosting providers (Vercel, Netlify), CDNs, environment variables, and the deploy pipeline.
Entries
| # | Entry | Status | One-line description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | What is hosting? | 🟩 COMPLETE | Renting a computer on the internet that runs your app for visitors |
| 2 | Domains and DNS | 🟩 COMPLETE | How stmarkbible.com finds the right server |
| 3 | HTTPS | 🟩 COMPLETE | Why the padlock exists and how certificates work |
| 4 | Vercel | 🟩 COMPLETE 🟦 LIVING | The Next.js hosting platform — git push → live site |
| 5 | Netlify | 🟩 COMPLETE 🟦 LIVING | Vercel’s main competitor — similar shape, different defaults |
| 6 | Cloudflare | 🟩 COMPLETE 🟦 LIVING | Massive CDN + DNS + edge platform — increasingly a hosting option too |
| 7 | CDNs | 🟩 COMPLETE | Edge caches that serve assets from servers near the user |
| 8 | Environment variables | 🟩 COMPLETE | Config and secrets that change between local/staging/production |
| 9 | CD | 🟩 COMPLETE | Continuous integration & delivery — the automated path from commit to deploy |
| 10 | Regions & edge | 🟩 COMPLETE | Why hosting region matters — and why edge functions are different |
Suggested reading order
1 → 2 → 3 → 4 → 8 → 7 → 9 → 10 → 5/6 (comparison shopping). Vercel + env vars is the day-to-day reality.