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For a static website, the simplest GitLab-native deployment route is GitLab Pages: a CI/CD pipeline builds your site, publishes the generated files, and makes them available at a Pages URL. This applies to static sites and frameworks configured to produce static output—not applications that need a server to run dynamically. For a dynamic app or a different hosting provider, use a deployment job aimed at that target instead.
Choose the right GitLab deployment method
| Deployment need | GitLab approach |
|---|---|
| Static HTML or a framework build that outputs static files | GitLab Pages, using a CI/CD Pages job to publish the build output. GitLab Pages documentation. |
| Dynamic application or a separate hosting target | A general CI/CD deployment job and environment configured for that target. GitLab’s environments documentation describes deployment environments. |
Pages publishes static files; it does not turn a server-dependent application into a static site. Confirm that your framework supports static output and identify its generated directory before configuring Pages.
Set up a GitLab Pages deployment
- Confirm the build output. Run or inspect your site build and identify the directory containing the finished HTML, stylesheets, scripts, and other assets. The Pages setup UI expects the published output at the repository root-level
publicpath. You can generate that directory in CI rather than commit it. - Check Pages and runner availability. On GitLab.com, instance runners are enabled by default. On a self-managed GitLab instance, an administrator must configure Pages and provide the necessary setup. See GitLab’s Pages administration documentation.
- Add a Pages job. For an existing project, use a suitable Pages CI/CD template or configure the job yourself. GitLab’s template guidance covers popular static-site generators and plain HTML: Pages CI/CD templates. The Pages setup UI can also generate configuration and submit it in a merge request; see Set up Pages through the UI.
- Configure the current publish path. Make the job build your site and publish the generated files using the Pages configuration. In current syntax, put
publishunder thepagesjob configuration. GitLab notes that top-levelpublishwas deprecated in GitLab 17.9; use the current Pages YAML reference. - Commit or merge the configuration and watch the pipeline. In GitLab, open Build > Pipelines and confirm the pipeline completes successfully. Then check Deploy > Pages for the active site URL. GitLab notes that the site can take a few minutes to become available after the pipeline finishes.
- Check the URL path and generator settings. A project site is normally hosted below the namespace and project slug, while a user or group site uses the domain root. If your project URL is nested, set your static generator’s base URL to match its project path; otherwise, asset and navigation links may point to the wrong location. See GitLab Pages URL and setup guidance.
- Configure a custom domain only if you need one. GitLab.com Pages supports custom domains and TLS. On self-managed installations, the administrator may need to configure the Pages domain, DNS, network topology, and certificates. Follow GitLab’s custom-domain and TLS guide.
Choose the Pages URL shape before troubleshooting links
A project Pages site is generally served from a path that includes the project slug. That is different from a site served from the root of a domain, as is typical for user or group sites. Set your generator’s base URL to the actual Pages path so that links to CSS, scripts, images, and internal pages resolve correctly. GitLab’s Pages getting-started guidance explains the URL arrangements.
Fix common deployment problems
- The pipeline passes, but no site appears: Verify in Deploy > Pages that a Pages URL is active, and allow a few minutes after pipeline completion for availability.
- The Pages job cannot find the site files: Check that the build actually creates the directory configured for publishing. If you used the setup UI, confirm the output is at the repository root-level
publicpath. - The page loads without styles, images, or working internal links: Check whether the project is hosted under a subpath, then update the static generator’s base URL to match.
- A YAML example uses a top-level
publishsetting: Update it to the current nestedpages.publishconfiguration. GitLab deprecated top-levelpublishin version 17.9. - A self-managed site has a domain or TLS problem: Ask the GitLab administrator to check the Pages daemon configuration, DNS, network requirements, and certificate setup; these are instance-level dependencies.
Handle pipeline credentials carefully
If your deployment automation needs to access GitLab resources, a scoped deploy token may be appropriate. Grant only the access the job needs, store credentials in protected CI/CD variables, and check the documented scope limits for group tokens before relying on them. See GitLab’s deploy-token documentation.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Use Pages features only after checking instance behavior
GitLab Pages includes controls for branch rules, redirects, custom error pages, pre-compressed assets, and unique domains. Their behavior can depend on the instance and its configuration, so verify the current Pages settings for your GitLab environment before depending on a particular URL or subdomain arrangement. The Pages documentation describes available features.
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