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Sanchit Dikshit
Sanchit Dikshit

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How I Built a Fully Private Portfolio Using GitHub and Cloudflare — For Free

#github #cloudflarechallenge #webdev #portfolio

A complete guide to deploying a portfolio site from a private GitHub repo using Cloudflare Pages, DNS, HTTPS, redirects, and DNSSEC — with zero cost and maximum security.

Why I Built this

I wanted a clean, secure, and professional online presence:

  • Without exposing my GitHub code
  • Without paying for hosting or domain-linked mail servers
  • Without sacrificing speed, reliability, or security
  • This setup delivers on all of that.

Goals

✅ Deploy from a private GitHub repo
✅ Use a custom domain with full HTTPS
✅ Enforce DNSSEC and redirect rules
✅ Host everything 100% free

Step-by-Step Setup

Create & Push Your Portfolio Repo

  • Initialize a private GitHub repo named portfolio
  • Add your static site files (index.html, images, etc.)
  • Add a CNAME file with your custom domain (e.g., www.example.com)

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Deploy via Cloudflare Pages

  • Go to pages.cloudflare.com
  • Click Create Project → Select your private repo
  • Choose "None" as the framework, set output directory as .
  • Deploy

✅ You now have a live site at https://your-project.pages.dev

Transfer DNS to Cloudflare

  • Add your domain to Cloudflare
  • Let it scan for existing records (optional)
  • Update your domain's nameservers in Namecheap to the ones Cloudflare gives you (e.g., dion.ns.cloudflare.com)

Add DNS Records

In Cloudflare DNS:

  • Add a CNAME: 
Name: www
Value: your Pages URL (e.g., `your-project.pages.dev`)
Proxy status: DNS only (important)
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  • Add an A record: 
Name: @
Value: 192.0.2.1 (dummy IP to enable redirect)
Proxy status: Proxied
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Add a Custom Domain to Pages

  • In Cloudflare Pages → Your Project → Custom Domains
  • Add www.example.com
  • Choose "My DNS provider"
  • Verify CNAME setup
  • Enable HTTPS (Cloudflare will issue a free cert)

Redirect example.com to www.example.com

  • Go to Rules → Page Rules
  • Add two rules: 
http://example.com/* → Forward to https://www.example.com/$1
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https://example.com/* → Forward to https://www.example.com/$1
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Enable DNSSEC

  • In Cloudflare → DNS → DNSSEC → Enable
  • Copy the DS record Cloudflare gives you
  • Go to Namecheap → Domain → Advanced DNS → DNSSEC → Add DS Record
  • Paste the values from Cloudflare

✅ Now your domain is cryptographically signed

Why This Matters

In 2025, you shouldn’t have to:

  • Pay for basic static hosting
  • Expose your GitHub repo just to host a site
  • Settle for a default pages.dev domain
  • Compromise on security or speed

This setup checks all the boxes:

✅ Zero cost
✅ Zero code exposure
✅ 100% secure
✅ 100% under your control

Final Result

Accessible at: https://www.example.com

  • Private GitHub powered
  • HTTPS + DNSSEC secured
  • Lightning-fast via Cloudflare

Want Help Doing the Same?

Drop a comment or connect on X/LinkedIn — happy to help others set this up.
If this guide helped you, please react, save, or share to support more privacy-first builders.

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