Why use GitHub Actions to deploy Jekyll instead of the built-in GitHub Pages builder?

GitHub's built-in builder only supports a fixed set of plugins and runs an older Jekyll version. GitHub Actions lets you use any gem, any Jekyll version, custom plugins, and advanced build steps. The workflow deploys to gh-pages branch which GitHub Pages then serves.

How do I connect a custom domain to GitHub Pages in 2026?

Create a CNAME file containing your bare domain (yourdomain.com) in the repo root. In your DNS provider, add an A record pointing @ to GitHub's four IPs (185.199.108.153, 185.199.109.153, 185.199.110.153, 185.199.111.153) and a CNAME record pointing www to .github.io. Then set the custom domain in the repo's Pages settings.

Does GitHub Pages enforce HTTPS on custom domains?

Yes. Once DNS propagates, enable 'Enforce HTTPS' in Settings > Pages. GitHub uses Let's Encrypt to issue and auto-renew a TLS certificate for your domain. This typically activates within 24 hours of correct DNS configuration.

Should the Cloudflare proxy (orange cloud) be on or off for GitHub Pages?

Keep it ON (proxied) for CDN caching, DDoS mitigation, and Cloudflare analytics. Set Cloudflare SSL/TLS to 'Full' (not Full Strict) to avoid certificate errors. Also set a page rule or Redirect Rule to redirect www to your apex domain for a single canonical URL.

How long does DNS propagation take after pointing to GitHub Pages?

With Cloudflare managing your DNS, propagation is typically near-instant globally. Without Cloudflare, allow up to 48 hours. You can verify resolution with: dig yourdomain.com A +short

Jekyll to GitHub Pages 2026: Actions & Cloudflare

GitHub Pages remains the best free static site host for developers in 2026. The catch: the built-in Jekyll builder is limited to a small set of allowed gems. The solution is a GitHub Actions workflow that builds Jekyll with full plugin support and deploys the output to GitHub Pages. This guide walks through the complete setup, from a blank repo to a custom domain served over HTTPS via Cloudflare.

Prerequisites

A GitHub account with a repository for your Jekyll site
A custom domain (optional but recommended)
A Cloudflare account (free tier is sufficient)
Ruby ≥ 3.1 and Jekyll ≥ 4.3 installed locally for testing

Step 1: Configure Jekyll for Production

Ensure _config.yml sets the correct URL:

yaml

# _config.yml
url: "https://yourdomain.com"
baseurl: ""
plugins:
  - jekyll-feed
  - jekyll-sitemap
  - jekyll-seo-tag

Add a Gemfile:

ruby

source "https://rubygems.org"
gem "jekyll", "~> 4.3"
group :jekyll_plugins do
  gem "jekyll-feed"
  gem "jekyll-sitemap"
  gem "jekyll-seo-tag"
end

Step 2: Create the GitHub Actions Workflow

Create .github/workflows/deploy.yml:

yaml

name: Deploy Jekyll to GitHub Pages

on:
  push:
    branches: [main]
  workflow_dispatch:

permissions:
  contents: read
  pages: write
  id-token: write

concurrency:
  group: "pages"
  cancel-in-progress: false

jobs:
  build:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
      - uses: ruby/setup-ruby@v1
        with:
          ruby-version: '3.3'
          bundler-cache: true   # Caches gems for faster builds

      - name: Configure GitHub Pages
        uses: actions/configure-pages@v5

      - name: Build with Jekyll
        run: bundle exec jekyll build --destination ./_site
        env:
          JEKYLL_ENV: production

      - name: Upload artifact
        uses: actions/upload-pages-artifact@v3

  deploy:
    needs: build
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    environment:
      name: github-pages
      url: ${{ steps.deployment.outputs.page_url }}
    steps:
      - name: Deploy to GitHub Pages
        id: deployment
        uses: actions/deploy-pages@v4

This workflow uses the official upload-pages-artifact + deploy-pages pattern, the recommended approach since 2024 that avoids pushing to a gh-pages branch.

Step 3: Enable GitHub Pages in Repository Settings

Go to Settings > Pages
Under Source, select GitHub Actions (not a branch)
Save

Push to main, the workflow runs automatically and your site deploys within ~2 minutes.

Step 4: Configure a Custom Domain

4a. Create the CNAME File

Add a CNAME file to the root of your repo (no extension, plain text):

yourdomain.com

Commit and push it. GitHub Pages reads this file to know which custom domain to serve.

4b. Set the Domain in GitHub Pages Settings

In Settings > Pages > Custom domain, enter yourdomain.com and save.

Step 5: Configure DNS (Cloudflare)

In the Cloudflare dashboard for your domain, add these records:

Type	Name	Content	Proxy
A	@	185.199.108.153	✔ On
A	@	185.199.109.153	✔ On
A	@	185.199.110.153	✔ On
A	@	185.199.111.153	✔ On
CNAME	www	yourusername.github.io	✔ On

These are GitHub's current (2026) IP addresses. The old addresses from 2016 (192.30.252.x) are deprecated.

Step 6: Enable HTTPS

Once DNS propagates (usually minutes with Cloudflare):

In Settings > Pages, check Enforce HTTPS ✔
In Cloudflare SSL/TLS, set mode to Full (not Full Strict)
Add a Cloudflare Redirect Rule: www.yourdomain.com → https://yourdomain.com (301)

Step 7: Cloudflare Performance Optimizations (Free Tier)

In the Cloudflare dashboard, enable:

Speed > Optimization > Auto Minify: HTML, CSS, JS
Caching > Configuration > Browser Cache TTL: 4 hours
Speed > Optimization > Brotli: on

Verify Everything Works

bash

# Check DNS resolves to GitHub Pages IPs
dig yourdomain.com A +short

# Verify HTTPS and response headers
curl -I https://yourdomain.com
# Look for: strict-transport-security, cf-ray (Cloudflare edge hit)

The Result

Feature	Status
Unlimited plugins & custom gems	✔ via GitHub Actions
Custom domain	✔ CNAME file + DNS
HTTPS / TLS	✔ Let's Encrypt via GitHub
Global CDN	✔ Cloudflare
DDoS protection	✔ Cloudflare
Deploy on push	✔ Auto via Actions
Cost	$0

Your Jekyll site is now fully production-grade: CI/CD deploys on every push, TLS is enforced, and Cloudflare caches assets at 300+ edge nodes worldwide.

Deploy Jekyll to GitHub Pages in 2026: GitHub Actions, Custom Domain & Cloudflare

Prerequisites

Step 1: Configure Jekyll for Production

Step 2: Create the GitHub Actions Workflow

Step 3: Enable GitHub Pages in Repository Settings

Step 4: Configure a Custom Domain

4a. Create the CNAME File

4b. Set the Domain in GitHub Pages Settings

Step 5: Configure DNS (Cloudflare)

Step 6: Enable HTTPS

Step 7: Cloudflare Performance Optimizations (Free Tier)

Verify Everything Works

The Result

About Pooya Golchian

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Prerequisites

Step 1: Configure Jekyll for Production

Step 2: Create the GitHub Actions Workflow

Step 3: Enable GitHub Pages in Repository Settings

Step 4: Configure a Custom Domain

4a. Create the CNAME File

4b. Set the Domain in GitHub Pages Settings

Step 5: Configure DNS (Cloudflare)

Step 6: Enable HTTPS

Step 7: Cloudflare Performance Optimizations (Free Tier)

Verify Everything Works

The Result

About Pooya Golchian

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