Real-Time Site Deployment with GitHub Actions

Building and deploying a static site sounds simple on its own, but getting it to update in real time, especially when you’re running your own home server takes a bit of wiring and elbowgrease. The good news is that once you understand how GitHub Actions fits into the big picture, the whole process becomes a lot less intricate. At its core, GitHub Actions is just an automated way to run commands whenever something changes in your repository. Push a commit, and GitHub can build your site, run scripts, and ship the final output straight to your server without you lifting another finger.

1. Automating the Build

The first step is telling GitHub Actions how to build your site. For a static generator like Pelican (what I use), that usually means installing dependencies, running your content through the generator, and producing an output/ directory. Actions handles this the same way you would locally—install Node, install Python, run your scripts, and let the generator do its job. The key idea is that your build becomes repeatable. Every push triggers the same steps, in the same order, with the same tools, no surprises.

2. Fetching External Data

If your site pulls in live data—like info, you can fold that into the workflow as well. A simple Python script can run in the background before the build, fetches whatever data you need, and write it into your content directory. When Pelican runs, it picks up the fresh data automatically. The important part is making sure your workflow has access to the secrets it needs. GitHub distinguishes between variables and secrets, and only secrets are injected into secrets.*. Once those are set, your scripts can run safely using real credentials every time.

3. Deploying to Your Server

Building the site is only half the story. To serve it in real time, you need to move the generated files to the directory your web server actually uses. In an Nginx setup, that’s usually something like: /var/www/web-site

A simple copy step in your workflow clears out the old files and replaces them with the freshly built ones. Since the runner is on your host machine, the workflow can write directly to the directory Nginx serves. Restarting Nginx isn’t even necessary since the static files update instantly.

How This Process Saves Time and Resources:

The real value of this setup is that it removes the manual steps. You write content, push it, and the site updates itself. No logging into servers, no copying files by hand, no wondering whether the build succeeded. Everything happens in one place, triggered by the same action you already take: committing your code. Once the pipeline is in place, your server becomes a quiet, reliable endpoint. GitHub Actions handles the heavy lifting, and your site stays up to date without you having to think about it. The idea stays the same no matter what tools you use.