What is Netlify?
Netlify turns your website’s files into the live site people visit, with a private preview of every change before it goes live.
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The step between your files and your website.
Netlify hosts websites. Hosting means keeping your site on computers that are always on and connected, so anyone can visit it at any hour.
What makes Netlify different from older hosting is how changes arrive. It watches the place your website’s files live, usually GitHub. When something changes, it builds a fresh copy of the site and publishes it, usually within a few minutes.
Netlify is one of several services that work this way. The ideas in this guide apply to all of them.
Why a business owner should care.
- You see changes before your customers do. Every proposed change gets its own preview link: a private copy of the site with the change in place.
- Going live is a deliberate step. Your real website only changes once the change has been approved.
- Undo takes seconds. Netlify keeps every version it has published, so going back to the last good one is a click.
- It’s quick and secure by default. Pages are served from computers around the world. The padlock in the address bar comes included.
An everyday example, all invented
A physio clinic wants a new page for a weekend class. The page is built and Netlify produces a preview link.
The owner opens it on her phone and spots that the class time is wrong. It’s fixed, a new preview appears and only then does the page go live. No client ever sees the mistake.
From a saved change to your live site.
Here’s what happens between someone saving a change and your customers seeing it.
- Saved in GitHubSomeone saves a change to your website’s files in GitHub.
- Netlify builds itNetlify notices the change and builds a fresh copy of the site with it in place.
- You get a preview linkA private copy of the site, exactly as it will look. Check it on your phone or laptop.
- It goes liveOnce it’s approved, the change is merged and Netlify publishes it to your real address.
If something isn’t right at the preview, nothing has happened to your live site. You ask for a fix and a new preview appears.
The words you’ll hear
- Build
- Turning the website’s files into the finished pages people see.
- Deploy
- One published version of the site. Netlify keeps every one.
- Deploy preview
- A private test version of the site for one proposed change.
- Domain
- Your web address, such as yourbusiness.com.au.
How I use it.
My own sites publish through Netlify, including this one. When I ask for a change, I get a preview link first. I open it on my phone, check that it reads well and looks right, then approve it. Only then does it go live.
If something slips through, going back to the previous version takes seconds. That safety net is a big part of why I’m comfortable letting AI do the building. Nothing it makes reaches the public until I’ve seen it.
It’s how the systems at The Gallery Real Estate are built too. The agency is where this way of working was proven, before I brought it to The Gallery AI.
Common questions.
Do I need Netlify if I already have a website?
Not necessarily. If your site is built on an all-in-one website builder, hosting is already part of it. Netlify suits websites whose files live in GitHub, which is common for custom sites and the ones AI tools now build.
What does it cost?
Netlify has a free plan that suits many small websites. Paid plans add team features and higher limits. Check Netlify’s own pricing page for what’s current.
Is a preview link public?
A preview has its own address that isn’t published anywhere. Many teams also put previews behind a login. Either way, treat a preview as a draft and keep anything confidential out of it.
What’s the difference between GitHub and Netlify?
GitHub keeps your website’s files and their history. Netlify turns those files into the website people visit. One is the filing cabinet. The other is the shopfront.
Do I keep my web address?
Yes. Your domain stays yours. It’s pointed at Netlify, usually with a small change at the company you bought it from.
Can I go back if something goes wrong?
Yes. Netlify keeps every version it has published. Putting an earlier one back takes a click.
What to do next.
Ask whoever looks after your website one question: how does a change get to the live site? If the answer includes a preview you can check first, you’re in good shape. If changes go straight to the live site, it’s worth a conversation.
If you haven’t already, read what GitHub does. The two work as a pair.
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