Migration Guide: WordPress to Jekyll on GitHub Pages

Migration Guide: WordPress to Jekyll on GitHub Pages

Domain: marko.andreis.blog Date Started: 2026-04-14 Deployment Method: GitHub Pages with Custom Domain

⚠️ Important: Correct Order of Steps

DO NOT add the custom domain in Phase 2! The correct order is:

1. ✅ Phase 1: Configure project files (done)
2. ✅ Phase 2: Enable GitHub Pages WITHOUT custom domain
3. ✅ Phase 3: Configure DNS on Hostinger
4. ⏳ Phase 4: Backup WordPress (can do while waiting for DNS)
5. ⏳ Phase 5: Wait for DNS propagation, THEN add custom domain to GitHub
6. ⏳ Phase 6: Final verification
7. ⏳ Phase 7: Cleanup

Why this order? GitHub can’t verify your custom domain until DNS points to GitHub’s servers. Configure DNS first, wait for propagation, then add the domain.

Progress Overview

• Phase 1: Project Configuration (COMPLETED)
• Phase 2: Enable GitHub Pages
• Phase 3: Configure DNS on Hostinger
• Phase 4: Backup & Shut Down WordPress
• Phase 5: DNS Propagation & Testing
• Phase 6: Final Verification
• Phase 7: Optional Cleanup

Phase 1: Project Configuration ✅ COMPLETED

• Update _config.yml with custom domain URL
• Create/verify CNAME file with domain name
• Commit changes to git
• Push changes to GitHub repository

Status: Completed by Claude on 2026-04-14

Phase 2: Enable GitHub Pages (WITHOUT Custom Domain Yet) ✅ COMPLETED

IMPORTANT: Do NOT add the custom domain yet! You’ll add it in Phase 5 after DNS propagates.

Steps:

1. Go to GitHub repository: https://github.com/ismandre/marko.andreis.blog
2. Click Settings (top navigation bar)
3. Click Pages in the left sidebar under “Code and automation”
4. Under “Build and deployment” → “Source”:
   • Branch: Select master
   • Folder: Select / (root)
   • Click Save
5. LEAVE “Custom domain” field EMPTY for now
   • ⚠️ If you enter the domain now, you’ll get an error because DNS isn’t configured yet
   • You’ll add it in Phase 5 after DNS propagates
6. DO NOT check “Enforce HTTPS” yet (wait until Phase 5)

Notes:

• GitHub Pages will start building your site immediately
• Your site will be available at: https://ismandre.github.io/marko.andreis.blog
• Initial build takes 1-2 minutes
• After saving, wait 1-2 minutes, then test the temporary URL

Verify GitHub Pages is Working:

1. Wait 1-2 minutes after clicking Save
2. Visit: https://ismandre.github.io/marko.andreis.blog
3. Confirm your Jekyll site loads (even if some links don’t work yet - that’s normal)

Completed on: _______

Temporary GitHub Pages URL working: [ ] Yes [ ] No

Phase 3: Configure DNS on Hostinger ✅ COMPLETED

Steps:

1. Log into Hostinger: https://hpanel.hostinger.com/
2. Navigate to Domains section
3. Select domain: marko.andreis.blog
4. Click DNS / Name Servers or Manage DNS
5. Click Manage DNS records

Delete Existing Records:

1. Delete any existing A records pointing to @ or marko.andreis.blog
2. Delete any CNAME records for @ (if they exist)
3. Keep existing records for email (MX) and other services you use

Add GitHub Pages A Records:

1. Add 4 new A records (one at a time):

Record 1:

• Type: A
• Name/Host: @ (or leave blank, or marko.andreis.blog)
• Points to: 185.199.108.153
• TTL: 3600

Record 2:

• Type: A
• Name/Host: @
• Points to: 185.199.109.153
• TTL: 3600

Record 3:

• Type: A
• Name/Host: @
• Points to: 185.199.110.153
• TTL: 3600

Record 4:

• Type: A
• Name/Host: @
• Points to: 185.199.111.153
• TTL: 3600

Add WWW Subdomain (Optional but Recommended):

1. Add CNAME record for www subdomain:

Record 5:

• Type: CNAME
• Name/Host: www
• Points to: ismandre.github.io
• TTL: 3600

1. Click Save or Add Record after each entry
2. Verify all 5 records are visible in the DNS management panel

Completed on: _______

Notes:

• DNS changes can take 1-72 hours to propagate (usually 1-4 hours)
• Write down the time you made these changes: _______

Phase 4: Backup & Shut Down WordPress

Backup WordPress Content:

1. Log into WordPress admin: https://marko.andreis.blog/wp-admin
2. Choose ONE backup method:

Option A: WordPress Export (Recommended for content only)

• Go to Tools → Export
• Select “All content”
• Click “Download Export File”
• Save the .xml file to your computer

Option B: Full Backup Plugin (Recommended for complete backup)

• Install UpdraftPlus plugin (or use Hostinger’s backup tool)
• Go to Settings → UpdraftPlus
• Click “Backup Now”
• Select “Include database” and “Include files”
• Download all backup files when complete

Option C: Manual File Backup

1. Go to Hostinger Dashboard → Hosting
2. Click File Manager
3. Navigate to public_html (or your WordPress installation folder)
4. Select all files → Right-click → Compress (creates a .zip)
5. Download the .zip file to your computer

Download Media Files:

1. In WordPress, go to Media → Library
2. Use a plugin like “Export Media Library” or download files you want to keep manually
3. Save important images/PDFs to your computer

Shut Down WordPress:

Note: You can do this now OR wait until DNS has fully propagated to GitHub Pages

1. Go to Hostinger Dashboard → Hosting
2. Click File Manager
3. Navigate to public_html
4. Verify you have backups before proceeding!
5. Select all WordPress files and folders
6. Right-click → Delete (or move to a backup folder)

Alternative: Leave WordPress files in place. Once DNS points to GitHub, they won’t be served anymore.

Backup saved to: _____
**WordPress shut down on:** _________

Phase 5: DNS Propagation, Add Custom Domain & Enable HTTPS

Step 5A: Check DNS Propagation

1. Wait at least 1 hour after making DNS changes in Phase 3
2. Visit: https://dnschecker.org/#A/marko.andreis.blog
3. Look for GitHub Pages IPs (185.199.108.153, 109.153, 110.153, 111.153)
4. Check multiple locations (at least 5-10 should show GitHub IPs)
5. When most locations show GitHub IPs, propagation is mostly complete

DNS Status Checks:

Step 5B: Add Custom Domain to GitHub Pages

Only proceed once DNS shows GitHub IPs in Step 5A!

1. Go to GitHub: https://github.com/ismandre/marko.andreis.blog/settings/pages
2. Scroll to “Custom domain” section
3. Enter: marko.andreis.blog
4. Click Save
5. Wait for DNS check to complete (may take 30 seconds)
6. Verify you see: ✅ “DNS check successful” (green checkmark)
   • If you see an error, wait longer for DNS propagation and try again

Custom domain added on: _______

Step 5C: Test Your Site

1. Try visiting: http://marko.andreis.blog
2. Does the Jekyll site load? (If yes, continue. If no, wait longer or troubleshoot)
3. Try visiting: http://www.marko.andreis.blog (if you set up www)

First successful load at custom domain: _______

Step 5D: Enable HTTPS

Only proceed once custom domain DNS check is successful!

1. Still on GitHub Pages settings page
2. Check the box: “Enforce HTTPS”
3. Wait 5-10 minutes for SSL certificate to provision
4. Visit: https://marko.andreis.blog (with https://)
5. Verify green padlock appears in browser
6. Test that http:// redirects to https:// automatically

HTTPS enabled on: _______

Phase 6: Final Verification

Test All Functionality:

1. Visit https://marko.andreis.blog (main site)
2. Visit https://www.marko.andreis.blog (if configured)
3. Check that site loads correctly on:
   • Desktop browser (Chrome/Firefox/Safari)
   • Mobile browser (iOS/Android)
   • Private/Incognito mode
4. Verify the following work:
   • Homepage loads
   • Blog posts are accessible
   • Navigation menu works
   • Images load correctly
   • Links work (internal and external)
   • Dark/light mode toggle (if applicable)
5. Check HTTPS:
   • Green padlock visible in address bar
   • No mixed content warnings
   • Certificate is valid
6. Test SEO elements:
   • Visit https://marko.andreis.blog/sitemap.xml
   • Visit https://marko.andreis.blog/feed.xml
   • Check page titles and meta descriptions

Performance Check (Optional):

1. Test site speed: https://pagespeed.web.dev/
2. Enter: https://marko.andreis.blog
3. Review performance scores

All tests passed on: _______

Phase 7: Optional Cleanup & Cost Savings

Cancel Hostinger Hosting (Keep Domain!):

Important: Only do this AFTER everything works perfectly!

1. Verify site has been working for at least 1-3 days
2. Log into Hostinger billing
3. Go to Billing → Subscriptions
4. Find your hosting plan (NOT the domain!)
5. Cancel auto-renewal or downgrade to “domain only” plan
6. Keep domain registration active (required for DNS)

Current hosting cost: $ ___ /month
**Future cost (domain only):** $ ___ /year
Annual savings: $ _____

Update External Services:

1. Update Google Search Console (if used):
   • Add new property for https://marko.andreis.blog
   • Submit new sitemap: https://marko.andreis.blog/sitemap.xml
2. Update Google Analytics (if used):
   • Update website URL in property settings
3. Update social media profiles (if domain is listed):
   • LinkedIn: _______
   • Twitter/X: _______
   • Other: _______

Cleanup completed on: _______

Future Site Updates

To update your Jekyll site in the future:

1. Make changes locally in /Users/andreism/me/no-style-please
2. Test locally (optional): bundle exec jekyll serve
3. Commit: git add . && git commit -m "Your message"
4. Push: git push origin master
5. Wait 1-2 minutes for GitHub Pages to rebuild
6. Visit https://marko.andreis.blog to see changes

Troubleshooting

“Domain does not resolve to GitHub Pages server” Error:

Error message: “Both marko.andreis.blog and its alternate name are improperly configured. Domain does not resolve to the GitHub Pages server.”

Cause: You’re trying to add the custom domain to GitHub Pages before DNS has been configured.

Solution:

1. Leave the custom domain field empty in GitHub Pages settings for now
2. Complete Phase 3 (Configure DNS on Hostinger) first
3. Wait for DNS propagation (1-4 hours)
4. Then add the custom domain in Phase 5B

Alternative: You can enter the domain anyway (ignore the error), configure DNS, and the error will resolve itself once DNS propagates.

Site Not Loading After DNS Change:

• Check DNS propagation: Use https://dnschecker.org
• Clear browser cache: Hard refresh (Cmd+Shift+R on Mac, Ctrl+Shift+R on Windows)
• Wait longer: DNS can take up to 48 hours
• Verify GitHub Pages status: Check repository Settings → Pages

HTTPS Not Working:

• Wait longer: SSL certificate can take 10-30 minutes to provision
• Verify DNS: Make sure all 4 A records point to GitHub Pages IPs
• Check GitHub Pages: Should show “DNS check successful”
• Try again: Uncheck and re-check “Enforce HTTPS”

www Not Working:

• Check CNAME record: Should point to ismandre.github.io
• Verify DNS: Use https://dnschecker.org/#CNAME/www.marko.andreis.blog
• Wait for propagation: Can take several hours

Site Shows 404 Error:

• Check repository visibility: Must be public (or GitHub Pro for private)
• Verify branch: Settings → Pages → Source should be master branch
• Check CNAME file: Should contain marko.andreis.blog
• Rebuild site: Make a small change and push to trigger rebuild

Important Links

• GitHub Repository: https://github.com/ismandre/marko.andreis.blog
• GitHub Pages Settings: https://github.com/ismandre/marko.andreis.blog/settings/pages
• Hostinger Dashboard: https://hpanel.hostinger.com/
• DNS Checker: https://dnschecker.org/#A/marko.andreis.blog
• Site URL: https://marko.andreis.blog

Contact Information

• Hostinger Support: Available in hPanel dashboard
• GitHub Support: https://support.github.com/
• Jekyll Documentation: https://jekyllrb.com/docs/

Notes & Issues

Use this space to track any problems or observations:

Date: _______________
Issue: _______________
Resolution: _______________

Date: _______________
Issue: _______________
Resolution: _______________

Migration Status:

• In Progress
• Completed Successfully
• Completed with Issues (document above)

Final completion date: _______

Total migration time: _____ hours/days

This guide was created on 2026-04-14 for migrating marko.andreis.blog from WordPress/Hostinger to Jekyll/GitHub Pages.