my website building workflow
When I create a new website, I like to keep things clean, efficient, and secure from the very beginning. Over time, I’ve built a workflow that helps me get from a fresh AWS instance to a running test page with minimal hassle. In this article, I’ll walk through the exact steps I use, from provisioning the server to testing it with a simple web page.
1. Launching an AWS EC2 Instance
I start by spinning up an EC2 instance in AWS. I prefer using the latest version of Debian because it’s lightweight, stable, and has a huge support community. When creating the instance, I make sure to:
- Select the Debian AMI (Amazon Machine Image).
- Choose an instance size that fits the project (t2.micro works well for testing).
- Configure networking and security groups (firewalls) right away.
2. Setting Up SSH Access with Keys
I don’t use passwords for server access—SSH authentication keys are safer and more convenient.
Here’s how I set it up:
- On my local Linux server at home, I generate a new SSH key (if I don’t already have one):
ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "[email protected]"This creates a private/public key pair in~/.ssh/. - I copy the public key to the AWS server using:
ssh-copy-id -i ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub user@server-ip - Now I can log in securely without typing a password:
ssh user@server-ip
3. Updating and Automating Maintenance
The first thing I do on any new server is bring everything up to date:
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
To keep it maintained automatically, I create a small script that updates the system and reboots weekly. I schedule it with cron:
sudo crontab -e
Then add:
0 3 * * 0 apt update && apt upgrade -y && reboot
This runs every Sunday at 3 AM, applying updates and restarting the server.
4. Configuring Firewalls
Security is non-negotiable. I use two layers of firewalls:
- AWS Security Groups → to control which traffic can reach the server (e.g., only allow SSH from my home IP, HTTP/HTTPS from anywhere).
- UFW (Uncomplicated Firewall) on Debian → to enforce rules at the server level:
sudo ufw allow OpenSSH sudo ufw allow 80/tcp sudo ufw allow 443/tcp sudo ufw enable
5. Setting Up DNS with Cloudflare
For DNS, I like Cloudflare because it’s fast, secure, and easy to manage. I simply:
- Point my domain’s nameservers to Cloudflare.
- Create an A record that maps my domain (e.g.,
brucereiss.com) to the server’s public IP. - Enable Cloudflare’s proxy if I want extra security and caching.
6. Installing Apache and Testing the Server
To confirm everything is working, I install Apache:
sudo apt install apache2 -y
Then I create a very simple index.html file:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>It Works!</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Hello from my new server!</h1>
</body>
</html>
Dropping that into /var/www/html/ lets me visit my domain in a browser and confirm the site is live.
Conclusion
That’s my standard workflow for spinning up a new website. It covers the essentials: secure access, automated maintenance, firewalls, DNS setup, and a quick test page. From here, I can build out more complex applications or host production-ready sites knowing that the foundation is solid.
[…] my previous article, I explained how I launch a Debian server on AWS, secure it, and test it with Apache. Now, I’ll […]