When Astro Is the Right Choice (And When It Isn't)
A practical 2026 guide to when Astro is the best framework for your site and when you should reach for Next.js, Hugo, or plain HTML instead.
#Getting started
Articles tagged with #Getting started
Astro Content Collections — A 30-Minute Getting-Started
A focused walkthrough of Astro Content Collections: schemas, type safety, frontmatter, and the workflow that makes a 500-article site maintainable.
Deploy a static site to Firebase Hosting: step-by-step
A no-nonsense 2026 walkthrough for shipping a static site (Astro, Vite, plain HTML) to Firebase Hosting in about 10 minutes — including SSL, custom domain, and cache headers.
Deploying an Astro site on Vercel: the 10-minute path
Ship an Astro site on Vercel with the exact astro.config.mjs, vercel.json, CLI commands, and SSL verification — no detours.
What is Firebase Hosting (and who is it for in 2026)
Firebase Hosting is Google's static + edge CDN service tied to Firebase. Here is when it fits, with the firebase.json baseline and deploy commands.
What is Vercel (and how it differs from Firebase Hosting)
Vercel is a framework-native platform — first-class for Next.js, Astro, SvelteKit. Get the mental model, sample vercel.json, and a 5-minute deploy.
How to Build an AI Research Workflow That Actually Holds Up
A repeatable 6-stage AI research workflow — from question framing to cite-ready output — using Perplexity, NotebookLM and Deep Research together.
ChatGPT Beginner Guide — From Sign-Up to First Real Use Case
Get started with ChatGPT in 30 minutes — set up, write your first useful prompt, and avoid the obvious traps.
Claude Beginner Guide — From Sign-Up to Real Use
Claude in 30 minutes — sign up, set up Projects, run your first useful chat.
Gemini Beginner Guide — From Sign-In to First Real Use
Get up to speed on Gemini in 30 minutes — chat, Workspace integration, image generation.
Midjourney Beginner Guide
Midjourney in 30 minutes — the prompt formula, the 5 parameters that actually matter (--ar, --s, --c, --v, --no), and the iteration loop pros use.
NotebookLM Getting Started: Multi-Document Research in 20 Minutes
A practical NotebookLM walkthrough - upload sources, ask grounded questions, generate audio overviews.
Sora / Veo Beginner Guide
First AI video in 15 minutes — Sora and Veo, prompt structure, clip length limits, and the realism vs surrealism split that decides which model to use.
Suno Beginner Guide - From Zero to First Song
Make your first Suno song in 15 minutes - style, lyrics, structure.
What to Prepare BEFORE You Click 'Apply' on AdSense
The 30-minute pre-application checklist that catches most rejection reasons — pages, policies, identity verification, and the things AdSense reviewers click on first.
DNS A vs CNAME — Explained in 5 Minutes
A records point to an IP. CNAMEs point to another name. That single sentence solves 90% of indie DNS confusion — here is the other 10%.
What an Indie Developer Should Prepare Before Launching on the App Store
A realistic 2026 pre-launch checklist for solo iOS developers — the legal, technical, and content prep that prevents the embarrassing first-submission rejection.
What to Do in the First 30 Days of a New Content Site
A realistic 30-day playbook for a brand-new content site: indexing, structure, the first 20 articles, and what to ignore.
Next.js App Router — the Concepts You Actually Need
You do not need a 20-hour tutorial on App Router. You need the eight concepts that explain why your code does what it does. Here they are.
Deploying a Next.js Site on Vercel: The 10-Minute Path (2026)
Step-by-step 2026 guide to deploying Next.js on Vercel — auto-detection, environment variables, ISR, image optimization, and the App Router gotchas indie devs lose half a day to.
Next.js Image Optimization Basics
`next/image` is the single biggest performance win you get for free — if you actually configure it. Here are the four things to set right.
When Next.js Is the Right Pick for Your Website
Next.js is the default React framework in 2026 — but defaulting to it for a content site can cost you speed, hosting bills, and weekends. Here is when it is the right call.
Submit a New Site to Google — 2026 Four-Step Flow with Realistic Timelines
The shortest 2026 submission flow: verify, sitemap, request indexing on one URL, link from the homepage — plus how long each step actually takes for a brand-new domain.
How to Submit a Sitemap in Search Console (and What to Check After)
The 5-minute sitemap submission flow, plus the 3 status messages that mean trouble and how to fix each.
TestFlight — What It Is and How to Run a Useful Beta
A practical 2026 guide to TestFlight for indie developers — what it does, what it doesn't, and how to run a beta that actually produces useful feedback before launch.
What a Sitemap Actually Is (and What Google Ignores)
A plain-English explainer for sitemap.xml — what it does, what it does not do, and the four fields most generators put in that Google never reads.
What Is Google AdSense (and Is It Still Worth Applying in 2026)
A 2026 reality check on AdSense — what it actually pays, how the approval bar moved, and the kinds of indie sites that should (and should not) bother applying.
What an SSL Certificate Actually Is (and Why You Don't Need to Buy One)
Free SSL is the 2026 default. Use these Caddyfile / Nginx / curl commands to verify your cert, set auto-renew, and avoid paid CA upsells.
When You Must Actually Buy a Domain
You can launch on a `*.vercel.app` or `*.web.app` URL for free. So when does an indie site really need a paid domain? Here is the honest answer.
How to Write Title Tags and Meta Descriptions That Don't Suck
A 2026 guide to writing `<title>` and `<meta name="description">` that earn clicks — length limits, intent matching, and what Google rewrites anyway.