Deploy without Git
Create and publish your first CamelMind site without installing Git or creating a GitHub account.
This guide walks you through the fastest path—from an empty computer to a live website—without installing Git or creating a GitHub account.
You'll build your site locally, preview it in your browser, and deploy it directly to Vercel using the Vercel CLI.
This is the easiest path if you're new to web development. You can always add Git later for automatic deployments, version history, and collaboration.
Estimated time
Most users can complete this guide in 15–20 minutes.
You'll:
- ✅ Install the required tools
- ✅ Create your first CamelMind site
- ✅ Customize your homepage
- ✅ Preview your site locally
- ✅ Publish it to the internet
Step-by-step guide
Install VS Code (recommended)
VS Code isn't required, but it's the easiest way to edit your documentation and run CamelMind commands.
Create your CamelMind site
Use the CamelMind CLI to create a new documentation site.
Once you're finished, you should be able to start your local development server with:
npm run dev
Customize your homepage
Open your project in VS Code and edit the homepage to make it your own.
Try changing:
- Site title
- Homepage content
- Navigation
- Logo
Visit Writing Content to learn more.
Preview your site locally
Start the development server:
npm run dev
Then open:
http://localhost:3000
Every time you save a file, your browser automatically refreshes so you can immediately see your changes.
Publish your site
Now it's time to put your site online.
Install the Vercel CLI:
npm install -g vercel
Sign in to your Vercel account:
vercel login
From your project's root directory, deploy your site:
vercel
Vercel automatically detects CamelMind's Next.js project and asks a few setup questions before creating a preview deployment.
When you're ready to make it publicly available, run:
vercel --prod
Before deploying to production, configure any required environment variables (such as CAMELMIND_URL) in your Vercel project settings or by using vercel env add.
See Environment Variables for the complete list.
When should I start using Git?
Deploying without Git is a great option for getting started. As your project grows, Git becomes increasingly useful.
| If you want to... | Deploy without Git | Use Git |
|---|---|---|
| Learn CamelMind | ✅ | |
| Build a personal website | ✅ | |
| Publish a simple documentation site | ✅ | |
| Keep a history of every change | ✅ | |
| Collaborate with teammates | ✅ | |
| Automatically deploy after every change | ✅ | |
| Review changes before publishing | ✅ |
If you're happy manually running vercel --prod whenever you update your site, you can continue without Git indefinitely.
Ready to add Git?
Switching to a Git-based workflow only takes a few minutes.
- Install Git
- Create a Git repository
- Follow Deploy to Vercel to connect your repository and enable automatic deployments.
Connecting an existing Vercel project to a Git repository doesn't create a new website. Future deployments continue using the same Vercel project and live URL.
🎉 Congratulations!
Your CamelMind site is now live on the internet.
From here, you can continue improving your site by:
- Writing more documentation
- Adding new pages
- Customizing the theme and branding
- Connecting a custom domain
- Learning Git when you're ready