Hosting a JSON File on GitHub Pages: A Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction

GitHub Pages is a free web hosting service provided by GitHub, which allows you to host static websites and web files directly from your GitHub repository. While it’s primarily designed for hosting web pages, you can also use it to host JSON files or any other static content you want to share with others. In this tutorial, we’ll walk you through the process of hosting a JSON file on GitHub Pages.

Prerequisites:

1. A GitHub account
2. A JSON file you want to host
3. A GitHub repository where you’ll host the JSON file

Step 1: Create a GitHub Repository

If you don’t already have a GitHub repository where you want to host your JSON file, follow these steps to create one:

1. Log in to your GitHub account.
2. Click on the “+” icon in the top-right corner and select “New repository.”
3. Fill in the repository name, description, and other options as desired.
4. Make sure your repository is set to “Public” so that it can be accessed by anyone.
5. Click the “Create repository” button.

Step 2: Upload Your JSON File

Now that you have a repository, you’ll need to upload your JSON file to it:

1. Inside your repository, click the “Add file” button and choose “Upload files.”
2. Drag and drop your JSON file into the file upload area or click on “Choose your files” to browse your computer and select the JSON file.
3. Once the file is uploaded, scroll down and click the “Commit changes” button to save it to your repository.

Step 3: Enable GitHub Pages

GitHub Pages can host static files from a special branch called gh-pages. Here's how to enable GitHub Pages for your repository:

1. Go to your repository’s main page
2. .Click on the “Settings” tab, located next to “Code.”
3. Scroll down to the “GitHub Pages” section.

4. In the “Source” drop-down menu, select the branch where your JSON file is located. If it’s in the main branch, select main.

5. Once you’ve selected the branch, click the “Save” button.

Step 4: Access Your JSON File

GitHub Pages will now publish your JSON file to a URL based on your username and repository name. The URL will be in the format: https://<username>.github.io/<repository>/path/to/your/jsonfile.json.

For example, if your username is “myusername,” your repository is “myrepository,” and your JSON file is in the root of the repository, the URL would be: https://myusername.github.io/myrepository/jsonfile.json.

You can access your JSON file by opening this URL in a web browser. Users can also access it programmatically using HTTP requests.

Step 5: Share Your JSON File

Now that your JSON file is hosted on GitHub Pages, you can easily share it with others. You can provide them with the URL you generated in Step 4, and they can access the JSON data directly.

Conclusion

Hosting a JSON file on GitHub Pages is a straightforward process. By creating a repository, uploading your JSON file, and enabling GitHub Pages, you can make your JSON data accessible to others over the internet. This is a convenient way to share static JSON files for various purposes, such as configuration files, data feeds, or any other structured data you want to distribute online.

Thanks for reading! Share this and follow me for upcoming awesome articles for you.

Thank you
Peter Muniu

Connect me on :)
• Linkedin — https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-muniu-140266158/
• Github — @peter6053