SVMS GitHub Pages Deployment Guide

Quick Fix Checklist

1. Repository Settings Verification

  • Repository is PUBLIC (not private)
  • Go to Settings > Pages
  • Source: “Deploy from a branch”
  • Branch: main / / (root)
  • Custom domain: svmsconsultancy.com
  • Enforce HTTPS: ✅ Enabled

2. DNS Configuration

Your domain should point to these GitHub Pages IPs:

185.199.108.153
185.199.109.153
185.199.110.153
185.199.111.153

2606:50c0:8000::153
2606:50c0:8001::153
2606:50c0:8002::153
2606:50c0:8003::153

3. File Verification

  • CNAME file contains: svmsconsultancy.com
  • _config.yml has: url: "https://svmsconsultancy.com"
  • _config.yml has: baseurl: ""
  • Gemfile uses: gem "github-pages"

Deployment Status Check

GitHub Actions Status

  1. Go to: https://github.com/360tft/SVMS/actions
  2. Check latest workflow run status
  3. Look for “Deploy Jekyll site to Pages” workflow
  4. If failed, click on the run to see error details

Build Logs

Common build failure causes:

  • SCSS compilation errors
  • Missing dependencies
  • Liquid template errors
  • Plugin incompatibility

DNS Propagation Check

Use these tools to verify DNS:

  • https://dnschecker.org/
  • https://www.whatsmydns.net/
  • nslookup svmsconsultancy.com

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Issue 1: 404 Error on Custom Domain

Symptoms: Site works at 360tft.github.io/SVMS but shows 404 at svmsconsultancy.com

Solutions:

  1. Verify repository is PUBLIC
  2. Check CNAME file has correct domain
  3. Wait for DNS propagation (up to 24-48 hours)
  4. Clear browser cache
  5. Try incognito/private browsing

Issue 2: Build Failures

Symptoms: GitHub Actions workflow fails

Solutions:

  1. Check workflow logs in Actions tab
  2. Common fixes: 
    # In _config.yml, ensure:
safe: true
incremental: false
   
# In Gemfile, ensure:
gem "github-pages", group: :jekyll_plugins
  3. Remove complex SCSS dependencies
  4. Check for liquid syntax errors

Issue 3: HTTPS/SSL Issues

Symptoms: Mixed content warnings, certificate errors

Solutions:

  1. Enable “Enforce HTTPS” in Pages settings
  2. Wait 24 hours for certificate provisioning
  3. Update all internal links to use https://
  4. Check for mixed content (http resources on https page)

Issue 4: Site Not Updating

Symptoms: Changes not reflected on live site

Solutions:

  1. Check if workflow completed successfully
  2. Clear browser cache (Ctrl+F5)
  3. Try different browser or incognito mode
  4. GitHub Pages can take 10-15 minutes to update

Performance Optimization Checklist

Core Web Vitals

  • Optimize images (WebP format, proper sizing)
  • Minify CSS and JavaScript
  • Reduce server response time
  • Eliminate render-blocking resources
  • Optimize Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)

SEO Checklist

  • Meta descriptions on all pages
  • Proper heading hierarchy (H1-H6)
  • Alt text for all images
  • Internal linking structure
  • XML sitemap generated
  • robots.txt configured
  • Schema.org structured data

Monitoring and Analytics

Google Search Console Setup

  1. Go to https://search.google.com/search-console
  2. Add property for svmsconsultancy.com
  3. Verify ownership via DNS or HTML file
  4. Submit sitemap: https://svmsconsultancy.com/sitemap.xml

Google Analytics Setup

  1. Create GA4 property
  2. Add tracking code to _config.yml: 
    google_analytics: G-XXXXXXXXXX

PageSpeed Insights

Regularly test at: https://pagespeed.web.dev/ Target scores:

  • Performance: 90+
  • Accessibility: 95+
  • Best Practices: 90+
  • SEO: 95+

Emergency Rollback

If deployment breaks:

  1. Revert to previous commit: 
    git revert HEAD
git push origin main
  2. Or temporarily disable custom domain:
    • Delete CNAME file
    • Push changes
    • Site will be available at 360tft.github.io/SVMS

Testing Commands

Local Development

# Install dependencies
bundle install

# Serve locally
bundle exec jekyll serve

# Build for production
JEKYLL_ENV=production bundle exec jekyll build

# Test build
bundle exec jekyll build --verbose

DNS Testing

# Check DNS resolution
nslookup svmsconsultancy.com

# Check HTTPS certificate
curl -I https://svmsconsultancy.com

# Test redirect
curl -I http://svmsconsultancy.com

Support Resources

  • GitHub Pages Documentation: https://pages.github.com/
  • Jekyll Documentation: https://jekyllrb.com/docs/
  • GitHub Community: https://github.community/
  • Jekyll Talk: https://talk.jekyllrb.com/

Contact Information

For urgent deployment issues:

  • Check GitHub status: https://www.githubstatus.com/
  • GitHub Support: https://support.github.com/
  • Domain registrar support for DNS issues
Last Updated: {{ “now” date: “%Y-%m-%d” }}

Repository: https://github.com/360tft/SVMS
Live Site: https://svmsconsultancy.com