There's a specific moment when you first build something in Claude Code. You describe a layout and it appears. You change your mind and it changes. Then you open your Squarespace dashboard and something has shifted — it feels like going back to a flip phone.
The only gap: Claude builds your site as files on your computer. Getting it to a real URL is three steps. Here's what they actually are.
How it works
(local)
(storage)
(host)
(your URL)
GitHub is a storage place your host watches. When you push changes there, Cloudflare sees them and updates your live site. That's the whole mechanism — change something in Claude Code, push it, reload, done.
Step 1: Set up GitHub (free, ~5 minutes)
Create a free account at github.com and create a new repository. Make it private if you want — files aren't public just because they're on GitHub. Then tell Claude Code "commit and push everything to my GitHub repo" and give it the URL. Or use GitHub Desktop if you'd rather click. Either works.
Step 2: Deploy on Cloudflare Pages (free, ~4 minutes)
Cloudflare is a big platform — Pages is just the hosting piece. That's all you need here.
Go to cloudflare.com → Workers & Pages → Create → Pages → Connect to Git. Pick your GitHub repo.
Leave the build settings completely blank. No build command, no output directory. If you're working with plain HTML files, just hit Deploy and you're done.
Cloudflare hands you a free .pages.dev URL immediately. That's a real, live, shareable link. You can connect your domain later — but you're already online.
Step 3: Editing from here on out
This is the part I wanted to know most. Here's the actual day-to-day:
- Open your site folder in Claude Code
- Tell it what to change
- Tell it "commit and push"
- Your live site updates within a minute
No CMS. No visual editor. Changes go live faster than filing a support ticket ever did.
Tell Claude who you are — once
You already have a brand. The problem with Claude is that every new session, it forgets — you end up re-explaining your colors, your tone, your rules. Fix that immediately.
Create a file called CLAUDE.md in your site folder. Claude reads it automatically every session. Put in: your business name, your hex codes (grab them from Squarespace before you leave), your fonts, your voice, any standing rules. Write it once, done.
If you've told Claude the same thing three sessions in a row, it belongs in CLAUDE.md.
Which host should you use?
I started on Netlify, switched to Cloudflare. Both are free. The honest difference:
Pick this if forms matter
- Built-in contact forms — one attribute, zero setup
- Submissions email you automatically
- Easiest possible start
- Slightly slower globally
Pick this for speed + DNS
- Noticeably faster global performance
- DNS lives in the same place as your host
- More room to grow
- Forms need a free third-party tool
Can't decide? Pick Cloudflare. That's what this site runs on and it's been seamless.
Pointing your Squarespace domain at the new site
You get a working .pages.dev URL instantly. When you're ready to use your real domain, here's what to do — it's two changes and a few hours of waiting:
- In Squarespace: go to Domains → your domain → Nameservers, and swap them to Cloudflare's (Cloudflare shows you the exact values)
- In Cloudflare: add your domain, then add a CNAME record pointing at your Pages site
- Wait a few hours for it to propagate
- Cancel your Squarespace subscription — your domain stays, your site just lives somewhere better now
Your domain is still registered at Squarespace, which is fine. When you're ready, you can transfer it to Cloudflare Registrar — usually a few dollars cheaper per year and everything lives in one place. No rush, 60-day transfer lock applies.
Contact forms and newsletter
On Netlify: Add netlify to your form tag. Done. No accounts, no setup.
On Cloudflare: Use Web3Forms — free up to 250 submissions/month, takes about 15 minutes to set up. Grab an access key, add two hidden fields to your form, submissions land in your inbox.
Newsletter: MailerLite is free up to 1,000 subscribers. Copy-paste embed, drop it in your HTML, done. Mine took 20 minutes including making it match the site design.
What it actually costs
| What | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub | Free | Free for private repos, unlimited |
| Cloudflare Pages | Free | Unlimited sites, unlimited bandwidth on free tier |
| Web3Forms | Free | Up to 250 contact form submissions/month |
| MailerLite | Free | Up to 1,000 subscribers, 12,000 emails/month |
| Domain name | ~$10–20/yr | Wherever you buy it. Cloudflare Registrar charges at-cost — usually cheapest option |
| Claude Code | $20/mo | Claude Pro. This is the actual AI doing the building and editing. The only real line item. |
The hosting, forms, and newsletter are all free. The only cost is Claude Pro at $20/month — less than Squarespace Business at $36, and you're probably already paying it.
What I used to build this site
- Claude Code — built, edited, committed, and deployed everything
- Brand skill — holds my full visual identity so Claude never improvises the design
- Voice skill — keeps my writing sounding like me across every page
- Frontend design skill — enforces layout, spacing, and component patterns
- CLAUDE.md — the brief Claude reads every session before touching a file
Skills are optional — CLAUDE.md alone gets you most of the way there. Add them when you notice Claude needs reminders about things you've already explained.