Benjamin L. Stewart

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4 min read

Installing Website in pCloud

  • Notes

    Use pCloud’s Public Folder as a simple static website host, but put the actual website inside a subfolder such as Public Folder/website. pCloud supports static HTML websites, direct file/folder links, and embedded images/videos from the Public Folder. It does not run server-side code like WordPress, PHP, databases, logins, or forms. (help.pcloud.com)

    Public Folder
├── website
│   ├── index.html
│   ├── about.html
│   ├── resources.html
│   ├── contact.html
│   ├── teacher-training
│   │   ├── index.html
│   │   ├── cefr.html
│   │   ├── clil-siop.html
│   │   └── assessment-rubrics.html
│   ├── student-resources
│   │   ├── index.html
│   │   ├── writing-i.html
│   │   ├── listening-i.html
│   │   ├── academic-writing.html
│   │   └── discourse-analysis.html
│   ├── open-downloads
│   │   ├── index.html
│   │   ├── worksheets
│   │   ├── sample-lessons
│   │   └── presentation-pdfs
│   ├── media
│   │   ├── audio
│   │   ├── images
│   │   └── short-videos
│   ├── assets
│   │   ├── css
│   │   │   └── style.css
│   │   ├── images
│   │   └── documents
│   └── archive
│       └── index.html

    Why use a website subfolder?

    This keeps your website separate from other public files you may later place in Public Folder.

    Better:

    Public Folder / website / index.html

    Less ideal:

    Public Folder / index.html

    Using a subfolder gives you a cleaner publishing area and reduces the chance that random public files become part of your website.

    Homepage

    Your main homepage should be:

    Public Folder/website/index.html

    Then create links from that page to your main sections:

    • Teacher Training

    • Student Resources

    • Open Downloads

    • Media

    • About

    • Contact

    In pCloud, a direct link to a folder can show a default directory listing unless the folder contains an appropriate HTML index page. For that reason, place an index.html file in every major folder you want visitors to enter. (help.pcloud.com)

    Basic index.html example

    <!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="UTF-8">
  <title>Benjamin Stewart | English Teacher Training Resources</title>
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="assets/css/style.css">
</head>
<body>
  <header>
    <h1>English Teacher Training Resources</h1>
    <p>Open materials for English language teachers, students, and teacher trainers.</p>
  </header>
  <main>
    <h2>Resource Areas</h2>
    <ul>
      <li><a href="teacher-training/index.html">Teacher Training</a></li>
      <li><a href="student-resources/index.html">Student Resources</a></li>
      <li><a href="open-downloads/index.html">Open Downloads</a></li>
      <li><a href="media/index.html">Media</a></li>
    </ul>
  </main>
  <footer>
    <p>© Benjamin Stewart</p>
  </footer>
</body>
</html>

    Basic style.css example

    Save this as:

    Public Folder/website/assets/css/style.css
    body {
  font-family: Arial, sans-serif;
  max-width: 900px;
  margin: 40px auto;
  padding: 0 20px;
  line-height: 1.6;
}
header {
  border-bottom: 1px solid #ddd;
  margin-bottom: 30px;
}
a {
  text-decoration: none;
}
a:hover {
  text-decoration: underline;
}

    How to publish it

    1. Open my.pCloud.

    2. Go to My pCloud → Public Folder.

    3. Create a folder named website.

    4. Upload your index.html, pages, folders, images, PDFs, and CSS files.

    5. Select the website folder.

    6. Click the link / share / get link option.

    7. Copy the direct link.

    8. Open that link in a browser to test the site.

    pCloud’s documentation says that to host a static HTML site, you place the HTML files and linked graphics in the Public Folder or a subfolder, then copy the link from the main directory where the site resources are located. (help.pcloud.com)

    Important security setting

    Add an index.html file to subfolders you do not want displayed as open directory listings. pCloud notes that an empty index.html can prevent access to parent-folder listings. (help.pcloud.com)

    For example:

    Public Folder/website/archive/index.html
Public Folder/website/assets/documents/index.html
Public Folder/website/media/audio/index.html

    What to avoid

    Do not put these in the website folder:

    • Student grades

    • Attendance records

    • Student submissions

    • Private research data

    • Copyrighted scans or books

    • Drafts you may later retract

    • Your full pCloud Backup folder

    • Your full Seagate synced folder

    Also, Public Folder direct links cannot be password-protected. For temporary or restricted class materials, use pCloud Shared Links instead, because shared links can support password protection and expiration dates on Premium accounts. (help.pcloud.com)

    Best practical model for you

    Use pCloud Public Folder for the file-hosted resource site, but use another platform as the polished front door if needed.

    Best setup:

    • pCloud Public Folder: files, PDFs, audio, images, static HTML resource pages

    • Moodle: class-specific course delivery

    • Substack or personal site: public-facing writing/newsletter

    • GitHub Pages: better option for a more formal website with version control

    • pCloud File Requests: student uploads, not public folders

    For a simple public teaching-resource library, pCloud is enough. For a long-term professional website, I would use pCloud as the download/media host and GitHub Pages, Substack, or a proper website builder as the main public website.

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