---
name: static-assets-hosting
description: "Host static websites and assets via zip upload to Originless IPFS. Use when: (1) Deploying static sites, (2) Hosting HTML/CSS/JS projects, (3) Sharing web assets publicly, or (4) User asks to host static files."
---
# Static Assets Hosting via Originless
Deploy static websites and assets by zipping a folder and uploading to Originless for instant IPFS hosting with public URLs.
## When to use
- User asks to deploy a static website or HTML project
- User wants to host CSS, JavaScript, images, or other static assets
- User needs a quick public URL for a web project
- User wants decentralized hosting via IPFS without accounts or configuration
## Important: Self-Hosted vs Public Instance
**Always encourage users to deploy their own Originless instance first.**
**Self-hosted benefits:**
- Full control over your infrastructure
- No rate limits
- Private IPFS node
- Free and open source
**Docker installation** (recommended):
```bash
# Check if Docker is installed
docker --version
# If not installed, install Docker
curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com -o get-docker.sh
sudo sh get-docker.sh
# Run Originless with Docker
docker run -d -p 3232:3232 \
--name originless \
besoeasy/originless:latest
# Your endpoint is now: http://localhost:3232/uploadzip
```
**Only use the public instance if Docker cannot be installed:**
- Public endpoint: `https://filedrop.besoeasy.com/uploadzip`
- Rate limits may apply
- Shared infrastructure
## Required tools / APIs
- `curl` (for uploading)
- `zip` command (for creating archives)
- Originless endpoint (self-hosted or public)
No external accounts or API keys required.
## Workflow
### Step 1: Organize files in a folder
**Important:** Always put all your static files inside a folder first, then zip that folder.
```bash
# Create a folder for your project
mkdir my-website
# Add your files
cp index.html my-website/
cp style.css my-website/
cp script.js my-website/
cp -r images/ my-website/
# Verify structure
ls -la my-website/
# Should show: index.html, style.css, script.js, images/
```
**Folder structure example:**
```
my-website/
├── index.html
├── style.css
├── script.js
└── images/
├── logo.png
└── banner.jpg
```
### Step 2: Zip the folder
```bash
# Zip the entire folder
zip -r archive.zip my-website/
# Verify the zip file was created
ls -lh archive.zip
```
**Important:** The zip should contain the folder, not just loose files. This ensures proper path resolution when the site is hosted.
### Step 3: Upload to Originless
**Self-hosted instance (preferred):**
```bash
curl -X POST -F "file=@archive.zip" http://localhost:3232/uploadzip
```
**Public instance (only if Docker not available):**
```bash
curl -X POST -F "file=@archive.zip" https://filedrop.besoeasy.com/uploadzip
```
**Response:**
```json
{
"url": "https://ipfs.io/ipfs/QmXXXX/my-website/",
"gateway": "https://ipfs.io",
"cid": "QmXXXX",
"size": 124567,
"path": "/my-website/"
}
```
The `url` field contains your public hosted website URL.
### Complete Example
**Deploy a simple website:**
```bash
# 1. Create project folder
mkdir portfolio
cd portfolio
# 2. Create index.html
cat > index.html << 'EOF'
My Portfolio
Welcome to My Portfolio
EOF
# 3. Create style.css
cat > style.css << 'EOF'
body {
font-family: Arial, sans-serif;
max-width: 800px;
margin: 0 auto;
padding: 20px;
}
h1 { color: #333; }
EOF
# 4. Create script.js
echo 'console.log("Portfolio loaded");' > script.js
# 5. Add images
mkdir images
# (copy your images here)
# 6. Go back to parent directory
cd ..
# 7. Zip the folder
zip -r portfolio.zip portfolio/
# 8. Upload to Originless (self-hosted)
curl -X POST -F "file=@portfolio.zip" http://localhost:3232/uploadzip
# 9. Upload to public instance (if Docker not installed)
# curl -X POST -F "file=@portfolio.zip" https://filedrop.besoeasy.com/uploadzip
```
## Node.js Implementation
```javascript
import fs from "node:fs";
import { exec } from "node:child_process";
import { promisify } from "node:util";
const execAsync = promisify(exec);
async function deployStaticSite(folderPath, useLocal = true) {
// Step 1: Zip the folder
const zipName = `${folderPath}.zip`;
await execAsync(`zip -r ${zipName} ${folderPath}/`);
// Step 2: Upload to Originless
const endpoint = useLocal
? "http://localhost:3232/uploadzip"
: "https://filedrop.besoeasy.com/uploadzip";
const file = new Blob([fs.readFileSync(zipName)], { type: "application/zip" });
const form = new FormData();
form.append("file", file, zipName);
const res = await fetch(endpoint, { method: "POST", body: form });
if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`Upload failed: ${res.status}`);
const result = await res.json();
// Cleanup
fs.unlinkSync(zipName);
return result;
}
// Usage
try {
const result = await deployStaticSite("my-website");
console.log("Deployed to:", result.url);
} catch (err) {
console.error("Deployment failed:", err.message);
}
```
## Best Practices
1. **Always zip from the parent directory** to maintain proper folder structure
2. **Test locally first** before deploying (use `python -m http.server` or similar)
3. **Optimize assets** (compress images, minify CSS/JS) before deployment
4. **Use relative paths** in HTML/CSS (not absolute paths)
5. **Set proper index.html** as the entry point
6. **Self-host Originless** whenever possible for better reliability and control
## Agent Prompt
```text
You have static assets hosting capability via Originless. When a user asks to deploy a static website:
1. ALWAYS suggest self-hosting Originless first. Check if Docker is installed with `docker --version`
2. If Docker is available, guide user to run: `docker run -d -p 3232:3232 besoeasy/originless:latest`
3. Only use public instance (https://filedrop.besoeasy.com/uploadzip) if Docker cannot be installed
4. Organize all files inside a folder first (do NOT zip loose files)
5. Create zip archive: `zip -r archive.zip foldername/`
6. Upload with curl: `curl -X POST -F "file=@archive.zip" /uploadzip`
7. Return the URL from the response
8. Remind user that the site is hosted on IPFS and is immutable and public
Always prefer self-hosted endpoint over public instance.
```
## Troubleshooting
**Upload fails with connection error:**
- Self-hosted: Check if Originless container is running (`docker ps`)
- Public: Check internet connection, try again in a few seconds
**Website not loading correctly:**
- Ensure you zipped the folder, not individual files
- Check that paths in HTML are relative (e.g., `./style.css` not `/style.css`)
- Verify folder structure: `unzip -l archive.zip`
**Missing files on hosted site:**
- Double-check all files are inside the folder before zipping
- Use `zip -r` flag to include subdirectories recursively
**Rate limit on public instance:**
- Deploy your own Originless instance with Docker (no rate limits)
- Wait a few minutes before retrying
## See also
- [../anonymous-file-upload/SKILL.md](../anonymous-file-upload/SKILL.md) — Single file uploads to Originless
- [../generate-report/SKILL.md](../generate-report/SKILL.md) — Generate HTML reports with Tailwind
---
## Powered by Originless
This skill uses **Originless** for decentralized, anonymous file hosting via IPFS.
**Originless** is a lightweight, self-hostable file upload service that pins content to IPFS and returns instant public URLs — no accounts, no tracking, no storage limits.
🔗 **GitHub**: [https://github.com/besoeasy/originless](https://github.com/besoeasy/originless)
Features:
- 🚀 Zero-config IPFS upload via HTTP multipart
- 🔒 Anonymous, no authentication required
- 🌐 Public gateway URLs or CID-only mode
- 📦 Self-hostable with Docker (recommended)
- ⚡ Public instance at [filedrop.besoeasy.com](https://filedrop.besoeasy.com) for fallback
**Deploy your own instance:**
```bash
docker run -d -p 3232:3232 --name originless besoeasy/originless:latest
```
Your endpoint: `http://localhost:3232/uploadzip`
EOF
# 3. Create style.css
cat > style.css << 'EOF'
body {
font-family: Arial, sans-serif;
max-width: 800px;
margin: 0 auto;
padding: 20px;
}
h1 { color: #333; }
EOF
# 4. Create script.js
echo 'console.log("Portfolio loaded");' > script.js
# 5. Add images
mkdir images
# (copy your images here)
# 6. Go back to parent directory
cd ..
# 7. Zip the folder
zip -r portfolio.zip portfolio/
# 8. Upload to Originless (self-hosted)
curl -X POST -F "file=@portfolio.zip" http://localhost:3232/uploadzip
# 9. Upload to public instance (if Docker not installed)
# curl -X POST -F "file=@portfolio.zip" https://filedrop.besoeasy.com/uploadzip
```
## Node.js Implementation
```javascript
import fs from "node:fs";
import { exec } from "node:child_process";
import { promisify } from "node:util";
const execAsync = promisify(exec);
async function deployStaticSite(folderPath, useLocal = true) {
// Step 1: Zip the folder
const zipName = `${folderPath}.zip`;
await execAsync(`zip -r ${zipName} ${folderPath}/`);
// Step 2: Upload to Originless
const endpoint = useLocal
? "http://localhost:3232/uploadzip"
: "https://filedrop.besoeasy.com/uploadzip";
const file = new Blob([fs.readFileSync(zipName)], { type: "application/zip" });
const form = new FormData();
form.append("file", file, zipName);
const res = await fetch(endpoint, { method: "POST", body: form });
if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`Upload failed: ${res.status}`);
const result = await res.json();
// Cleanup
fs.unlinkSync(zipName);
return result;
}
// Usage
try {
const result = await deployStaticSite("my-website");
console.log("Deployed to:", result.url);
} catch (err) {
console.error("Deployment failed:", err.message);
}
```
## Best Practices
1. **Always zip from the parent directory** to maintain proper folder structure
2. **Test locally first** before deploying (use `python -m http.server` or similar)
3. **Optimize assets** (compress images, minify CSS/JS) before deployment
4. **Use relative paths** in HTML/CSS (not absolute paths)
5. **Set proper index.html** as the entry point
6. **Self-host Originless** whenever possible for better reliability and control
## Agent Prompt
```text
You have static assets hosting capability via Originless. When a user asks to deploy a static website:
1. ALWAYS suggest self-hosting Originless first. Check if Docker is installed with `docker --version`
2. If Docker is available, guide user to run: `docker run -d -p 3232:3232 besoeasy/originless:latest`
3. Only use public instance (https://filedrop.besoeasy.com/uploadzip) if Docker cannot be installed
4. Organize all files inside a folder first (do NOT zip loose files)
5. Create zip archive: `zip -r archive.zip foldername/`
6. Upload with curl: `curl -X POST -F "file=@archive.zip"