A simple handoff guide for self-managed Astro websites
Website Owner Guide
Learn how to safely update your own website by describing what you want, checking the result, and approving it before anything goes live.
- Use Codex to request and preview focused website changes in plain language.
- Keep control of the GitHub repository, Cloudflare account, domain, and publishing decision.
- Review, save, publish, troubleshoot, and reverse changes without memorizing terminal commands.
Lesson 1 of 14
Welcome. You can do this.
Tim creates and tests your website first. When it is ready, ownership moves to accounts you control. A Google Meet is helpful if you want Tim to walk through the handoff with you, but it is not required.
The one-time handoff
Your website is completed and checked on a temporary address.
You create your own GitHub, Cloudflare, and ChatGPT accounts.
Tim transfers the GitHub repository and you accept the email within one day.
A new Pages project in your Cloudflare account connects to your repository.
Your domain is added and its DNS is pointed to the new website.
Indexing blocks are removed only after the public site is ready.
After handoff, your normal update routine is simple
Describe one change in ordinary language.
Look at the change on your computer.
Make sure the changed page looks right.
Tell Codex when the preview is correct.
Codex sends the approved change to GitHub.
Open the public page and check the result.
Lesson 2 of 14
Create the accounts you will own
Create these accounts before the handoff. Use your own email address, turn on two-factor authentication, and keep recovery information somewhere safe.
ChatGPT and Codex
Use the account that will help you maintain the website. Sign in only through the official app.
GitHub
This account will own the website repository after Tim transfers it to you.
Cloudflare
This account will publish the website and can manage your domain and DNS.
Lesson 3 of 14
Set up the tools you need on Windows
Complete these four steps in order. If you created the accounts in Lesson 2, sign in to them here instead of creating them again.
ChatGPT desktop app
Download the Windows app from OpenAI, install it, and sign in. Confirm you can open Codex from the app.
Node.js LTS
Download the LTS version from nodejs.org. Then ask Codex to check whether Node.js and npm are installed and tell you their versions.
GitHub account
Create a free personal account at github.com and sign in. This account will own your website repository. You do not need GitHub Desktop or a separate code editor for this guide.
Cloudflare account
Create an account at cloudflare.com and sign in. Cloudflare will connect to your GitHub repository and publish the approved website changes.
Lesson 4 of 14
Receive and download your website
- 1
Send Tim your exact GitHub username, never your password.
- 2
Tim transfers the finished repository from his GitHub account to yours.
- 3
Open GitHub’s confirmation email and accept the transfer within one day. You now own the repository and its history.
- 4
In Codex, ask: “Please clone my website repository into Documents\Websites and help me sign in to GitHub if needed.” If GitHub asks you to authorize access, complete the sign-in in your web browser.
The online master copy and its change history.
The working copy stored on your computer.
The version Cloudflare has published for visitors.
Lesson 5 of 14
Create the website project in Codex
Your Codex project is the home for your website files and editing conversations. You only need to set it up once.
- 1
Open the ChatGPT desktop app and select Codex.
- 2
Find Projects in the sidebar and select the plus button.
- 3
Create a local project and name it after your website or business.
- 4
Add the website folder that Codex cloned in the previous lesson.
- 5
Confirm that folder as the project’s main folder if Codex asks.
- 6
Open the new project and start a task whenever you want to make a website change.
Screenshot to add later
Codex project picker with the website folder selected
Lesson 6 of 14
Ask for your first website change
Start with one clear change, such as correcting a sentence, replacing a phone number, changing business hours, or adding a new photo.
On the [page name] page, please change [what you want changed] to [the new information]. When you are finished, open a private preview so I can review it. Do not publish anything yet.
Lesson 7 of 14
Review the change
Look at the private preview just as a customer would. You do not need to review website code.
- Make sure Codex changed the correct page.
- Read the updated words and check names, phone numbers, prices, hours, and spelling.
- Click any button or link that was changed.
- Ask Codex to show the page in a phone-sized view if the layout changed.
- If something looks wrong, describe it or share a screenshot and ask Codex to fix it.
Lesson 8 of 14
Publish the approved change
When the private preview looks right, tell Codex to save and publish the change. Codex will create a restore point, send the update to GitHub, and Cloudflare will begin updating the public website.
The private preview looks correct. Please save this website change with a clear description, publish it through GitHub, and tell me when I can check the public website.
Lesson 9 of 14
Open the public website and check the page
Most updates appear within a minute or two. You do not need to open Cloudflare or check any technical screens.
- 1
Wait about one or two minutes after Codex says the change was published.
- 2
Open your normal website address and go to the page you changed.
- 3
Refresh the page and make sure it shows the result you approved.
Lesson 10 of 14
Common beginner requests you can copy
Open the request that matches your situation, replace the words inside brackets, and copy it into a task inside your website project.
Change words on a page
On the [page name] page, change “[old words]” to “[new words].” Show me the private preview when you are done. Do not publish yet.
Change business hours
Change the business hours to [new hours] everywhere they appear. Show me each updated page in the private preview. Do not publish yet.
Update a phone number or email
Change the [phone number or email address] from [old information] to [new information] everywhere it appears. Check that the links work and show me the private preview. Do not publish yet.
Replace a photo
Replace the photo in [describe where it appears] with the photo I attached. Make it fit the page correctly and show me how it looks on a computer and phone. Do not publish yet.
Research a topic and create a new page
Please research [topic] using trustworthy, current sources. Then create a new website page about it using the style and layout of our existing [similar page name] page. Write the page for [describe the intended reader or customer]. Show me the private preview and list the sources you used. Do not publish yet.
Research and write a blog article
Please research [topic] using trustworthy, current sources and write a useful blog article using our existing blog format and SEO best practices. Check our main service and sales pages first so the article supports them without targeting the same search intent or causing keyword cannibalization. Add helpful internal links and create original images if they would improve the article. Show me the private preview and do not publish yet.
Teach Codex a permanent website rule
Please treat this as a permanent rule for this website: [describe a mistake Codex should never repeat or a style you want it to follow]. Update the website project’s standing instructions so future pages, fixes, and blog articles follow this rule. Show me the instruction you added and do not change or publish any website content yet.
Fix a spelling mistake
Fix this spelling mistake: “[paste the sentence].” Do not change any other wording. Show me the corrected page in the private preview.
Fix a button or link
The [button or link name] on the [page name] page does not work. Please find the problem, fix only that problem, and show me that it works in the private preview. Do not publish yet.
The page looks wrong on my phone
The [page name] page does not look right on my phone. Please check the phone view, fix the layout, and show me the computer and phone previews. Do not publish yet.
I cannot find the page to change
I want to change [describe the content], but I do not know which website page or file contains it. Please find it, tell me what you found, and wait for me before making changes.
The private preview will not open
My private website preview will not open. Please find the problem, explain it in simple terms, fix it if it is safe to do so, and open the preview for me. Do not publish anything.
A published change does not appear
The website change I approved is not showing on the public page. Please check whether it was saved to GitHub and whether the website finished publishing. Explain what happened in simple terms and wait for my approval before publishing again.
Undo a change
Please undo the change where [describe what is wrong]. Keep all other website updates. Show me the corrected private preview and do not publish yet.
Publish an approved change
The private preview looks correct. Please save this website change with a clear description, publish it through GitHub, and tell me when I can check the public website.
Lesson 11 of 14
Simple rules that prevent mistakes
Before asking for a change, make sure you opened the project named after the correct website.
Finish and preview one request before starting another. This makes mistakes easier to spot and fix.
Read the changed page and click any updated buttons or links before you tell Codex to publish.
Only type your password on the official ChatGPT, GitHub, or Cloudflare sign-in page. If Codex says it needs a password, ask: “Where should I enter this safely?”
If you see words such as API key, token, secret, credential, or .env, do not paste the value into the task. Ask Codex to show you the safe place to enter or store it.
Open your normal website address and make sure the changed page shows the result you wanted.
Press Windows + Shift + S, capture the part you do not understand, paste it into Codex, and ask what to do next.
If this is a brand-new website, ask Codex to make sure Google can find it after the final domain is working. Do not change search settings during a normal page update.
Keep this list handy
Lesson 12 of 14
Your everyday publishing checklist
Open the correct website project
Ask for one clear change
Look at the private preview
Ask Codex to fix anything that looks wrong
Tell Codex to publish when the preview is correct
Open the public website and make sure the changed page shows the result you wanted
Codex can do the technical work, but nothing should go live until you have seen it and approved it.
If something goes wrong
Lesson 13 of 14
Undo a website change
Tell Codex what looks wrong and what the page should show instead. Ask it to keep every other website change.
Please undo the change where [describe what is wrong]. Keep all other website updates. Show me the corrected private preview and do not publish yet.
Lesson 14 of 14
What to do if a published change does not appear
Most updates appear within a minute or two. If you still see the old page, use these steps instead of opening Cloudflare yourself.
- 1
Make sure you opened the correct public page.
- 2
Press Ctrl + F5 to refresh the page completely.
- 3
Return to the Codex task where you published the change.
- 4
Paste the request below and let Codex check GitHub and the website publishing process for you.
The website change I approved is not showing on the public page. Please check whether it was saved to GitHub and whether the website finished publishing. Explain what happened in simple terms, fix only what is needed, and wait for my approval before publishing again.
Want a website you can truly own?
Get help building or managing your website
Tim can rebuild the foundation, explain the handoff, or step back in when an update needs experienced help. Read about website redesign and ownership, or start with a practical conversation.