Not every website needs to live forever. In fact, developers and designers frequently need to host a webpage just long enough for someone else to look at it. This is where temporary HTML hosting becomes incredibly valuable.
When do you need temporary hosting?
- Client Demos: Showing a mockup to a client without cluttering your permanent server infrastructure.
- Interview Take-homes: Hosting a coding challenge submission that you want to automatically disappear after the review period.
- PR Previews: Quickly dropping a static build into the browser to check how it looks on mobile before merging code.
Setting up Auto-Expiry on htmlhost
Unlike traditional hosting, htmlhost natively supports TTL (Time To Live) configurations for any site you deploy.
- Deploy your site by dropping the HTML into the browser or using the CLI.
- Once deployed, navigate to your My Sites dashboard.
- Click on the settings gear next to your specific site.
- Look for the Auto-expiry option. You can set the site to automatically delete itself after 1 day, 7 days, or 30 days.
The Benefits of Self-Destructing Sites
Security and cleanliness are the primary benefits. If you are hosting a temporary prototype that might contain placeholder data, unoptimized assets, or experimental UI, you don't want it indexed by search engines or floating around the internet for years.
By setting a 1-day TTL, you ensure that the link you send to your colleague will automatically vanish, keeping your digital footprint clean and secure.
Test it out
You can create a temporary site right now. Drop a quick HTML prototype below, and if you don't claim it with an account, we automatically clean it up for you!