This guide describes the end-to-end process of building a website from scratch on Alibaba Cloud. The process covers domain name registration, Elastic Compute Service (ECS) instance purchase and configuration, website deployment, domain name resolution, and HTTPS configuration. By following these steps, you can deploy your website in a compliant and secure manner.
Time estimate
Step | Time required |
Register a domain name | Registration takes 5 minutes. For .cn domain names, identity verification and information review are also required. |
Build a website | The time required depends on the complexity of your website and your technical expertise. |
Configure domain name resolution | The initial configuration takes effect in real time. |
Configure an SSL certificate | Certificate issuance takes about 1 to 15 minutes. The deployment time depends on your technical proficiency. |
Procedure
Step 1: Register a domain name
A domain name is the unique, human-readable address for your website on the Internet (such as aliyun.com). It serves as the entry point for users to access your website and is a key part of your brand identity.
To register a new domain name: Register a domain name
To purchase an existing domain name: Domain brokerage service
In accordance with the regulations set forth by China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), all websites hosted on servers within mainland China are mandated to secure an ICP filing. Please note that domain names registered through the Alibaba Cloud international site (alibabacloud.com) are not eligible for ICP filing. To operate your website in the Chinese mainland, you must register your domain name through the Alibaba Cloud China site (aliyun.com) and complete the ICP filing process. Alternatively, you can use our GoChina ICP Filing Assistant service.
Step 2: Purchase and configure an ECS instance
Purchase and configure an ECS instance to obtain the computing resources that meet the operational and security requirements of your website.
Go to the ECS purchase page to purchase an instance.
Region: Select a region close to your target users to reduce access latency.
Instance: Select an instance type based on your website's estimated traffic and workloads. For small websites, an economy or general-purpose entry-level instance type is recommended. For more information, see Instance type selection.
Security Group: A security group acts as a virtual firewall to control inbound and outbound traffic for an instance. When you configure a security group, follow the principle of least privilege and open only the necessary service ports. For more information, see Work with security groups.
Step 3: Build a website
Upload and configure your website's applications, code, and static files on the ECS instance. After deployment, you can access and test the website using the ECS instance's IP address. The specific deployment method depends on your website's technology stack (such as LAMP, LNMP, Node.js, or Java). For more information, see Build a website.
Step 4: Configure domain name resolution
Domain name resolution points your domain name (such as aliyun.com) to the IP address of the server hosting your website (such as 192.0.2.1). This allows users to find it by typing the domain name into their browser.
Guide: Add DNS records for a website.
Propagation time: Initial record additions take effect in real time. However, modifications or deletions may take time to propagate across the DNS system, depending on the Time to Live (TTL) setting, which is typically 2 to 10 minutes.
Step 5: Configure an SSL certificate
An SSL certificate enables the HTTPS protocol, which establishes an encrypted channel between a user's browser and your server. This protects data in transit, verifies your website's identity, and is crucial for building user trust and improving search engine rankings.
Request an SSL certificate for your domain name and deploy it on your ECS instance.
Guide: Enable HTTPS for a website using a paid SSL certificate
After you complete these steps, your website can be securely accessed at https://yourdomain.com.