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[tutorial: build your own neocities/nekoweb page]
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a beginner's guide for making your very own home on the indie web—retro, personal, weird, and 100% yours.
this ain’t an average wix, squarespace, or tiktok aesthetic.
we’re talking full html/css with soul and attitude.
[ prerequisites ]
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> an idea
> basic text editor (vscode, notepad++, or even notepad)
> account on https://neocities.org or https://nekoweb.org
> some gifs or tiles you love (dig deep or make your own)
> optional: image host or gif repo (or self-host everything)
[ feeling overwhelmed? read this. ]
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you do *not* need to know everything.
html is not a mountain. it's a garden.
you plant one tag. then another. then a style. then a button.
you can build your site piece by piece.
and every piece is a portal to somewhere personal.
you are allowed to make broken pages.
you are allowed to use templates.
you are allowed to start over as many times as you want.
this is *your* world. you control the weird.
[ step 1: create an account ]
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> neocities: https://neocities.org
> nekoweb: https://nekoweb.org
register a name, log in, and enter your file manager.
this is where you upload your files and see your site live.
[ step 2: your first file - index.html ]
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make a new file: `index.html`
basic starter:
<html>
<head>
<title>my weird little corner</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="style.css">
</head>
<body>
<h1>welcome to the void</h1>
<p>this is my page. it’s strange. like me.</p>
<img src="mygif.gif">
</body>
</html>
> upload to the dashboard
> boom. you’re live at
https://yoursite.neocities.org
or https://nekoweb.org/u/yoursite
[ step 3: add a style sheet - style.css ]
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create a file called `style.css` and upload it.
here’s some nostalgic magic:
body {
background: url('tile.gif');
color: lime;
font-family: "Courier New", monospace;
text-shadow: 1px 1px 0 black;
}
img {
image-rendering: pixelated;
}
marquee {
font-size: 20px;
color: magenta;
}
link it in your html and the vibes activate.
[ step 4: decorate it like a haunted usb ]
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> use <marquee> for chaos scrolls
> embed gifs from https://gifcities.org/
> steal buttons from https://cyber.dabamos.de/88x31/
> set up a guestbook at https://www.smartgb.com/
> loop audio with <audio autoplay loop>
> add fake errors, 90s web lore, random link lists
[ step 5: resources, themes, and comfort ]
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> templates & layouts: https://numbpilled-themes.tumblr.com
> glitchy gifs & buttons: https://glitchcat.neocities.org/resources
> layout builder: https://sadgrl.online/projects/layout-builder/
> free tiled backgrounds: https://backgrounds.neocities.org/
> beginner html intro: https://www.w3schools.com/html/
> pixel fonts & cyber assets: https://fontstruct.com/
remember:
you don't need to know js. you don't need to be a coder.
you just need a mood, a direction, a dream.
the html will follow.
[ bonus concept: shrine pages ]
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> a page just for one character you love
> a room to house digital fragments of your identity
> embed quotes, music, images like altars
> call it shrine.html and link it from your homepage
[ closing mantra ]
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you are not here to be optimized.
you are not a brand.
you are a ghost inside the machine,
carving your initials into the silicon void.
welcome to Your website.
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