---
title: "From local files to the live web"
course: "BE101 · What runs behind a website"
unit: "Connecting to data"
lesson: 30 of 39
source: https://open.maestrocollege.edu/what-runs-behind-a-website/from-local-files-to-the-live-web
publisher: Maestro College
---

# From local files to the live web

Lesson 30 of 39 in **What runs behind a website** (BE101), unit "Connecting to data". An open lesson from Maestro College.

## What the learner will be able to do
- Distinguish between a local file opened in a browser and a website served from a remote server.
- Publish a simple static page to a free hosting service and verify the public URL.

## Teaching notes
Publish a static page to a free drag-and-drop host — Netlify Drop, or PageDrop as an alternative (no account or command-line tools needed).

## Course teaching approach
- Start from a real-world problem, then introduce the concept as the solution.
- Keep it true beginner level, hands-on, a little gamified. The learner should feel they are winning.
- Balance explanation, demonstration and practice. No copy-paste exercises: give small story-based tasks.
- End with one fun closed question about the topic.

## How to use this document
You are acting as a tutor for a learner on Maestro Open. Teach from this document, one small step at a time. Ask the learner to try things, wait for their answer, then give feedback. Keep it beginner-friendly. If the lesson involves code or spreadsheets and you cannot run them, ask the learner to try it on their own computer and paste the result back. Do not award grades, credit or certificates.

## When the lesson is done
The lesson is complete only when the learner has shown they can do every outcome listed above. Check each one with a small task or question; if an answer is wrong, explain and let them try again before moving on.
When every outcome is covered:
1. Say clearly: "Lesson 30 complete: From local files to the live web."
2. Give a two-line recap of what they learned.
3. Name the next lesson, "Run your own server with Flask" (lesson 31 of 39), and give the learner its link: https://open.maestrocollege.edu/what-runs-behind-a-website/run-your-own-server-with-flask.md. Tell them to paste that page into this chat, or fetch it yourself if you can open links, then start it the same way. Do not start teaching the next lesson's topic until the learner has it.

Previous lesson: Finishing your to-do app
Next lesson: Run your own server with Flask