How to download a website as an HTML file, and what stops working elsewhere
In Anticode, open the project in Pro mode, go to the Code tab and press HTML: a one-page site downloads as a single file with its CSS inside, and a site of several pages as a zip of folders. Any static host can serve it. What it can't carry with it is anything that runs on Anticode's servers, which mostly means forms, bookings and analytics.
When an HTML download is the right export
A self-contained HTML file is the simplest thing a website can be: no build step, no framework, nothing to install. It suits a one-off event page, a portfolio you want to keep a copy of, a page to hand a client, or a site you want to host somewhere you already pay for. If the site needs working forms, accounts or a database outside Anticode, the Next.js export is the better choice, because it includes server code.
Download it, step by step
Here's how to download a website as an HTML file from Anticode and check it before you upload it anywhere.
- Open the project in the builder and switch to Pro mode, which adds the Code, Map and Report tabs.
- Open the Code tab. It shows the page's HTML, its size and, for design-engine pages,
0 scripts. - Press HTML. A one-page site saves as
your-site-name.html. A site with separate pages saves asyour-site-name-site.zip, withindex.htmlat the top and a folder per page, such asabout/index.html, so links between pages work from any web host. - Unzip if needed and open
index.htmllocally to check it. Some things, like forms, won't work when opened from your disk; that's expected. - Upload the file or folder to your host of choice and visit the address it gives you.
Where it can be hosted
| Option | How you upload | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Netlify Drop | Drag the folder onto a web page | A quick test or a one-off page |
| GitHub Pages | Commit the files to a repository | Keeping history in Git, free hosting on github.io or your domain |
| Cloudflare Pages | Upload a folder or connect a repository | Fast global serving, your own domain |
| Your existing web host | FTP or the host's file manager into the public folder | Using hosting you already pay for |
GitHub Pages describes itself as static site hosting from a repository, and Netlify Drop publishes a dropped folder as-is. Any of them can use your own domain with the usual DNS records.
What stops working outside the builder
- Contact, booking and newsletter forms
- They post to paths on the site that Anticode's server answers. On another host there's nothing at those paths, so submissions fail. Replace the form's target with a form service you control, or keep the site on Anticode.
- The booking calendar
- Checking slots, refusing double bookings and saving bookings all happen on Anticode's server.
- Connectors and site functions
- Slack, Sheets, CRM connectors and form functions run when Anticode receives a submission.
- Analytics
- Views are counted by Anticode when it serves the page.
- robots.txt, sitemap.xml, llms.txt, the app manifest and the security report
- Anticode generates these per published site. Create your own if your new host needs them.
- Backups, integrity checks and version history
- They belong to the project in Anticode, not to the file.
- CMS content
- The file is a snapshot. Later changes to collections won't appear in it.
What keeps working: the layout, text, colours, fonts (loaded from Google Fonts) and links. A design-engine page's Content-Security-Policy travels inside the HTML as a meta tag, so the no-scripts rule still applies on the new host.
Check it worked
- Every image loads. Library photos come from an outside image host and should load anywhere. If you exported an app build that uses photos you uploaded yourself, check those too and copy them to the new host if they're missing.
- Every link between pages works, including the home link from a sub-page.
- Fonts look right on a phone, which proves the font request isn't blocked.
- Forms are dealt with: either pointed at a service you control, or removed, so visitors don't send messages into nothing.
Common mistakes
- Uploading only
index.htmlfrom a multi-page zip, which breaks every link to the other pages. - Leaving forms as they are, so enquiries vanish on the new host.
- Editing the exported file and then editing in the builder. The two drift apart; choose which one is the source from now on.
- Forgetting the old address. If the site was live on Anticode, unpublish it or point people to the new one, so two copies don't compete in search.
Limits
The HTML file is yours to host, edit and keep, with no Anticode runtime inside. It's a static snapshot: anything dynamic needs a server somewhere. For a site that will keep changing, backing up a website and static vs dynamic websites help decide whether to export at all.
Questions people ask
Is the HTML file really self-contained?
The HTML and CSS are in one file. Fonts load from Google Fonts and library photos from an outside image host, so the page needs an internet connection to look right.
Can I edit the exported HTML?
Yes, in any text editor. It's plain, readable HTML and CSS. Changes you make there don't flow back into Anticode.
Do I need a paid plan to download the HTML?
Check the current plans on the pricing page; the Code tab is part of Pro mode, which is an interface setting rather than a plan.