How to Build Your Decentralized Website with ENS

Hello there! If you've ever felt limited by a platform's rules or worried about your content disappearing, then you're ready to learn about the power of the Ethereum Name Service (ENS) and how to build a website that you truly own.

This isn't just a technical exercise but a practical way to learn coding, understand the basic infrastructure of blockchain technology, and most importantly, to gain full ownership of your online presence. Unlike my previous experience with my Shopify e-commerce store where themes and content were subject to platform changes, a decentralized site means your website and its themes will never expire. You are in full control.

The Decentralized Website Workflow

Step 1: Get Your Tools Ready: First, you'll need to set up a crypto wallet, such as MetaMask, which will be your gateway to the decentralized web. Once your wallet is ready, you'll use it to register your unique domain name via the ENS site. Think of it as your new web address, but instead of ending in .com, it will end in .eth.

Step 2: Find Your Template: With your domain secured, it's time to build the site's interface. A great place to start is by finding a template. Websites like HTML5UP offer high-quality, free templates, while platforms like ThemeForest provide a wider range of options with different pricing tiers. Choose a template that fits your vision, then dive into the code. Using a text editor like VS Code to begin customizing the HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to make the site your own. This is a practical, hands-on way to learn and improve your coding skills.

Step 3: Publish with Pinata: Once you've beta-tested the website interfaces and are happy with the design, you're ready to publish it. I do this by hosting it on IPFS (InterPlanetary File System), a peer-to-peer network for storing and sharing data. I use a service provider (Pinata) to make this process incredibly simple. You just upload your website files, and Pinata "pins" them to the IPFS network and produces a unique cryptographic hash, which is essentially a permanent address for your site's content.

Step 4: Link Your Domain and Pay the Gas: You'll take the unique hash from Pinata and use it to complete the transaction on the ENS site, linking your .eth domain to your IPFS-hosted content. A key part of this transaction is the gas fee. Gas is the fee required to conduct a transaction on the Ethereum blockchain, and it's paid in a small amount of ETH. It's important to note that gas fees are not fixed and would fluctuate based on network demand and peak usage times. The more people transacting on the network, the higher the gas fee. By keeping an eye on the gas price, you can choose an optimal time to publish your site and save on transaction costs.

My Fast Track to Blockchain

This hands-on journey offers a uniquely fast and practical way to understand the fundamentals of blockchain technology. More than just learning new skills (basic coding) and building a website, this process gave me a firsthand grasp of the infrastructure that will shape my digital future. If you want a thorough, visual walkthrough, be sure to check out my tutorial vlog.