Building Fast and Maintainable Static Websites With HydePHP

How I built this website using HydePHP and Markdown to achieve speed, simplicity, and a clean writing workflow.

What Is HydePHP?

HydePHP is a modern, PHP-based static site generator inspired by Jekyll and Laravel. It turns Markdown files and Blade templates into static HTML, giving you:

• A clean, Laravel-like structure
• Blade templates for easy layout customization
• A simple CLI to build and serve the site

You can learn more on the official website: https://hydephp.com

Why I Chose HydePHP

1. Blazing Fast ⚡

Static sites load instantly because everything is pre-generated — no database, no backend processing, no server workload.

2. Markdown Workflow ✍️

Blog posts are just .md files. You write, save, and HydePHP handles the rest. This makes content creation clean, distraction-free, and easy to version-control.

3. Blade Templates 🎨

HydePHP supports Blade, which gives full control over layouts and components without the weight of a full Laravel app.

4. Zero Maintenance 🛠️

A static site means no database updates, no module conflicts, no server patching, and fewer security concerns. Once deployed, it simply runs.

Deployment in Seconds 🚀

HydePHP outputs a static site in the _site directory. The entire build process is just:

php hyde build

For this website, I use GitHub Pages, connected to the repository with a simple GitHub Actions workflow. Every time I push to the main branch, GitHub automatically:

• Checks out the code
• Installs Node and Composer dependencies
• Builds the frontend assets
• Runs php hyde build
• Publishes the contents of the _site directory to GitHub Pages

It’s fully automated and requires no manual deployment steps.

What HydePHP Works Great For

HydePHP is ideal for:

• Personal websites
• Blogs
• Documentation
• Landing pages
• Portfolios
• Small business sites

Anywhere you want speed, simplicity, and control — without the burden of a full CMS.

Final Thoughts 💡

HydePHP gave me exactly what I wanted for this website: a fast, secure, and low-maintenance platform that lets me focus on the writing.

If you're looking for a simple and enjoyable way to build a static site, HydePHP is absolutely worth exploring.