A website without server configuration
Go from files to a working website in a few guided steps. arkDisk provisions storage, connects your domain and HTTPS, while you publish through the familiar Nextcloud interface. No separate hosting panel or FTP client is needed.
What you get
- Simple publishing — upload index.html and assets in Nextcloud Files and arkDisk serves them on your domain.
- Everything in one place — website files, storage and arkVault protection stay in the environment you already know.
- Publishing control — one switch hides the website without deleting its content.
- Isolation by design — every site has its own dataset, technical Nextcloud account, Linux user and domain.
- A safe write channel — the public server only reads files; editing happens exclusively through Nextcloud.
The hosting is designed for static websites: HTML, CSS, browser JavaScript, images and other assets. PHP, WordPress and other server-side programs cannot run here.
If your project needs a backend or database, publish the static frontend here and host the server-side component elsewhere.
Quick start
A domain purchase requires a verified email address on the Nextcloud account. The website name can contain 1–100 characters, without slashes.
Publish your first website
1. Provision the folder
The app creates the dataset, technical account and website folders. The card initially shows Provisioning. Do not start another operation on the same site while it runs; progress and errors appear under Hosting operations.
2. Upload your files
The publishing destination is:
Public folders / your-domain / public
Place index.html there as the homepage, along with CSS, browser scripts, images and other assets. Use relative paths such as css/style.css and img/logo.png.
The website folder is visible in Nextcloud Files, so adding, editing and organising assets requires no new tool. Storage management and arkVault protection belong to the same ecosystem.
3. Check your publication
The Public access switch becomes available after provisioning, domain activation and HTTPS setup. Select Open website and test the design and links. Turning public access off hides the site while leaving every file in place.
Protect your work with arkVault
There is no separate backup panel to learn. You can protect the site dataset in arkVault, creating a snapshot before an important change and returning to it if needed.
Snapshots protect against mistakes but do not replace an independent backup outside the storage pool. Keep important versions elsewhere too.
A domain for your website
Buy a new domain
Extension availability depends on the registrar offer shown in search. Not every regional domain is necessarily available for purchase.
How long registration takes
- .eu, .com and similar popular extensions — usually about one hour from payment confirmation.
- Regional domains with additional procedures — up to 3 business days, especially when identity or data verification is required.
These are estimates, not guaranteed times. The registrar may first return a pending state, and documents or action on your part can extend the process.
Track status without guessing
At the bottom of the tab, Your domains shows Pending, Registering, Active or Needs attention. The list refreshes automatically.
- Registering means payment is confirmed and registration or later reconciliation is still running.
- Active means the domain can be assigned to a public folder.
- Needs attention means you should check the message and operation journal.
Do not order the same domain again merely because the first registration is still running. If it exceeds the expected time, select Refresh registrar status.
Park a domain for later
A purchased domain can stay in your portfolio as Not connected, which means it is parked. When ready, select it from the active-domain list while creating a public folder. Your domains shows both parked entries and domains connected to websites.
Connect an external domain
HTTPS is enabled only after the domain is confirmed as pointing to arkDisk hosting. External DNS changes may take time to propagate.
DNS and Google Search Console
Manage domain lets you edit A, AAAA, CNAME, TXT and MX, with TTL between 60 and 86400 seconds. The editor supports up to 200 records.
- Website preset changes only A for @ and CNAME for www. MX, TXT and unrelated records remain untouched.
- Apply DNS records writes the entire list managed for the domain. Review it first, including mail and existing verification records.
- Google Search Console adds a TXT record for @. Paste the token alone or the full google-site-verification=... value. Other records and tokens are preserved.
If the live zone cannot be read, the app warns you and displays only records known to arkDisk. This is not a complete view of the external zone.
Manage your website and domain
Storage and operations
Change the allocation through Change space. The card shows usage and quota. Site creation, domain connection, DNS updates and deletion run through a queue. Hosting operations shows progress, attempts and errors; a failed operation can be retried.
Renewal and transfer
Renew through Manage domain → Renew as a separate paid checkout. Automatic charging is disabled. Renew external domains at their current registrar. An assisted transfer through arkDisk support is a paid service; direct transfer in the app is unavailable.
Deletion and retention
Deleting a website requires typing the full domain. The system first creates and requires confirmation of a fresh snapshot; the unmounted retention dataset remains for an administrator’s decision. Download important files first and keep an independent copy outside the storage pool.
Common issues
The public-access switch is unavailable
Check provisioning, domain activation and HTTPS. Review the journal and wait for the current operation to finish.
The homepage is missing
Make sure index.html is exactly in Public folders / domain / public and public access is enabled.
PHP does not work
This is the current hosting limitation. Static HTML, CSS and browser JavaScript are supported; PHP is not.
The domain is still registering
Check status and operations instead of ordering again. Popular extensions usually take about an hour; regional domains with extra requirements may take up to 3 business days.
DNS is not visible yet
Allow time for propagation, check the records and retry verification. Make sure you are editing the zone at the correct provider.
An operation failed
Open Hosting operations, read the message and select Retry. If it returns, write to info@arkdisk.com with the domain, time and operation number. Never send passwords or private keys.
