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Zee Academy: building a website from domain to launch

Short video lessons and step-by-step guides: how domains and DNS work, how code is kept on GitHub and published on Vercel, how to connect a database and card payments, and how to build faster with AI. It is the same process we use for our clients’ websites.

Start with the first lesson

Module 1 · Foundations

Glossary and Core Web Development Vocabulary

Learn the key terms: domain, DNS, hosting, frontend, backend, API, database, CI/CD, Git and agentic AI.

  1. 01Infrastructure Basics: Domain, DNS, Hosting, SSL and ServerGet to know the anatomy of the internet: what each of these terms does in the real world and how they fit together.
  2. 02Development Basics: Frontend, Backend, API, Database and GitHow roles are split in modern software: what the user sees (frontend), what processes the data (backend), what connects them (API) and what keeps track of versions (Git).

Module 2 · Infrastructure

Domains and DNS Infrastructure

Everything about registering a domain (GoDaddy, Namecheap, Cloudflare, CARNET for .hr), A and CNAME records, MX email setup and SSL certificates.

  1. 03Where and How to Buy a Domain (Namecheap, GoDaddy, Cloudflare, CARNET)A domain is your digital address on the internet. Learn how to choose the right ending (.com, .hr, .de), why the renewal price matters and how to turn on WHOIS privacy.
  2. 04DNS Records from A to Z: A, CNAME, TXT, MX and NSDNS is the internet's phone book: it translates names into server IP addresses. Learn the exact records a website needs in order to work.

Module 3 · DevOps & Version Control

Git and GitHub: Version Control for Your Code

Professional version control on GitHub: branches, keeping secrets safe and working without the fear of losing your project.

  1. 05Git and GitHub: From a Local Folder to a Safe Repository in the CloudGit tracks every change to your code, and GitHub stores it in the cloud so you can work as a team without worrying about losing the project.
  2. 06Branching Strategy and Pull Requests in PracticeHow to build new features without putting at risk the live site that customers are already using.

Module 4 · Hosting & CI/CD

Deploying and Automating with Vercel

Connecting GitHub to Vercel, the automatic build process, preview deployments for clients and setting up a custom domain.

  1. 07Importing a Project from GitHub and Your First Automatic DeployHow to connect a GitHub repository to Vercel in about a minute, check the Node.js settings and get a free SSL certificate.
  2. 08Environment Variables and Connecting a Domain on VercelLearn how to store API keys safely and connect your own domain without downtime.

Module 5 · Frontend & UI

Frontend Development: Next.js 15, Tailwind and Design Systems

The modern Next.js 15 App Router, server and client components, and a design system: consistent buttons, colours and icons that give a website a professional look.

  1. 09Next.js 15 App Router: Server vs Client ComponentsThe App Router changes how pages are built: Server Components render on the server without sending their JavaScript to the browser, which helps pages load fast.
  2. 10Design Systems: Consistent Buttons, Colours and Icons in TailwindWhy professional websites look cohesive: one button style, a small colour palette, the same icons and spacing. How to set up such a system in Tailwind, with our own setup as an example.

Module 6 · Backend & Data

Databases: Supabase and PostgreSQL

Set up a PostgreSQL database in the cloud with Supabase: tables, relations, Row Level Security (RLS) and Prisma ORM integration.

  1. 11Supabase: PostgreSQL in the Cloud, Tables and Data TypesSupabase gives you a powerful PostgreSQL server with a simple dashboard, an automatic REST API and a built-in authentication system.
  2. 12Row Level Security (RLS): Protecting Data Row by RowRLS is one of the most important security features in Postgres. It stops one user from reading or changing another user's data.

Module 7 · E-Commerce & Interaction

Forms and Payments: Server Actions and Stripe

Build secure contact forms with Server Actions, data validation (Zod), automatic emails (Resend) and card payments (Stripe).

  1. 13Next.js Server Actions: Handling Forms Without API RoutesNo more writing fetch calls and API routes by hand. Server Actions let a form call a server function directly.
  2. 14Stripe Checkout: Secure Card Payments and WebhooksHow to accept card payments (Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, Google Pay) without handling sensitive card data yourself.

Module 8 · Workflow

Building a Website with AI: From Prototype to Production

How AI tools speed up the build: gathering material and writing a good prompt for a quick prototype, a live preview on Vercel, then a careful production build with a database, forms, payments and checks.

  1. 15A Quick Prototype with AI: Material, Prompt and a Vercel PreviewHow to turn publicly available information about a business and a well-written prompt into a clickable website prototype within a few hours, and why a prototype beats a PDF or a sketch.
  2. 16From Prototype to Production: An AI Agent in Your Editor and the Final BuildA prototype shows the idea; a production site has to be secure, fast and reliable. How to finish the database, forms, payments and checks with an AI agent in your editor (e.g. Cursor, Claude Code or Antigravity).

Module 9 · AI & Productivity

Agentic AI: Subagents, Skills and Rules

How to work with AI agents: splitting work between specialised agents, clear project rules and simple code without unnecessary extras.

  1. 17Orchestrating Agents: Subagents, Delegation and Parallel WorkHow to break a complex project down between specialised subagents: a frontend specialist, a backend specialist, a security auditor and a debugger.
  2. 18Project Rules and Simple Code: Less Is MoreThe best code is the code you never had to write. How project rules and a few simple questions prevent over-engineering, both for you and for AI agents.

Module 10 · Launch

From Idea to Launch (End-to-End Checklist)

A step-by-step routine: from creating the project and setting up the domain to getting indexed in Google Search.

  1. 19The Complete Checklist Before Your Website Goes LiveBefore you send the link to a client or hit publish, go through this tried-and-tested 8-step checklist.
  2. 20Technical SEO, Core Web Vitals and Google Search ConsoleHow to give a new website the best chance of ranking well on Google for local searches.