Migrating a static site from Netlify

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1. Inventory what Netlify holds

• Build command, publish directory and base directory (Site configuration, Build and deploy).
• Environment variables, and which deploy contexts they apply to.
• netlify.toml, _redirects and _headers.
• Forms, with their notification settings.
• Build hooks and scheduled functions.
• Domains, DNS provider and current TTLs. Note whether the domain uses Netlify DNS.
• Use of Functions, Edge Functions, Identity, Blobs, Image CDN and Analytics. Section 5 covers each.

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2. Create the site

1. Connect the git provider in the dashboard, then check it with levelrail-cli git-providers.
2. Create the app from the Git repository card in the New wizard, or from a spec file:
   version: 1
   services:
     web:
       build:
         type: static
         baseDirectory: apps/web
         command: npm run build
         publish: dist
       domains: [www.example.com]
   
   levelrail-cli apps create --name my-site --file app.yaml --service web \
     --repo https://github.com/you/site.git --ref main
   
3. To change the build later, use the app’s Source tab, or:
   levelrail-cli apps git-source set my-site --build-type static --build-command "pnpm build" --publish-dir build
   levelrail-cli apps git-source set my-site --build-type static --infer-build
   
   --infer-build detects the framework and fills whichever of the command and publish directory you leave out.

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3. Map netlify.toml

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Redirects and headers

static:
  spa: true
  cleanUrls: true
  trailingSlash: remove
  notFound: 404.html

levelrail-cli static-sites routes lint my-site --redirects ./public/_redirects --headers ./public/_headers
levelrail-cli static-sites routes test my-site /old --request-query "ref=x"

• A rule that is not forced is skipped when a file exists at that path. Add ! (or force: true) where you relied on a redirect winning over a file.
• Country=, Language=, Role= and Cookie= conditions are skipped and reported. These need an edge runtime.
• A 200 rewrite must point at a path on the same site. Proxying to another origin is not available in static routing. A path forwarder on the domain can send a path to an external URL or another app.
• Limits apply: 1000 rules, 100 header blocks and 256 KiB per file by default. See Static routing.

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4. Settings around the site

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Environment variables and deploy contexts

levelrail-cli apps contexts set my-site --context deploy-preview --env API_URL=https://staging.example.com
levelrail-cli apps contexts set my-site --context "branch:release/*" --build-command "npm run build:rc" --publish dist
levelrail-cli apps contexts show my-site --context branch-deploy --branch release/1.2

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Branch deploys

levelrail-cli apps branch-deploys set my-site --mode patterns --branch staging --branch "feature/*"

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Deploy previews

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Forms

levelrail-cli forms create my-site contact --redirect-url https://example.com/thanks
levelrail-cli forms snippet my-site contact

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Build hooks

levelrail-cli apps build-hooks create my-site --name "cms publish" --branch main

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Scheduled functions

levelrail-cli jobs create web digest --mode http --http-path /cron/digest --schedule "@hourly" --retries 3

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Lock deploys

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Split testing

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Drop deploy

levelrail-cli deploy ./site --static
levelrail-cli deploy site.zip

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5. Where Netlify is ahead, and what has no equivalent

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6. Domains and DNS cutover

1. Lower TTLs first. At least one old TTL period before the cutover, set the TTL on the relevant records to 60 to 300 seconds.
2. If the domain uses Netlify DNS, recreate the zone at a DNS host you control before you move anything, and copy every record, not only the site’s.
3. Add the domains: levelrail-cli domains add my-site example.com www.example.com. Set the redirect between them with levelrail-cli domains redirect set my-site www.example.com --target https://example.com.
4. Get a certificate ready. HTTPS is self-signed until Let’s Encrypt is enabled, and issuance needs the domain to already point at the server. See Domains and ingress.
5. Test before DNS changes: curl --resolve example.com:443:<server-ip> https://example.com/ (add -k while the certificate is self-signed).
6. Cut over. Point the A and AAAA records at the Levelrail server. Keep the site on Netlify untouched.
7. Watch dig +short example.com from outside your network and the app’s request metrics.
8. To roll back, restore the old records. Write the old values down first. A bad release on Levelrail is a different case: levelrail-cli apps deploys rollback-to my-site DEPLOY_ID, or the Rollback button on the deploy.

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Checklist

• Build command, publish directory and base directory match Netlify, and the site builds.
• _redirects and _headers pass routes lint, and key URLs behave the same under routes test.
• SPA fallback, clean URLs and the 404 page behave as before.
• Env vars are set, with preview and branch values in contexts.
• Branch deploys are on for the branches you use.
• Every form exists, its snippet is in the HTML, and a test post reaches the inbox and a notification channel.
• Build hooks are recreated and the CMS points at the new URLs.
• Scheduled work runs against a container app, and each job ran once.
• Every use of Functions, Edge Functions, Identity, Blobs, Image CDN and Analytics has an answer.
• Domains are added, the certificate is ready, and the TTLs were lowered.
• A rollback to the previous deploy works.

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See also

• Netlify alternative
• Static pages
• Static site routing rules
• Domains and ingress
• Migrating from Vercel