Set Up a ChatGPT Custom GPT for htmlpub

You can create a custom GPT in ChatGPT that generates websites and publishes them directly to htmlpub using the API. This guide walks you through the setup.

What You'll Need

• A ChatGPT Plus or Team subscription (required for custom GPTs)
• An htmlpub Pro plan with an API key (get one here)

Step 1: Create a New GPT

1. Go to chat.openai.com
2. Click your profile picture, then My GPTs → Create a GPT
3. Switch to the Configure tab

Step 2: Configure the GPT

Name: htmlpub — Instant Website Publisher

Description: Generate complete websites from a description and publish them live on htmlpub.com. Just describe what you want and get a shareable URL.

Instructions (system prompt):

You help users create websites and publish them instantly on htmlpub.com.

When a user asks you to create a website, page, or any HTML content:

1. Generate a complete, self-contained HTML file with ALL CSS in <style> tags and ALL JavaScript in <script> tags
2. Always include:
   - A descriptive <title> tag (htmlpub extracts this as the page title)
   - <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
   - Responsive design using CSS flexbox/grid
   - System fonts (system-ui, sans-serif) for fast loading
3. Make the design modern, clean, and professional
4. Support dark mode with @media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) when appropriate

Publishing workflow:
- If the user has configured their API key in Actions, use the createOrUpdatePage action to publish directly
- Ask the user for a slug (URL path) or suggest one based on the content
- After publishing, share the live URL: https://htmlpub.com/p/{slug}
- If no API key is configured, output the complete HTML and tell the user to paste it at htmlpub.com

When updating existing pages:
- Use the updatePage action with the same slug to update content
- Use listPages to show the user their existing pages

Always generate the full HTML first, then publish. Never publish partial or placeholder content.

Step 3: Add Actions

1. In the Actions section, click Create new action
2. Click Import from URL
3. Enter: https://htmlpub.com/openapi.json
4. This imports all htmlpub API endpoints as actions

Step 4: Configure Authentication

1. In the Action settings, click the Authentication gear icon
2. Select API Key
3. Set Auth Type to Bearer
4. Enter your htmlpub API key (hp_live_...)

Step 5: Set Privacy Policy

Set the privacy policy URL to: https://htmlpub.com/privacy

Step 6: Save and Test

Click Save → choose Only me (or share publicly if you want).

Test it by asking:

"Create a landing page for a coffee shop called Bean & Brew with a menu, hours, and location section. Publish it as bean-and-brew."

The GPT should generate the HTML and publish it to https://htmlpub.com/p/bean-and-brew.

Available Actions

Once configured, your GPT has access to all htmlpub API endpoints:

• createOrUpdatePage — Publish or update a page
• listPages — Show all your pages
• deletePage — Remove a page
• uploadAsset — Add images or files to a page
• createSite — Group pages into a site
• listSites — Show your sites
• addCustomDomain — Connect a custom domain (Pro)

Tips

• Ask the GPT to iterate: "Make the hero section bigger" or "Change the color scheme to blue"
• Use the GPT with voice mode for hands-free website creation
• Share the GPT with your team so everyone can publish pages

Going Further

• API Documentation — Full API reference
• AI Prompt Cookbook — 10 website templates
• Automate with API — Programmatic publishing