Instantly Convert Your WordPress Site to a Static Site Using Simply Static plugin

Introduction

If you have a WordPress website and you have been worried about slow loading speeds, expensive hosting, security vulnerabilities, or high traffic crashes, then this guide is written just for you. There is a powerful, free solution that can change the way your website works – and it requires no coding skills whatsoever.

The solution is called a static site, and the tool that makes it possible directly from your existing WordPress dashboard is a plugin called Simply Static.

In this comprehensive guide, you will learn everything you need to know about static sites, why they are better than dynamic WordPress sites in many situations, what the Simply Static plugin does, how to install and configure it, and how to publish your converted static site to the web – all in plain, easy-to-understand language.

Whether you are a blogger, a small business owner, a freelancer, or just someone who wants a faster and more secure website, this guide will walk you through every step of the process from beginning to end.

Section 1: Understanding Dynamic vs. Static Websites

What Is a Dynamic Website?

Most WordPress websites are dynamic. This means that every time a visitor goes to your website, your server works hard in the background to build the page on the fly. It fetches data from a database, runs PHP code, assembles the page, and then sends it to the visitor’s browser. This process happens every single time someone visits any page.

This approach is flexible and powerful. It allows things like user login systems, comment sections, e-commerce carts, and personalized content. However, it also comes with a set of problems that affect everyday website owners.

Problems With Dynamic WordPress Sites

• Slow page loading because the server must process requests each time
• Higher hosting costs since you need a server capable of running PHP and MySQL
• Security risks because WordPress, its plugins, and themes require constant updates
• Website crashes during traffic spikes when the server gets overwhelmed
• Database vulnerabilities that hackers can exploit

What Is a Static Website?

A static website is the opposite. Instead of building pages dynamically on each request, a static site consists of pre-built HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files that are ready to be served directly to a visitor’s browser. There is no database involved, no PHP to process, and no server-side logic running in real time.

Think of it this way: a dynamic site is like a restaurant that cooks your food fresh every time you order. A static site is like a bakery that has everything baked and ready to go on the shelf. The bakery is faster, more reliable, and cheaper to run for standard items.

Benefits of Static Websites

• Blazing fast loading speeds because files are served directly without processing
• Extremely low hosting costs – many platforms host static sites for free
• Stronger security since there is no database or server-side code to hack
• Handles large amounts of traffic easily without crashing
• Better uptime and reliability
• Easy deployment through CDNs (Content Delivery Networks) worldwide

A static website is perfect for blogs, portfolio sites, business landing pages, documentation sites, and any website where the content does not change based on who is viewing it.

Section 2: What Is the Simply Static Plugin?

Simply Static is a free WordPress plugin that acts as a bridge between your dynamic WordPress site and a fully static version of it. It crawls every page of your WordPress site, generates clean HTML files for each page, and packages everything into a downloadable ZIP file or deploys it directly to a location of your choice.

In other words, you continue to use WordPress as your content management system – where you write posts, upload images, and manage your layout – but your actual live website that visitors see is a completely static version that loads instantly and is immune to most security threats.

Who Makes Simply Static?

Simply Static was originally developed by Codelight and has since been maintained and expanded by PattonWebz and the broader WordPress community. It is available for free on the official WordPress Plugin Directory, making it accessible to anyone without needing to pay anything to get started.

A premium version called Simply Static Pro also exists, which adds advanced features like GitHub deployment, search functionality for static sites, form handling, and more. However, the free version is powerful enough for most websites and is what this guide focuses on.

How Does Simply Static Work?

Here is the basic process that Simply Static follows when you generate your static site:

1. It starts from your homepage and follows every link it finds across your site.
2. For each page, it generates a static HTML file that looks and functions exactly like the original WordPress page.
3. It copies all the assets your site uses – images, CSS stylesheets, JavaScript files, fonts – into the output.
4. It rewrites all the internal URLs so they point correctly within the static file structure.
5. It packages the final result as a ZIP archive, saves it to a local folder, or deploys it directly to a server or CDN.

The result is a perfect, fully functional copy of your WordPress site built entirely from plain HTML files – no WordPress, no PHP, no MySQL required to serve it.

Section 3: When Should You Use Simply Static?

Simply Static is not the right tool for every WordPress website. It works brilliantly for certain types of sites and is not suitable for others. Before you install it, it is important to understand whether your site is a good candidate.

Sites That Are a Great Fit for Simply Static

• Blogs and personal websites where readers consume content without logging in
• Business brochure sites that provide information about a company
• Portfolio websites for photographers, designers, and creatives
• Landing pages and marketing pages for products or services
• Documentation and knowledge base sites
• Event websites that display information without user accounts
• News and media sites where content is published by editors but read by the public

Sites That Are NOT a Good Fit for Simply Static

• E-commerce stores that need cart functionality, checkout, and user accounts
• Membership websites where users log in for exclusive content
• Forums and community sites with user-generated posts
• Sites using WooCommerce or other dynamic shopping cart systems
• Websites that rely on real-time data, such as live stock prices or dynamic maps
• Any site where the content shown differs based on who is visiting

Pro tip: Many website owners use a hybrid approach. They keep their WordPress backend private for content management and only expose the static version to the public. This gives you the best of both worlds – easy content editing with a fast, secure frontend.

Section 4: Installing Simply Static on Your WordPress Site

Installing Simply Static is just like installing any other WordPress plugin. You do not need to be technical, and the process takes less than two minutes. Here is exactly how to do it.

Step 1: Log Into Your WordPress Dashboard

Open your web browser and go to your WordPress admin panel. This is usually found at yourdomain.com/wp-admin. Enter your username and password to log in.

Step 2: Go to the Plugins Section

Once you are logged in, look at the left-hand menu in your dashboard. Click on Plugins, and then click Add New from the submenu that appears.

Step 3: Search for Simply Static

At the top right of the Add Plugins page, you will see a search bar. Type Simply Static into the search bar and press Enter. The plugin should appear as one of the top results. It is made by PattonWebz and has a recognizable icon.

Step 4: Install and Activate the Plugin

Click the Install Now button next to Simply Static. WordPress will download and install the plugin automatically. Once installation is complete, the button will change to say Activate. Click Activate to turn the plugin on.

After activation, you will see a new menu item called Simply Static appear in your WordPress admin sidebar. The plugin is now ready to use.

Section 5: Configuring Simply Static – Settings Explained

Before you generate your first static site, you need to configure the plugin properly. The settings in Simply Static determine where your static files go, what gets included in the output, and how URLs are handled. Let us walk through every important setting.

How to Access the Settings

In your WordPress dashboard, click on Simply Static in the left menu, and then click Settings. This is where all the configuration options live.

General Settings

Origin URL

This is the URL of your current WordPress site. Simply Static fills this in automatically based on your WordPress settings. You should make sure it matches exactly, including whether it uses http or https.

Destination URL

This is the URL where your static site will eventually live. If you plan to host the static site at the same domain as your WordPress site, enter that same URL. If you plan to host it at a different domain or subdomain, enter that new address here.

This setting is critical because Simply Static uses it to rewrite all internal links in your static files. If this is set incorrectly, your navigation links, images, and stylesheets may not load properly on the published static site.

Delivery Method

This setting controls where Simply Static saves the static files it generates. There are three main options.

ZIP Archive

This is the simplest option and the best choice for beginners. Simply Static packages all the static files into a ZIP file that you can download directly to your computer. You can then manually upload these files to any web hosting service.

Local Directory

With this option, Simply Static saves the static files directly to a folder on your web server. You can specify the exact path where you want the files saved. This is useful if you want to serve the static site from the same server.

Simply CDN (Pro Feature)

The pro version of Simply Static adds the ability to deploy your static site directly to various CDN and hosting platforms like GitHub Pages, Amazon S3, Netlify, Cloudflare Pages, and more. This automates the entire deployment process.

Included and Excluded URLs

Simply Static automatically crawls your entire site to find all pages and content. However, you can fine-tune what gets included or excluded.

• Additional URLs: If you have any pages that are not linked from anywhere on your site, they will not be discovered automatically. You can manually add their URLs here to make sure they are included.
• Additional Files: This lets you include files on your server that are not part of your website structure, such as PDF downloads or other documents.
• Excluded URLs: If there are sections of your site you do not want in the static output – such as the WordPress admin area, a staging environment, or a password-protected section – you can add them here to skip them during generation.

HTTP Basic Authentication

If your WordPress site is protected by a username and password at the server level (this is different from your WordPress login), you can enter those credentials here so that Simply Static can access the protected pages during the crawl.

Advanced Settings

The advanced settings section gives you more control over how Simply Static behaves.

• User Agent: This is the identifier Simply Static uses when crawling your site. You can usually leave this at the default value.
• Relative Path: If you plan to host your static site in a subdirectory rather than the root of a domain, you can specify the subdirectory path here.
• Temporary Files Directory: This is where Simply Static stores files temporarily during the generation process. The default location usually works fine.

Important: Always double-check your Destination URL before generating your static site. This is the most common source of broken links and missing images when the static site is published.

Section 6: Generating Your Static Site

Once your settings are configured, generating the static version of your site is incredibly straightforward. Here is how to do it.

Starting the Generation Process

In your WordPress dashboard, click on Simply Static in the left menu. You will land on the main Generate page. You will see a large blue button labeled Generate Static Files. Click it.

Simply Static will now begin the process of crawling your entire site. You will see an activity log appear below the button that shows you exactly what is happening in real time. The log displays each URL as it is being processed, along with any warnings or errors.

What Happens During Generation?

During the generation process, Simply Static is doing several things at once. It is visiting every page on your site, downloading the HTML content, copying all the associated images and files, rewriting internal URLs to match your destination URL, and organizing everything into the output format you chose.

The time this takes depends on how large your site is. A simple 10-page site might finish in under a minute. A blog with hundreds of posts and thousands of images could take several minutes or more.

Reading the Activity Log

The activity log is your best friend during generation. Here is what the different messages mean.

• A URL listed in green means it was processed successfully.
• A URL listed in yellow means there was a warning – often a minor issue that will not break your site.
• A URL listed in red means there was an error. This could mean Simply Static could not access that page, or there was a problem with the content.

Pay attention to any red entries. Common causes include password-protected pages, URLs that return a 404 not found error, or external resources that Simply Static tried to include but could not reach.

Downloading the ZIP File

If you chose ZIP Archive as your delivery method, once the generation is complete, a download link will appear at the top of the activity log or in a notification area. Click the download link to save the ZIP file to your computer.

This ZIP file contains your complete static website – every page, every image, every stylesheet, and every JavaScript file. It is the full, ready-to-deploy version of your website.

Section 7: Deploying Your Static Site – Hosting Options

Now that you have a ZIP file containing your static site, the next step is to put it online. The great news is that you have many excellent options, and several of them are completely free. Here are the most popular choices.

Option 1: Netlify (Recommended for Beginners)

Netlify is one of the most popular platforms for hosting static websites, and it is free for personal and small projects. It is extremely easy to use and offers excellent performance because it serves your files from a global CDN.

6. Go to netlify.com and create a free account.
7. Once logged in, find the Deploy section and look for the drag-and-drop deployment area.
8. Unzip the ZIP file Simply Static generated for you.
9. Drag the unzipped folder directly onto the Netlify deployment area.
10. Netlify will upload and deploy your site automatically. Within seconds, it will give you a free URL where your static site is live.

You can also connect a custom domain name to your Netlify site for a small annual cost through your domain registrar.

Option 2: GitHub Pages (Free and Reliable)

GitHub Pages is a free hosting service provided by GitHub. If you are comfortable with basic Git commands, this is an excellent choice.

11. Create a free account on github.com.
12. Create a new repository named yourusername.github.io, replacing yourusername with your actual GitHub username.
13. Unzip the Simply Static ZIP file and upload all the files to this repository.
14. GitHub Pages will automatically serve your site at yourusername.github.io.

Option 3: Cloudflare Pages

Cloudflare Pages offers free static site hosting with incredibly fast global delivery through Cloudflare’s extensive CDN network. You can deploy by connecting a GitHub repository or by uploading files directly. Cloudflare Pages is a strong choice for websites that expect high traffic.

Option 4: Amazon S3 (Scalable and Affordable)

Amazon S3 is a cloud storage service from Amazon Web Services. You can configure an S3 bucket to serve as a static website host. It costs a very small amount of money based on how much traffic you receive – often just a few cents per month for small sites. This is a great option if you want highly reliable hosting with fine-grained control.

Option 5: Upload to Your Existing Hosting

If you already pay for web hosting, you can upload the static files directly to your server using an FTP client such as FileZilla. Simply unzip the files and upload them to the public_html directory or the appropriate folder on your server. This allows you to keep your existing domain pointing to the same server.

Recommendation: If you are new to all of this, start with Netlify. Its drag-and-drop interface requires no technical knowledge, and your site can be live in under five minutes.

Section 8: Handling Common Challenges and Limitations

While Simply Static is a powerful and reliable tool, there are some situations and limitations you will want to be aware of before you commit to this approach.

Challenge 1: Contact Forms

Standard WordPress contact forms – such as those built with Contact Form 7, WPForms, or Gravity Forms – rely on PHP to process and send form submissions. Since your static site has no PHP, these forms will not work out of the box.

The solution is to use a third-party form service that handles submissions for you. Formspree, Netlify Forms, and Basin are popular options that provide you with a simple HTML form code snippet. You replace your existing form with this snippet, and the third-party service handles all the processing and email delivery.

Challenge 2: Search Functionality

If your WordPress site has a search bar, it will not work on the static version because WordPress search relies on database queries.

For static sites, you can use client-side search libraries such as Lunr.js or Pagefind, which pre-index all your content during the build process and allow visitors to search without a backend. Simply Static Pro includes built-in support for Pagefind to make this easier.

Challenge 3: Comments

WordPress comments are stored in the database and cannot be served statically. If your site has an active comment section that you want to preserve, you have a few options.

• Use Disqus, a third-party commenting platform that loads comments via JavaScript and stores them in Disqus’s own cloud infrastructure.
• Use Commento or Hyvor Talk as privacy-friendly alternatives.
• Simply disable comments if they are not important to your site’s function.

Challenge 4: E-Commerce

As mentioned earlier, e-commerce functionality cannot be replicated in a purely static site. If you use WooCommerce, do not convert your store to a static site using this method. You will lose all shopping cart and checkout functionality.

Challenge 5: Login and User Accounts

Any part of your site that requires users to log in – member-only content, user dashboards, account pages – cannot be included in a static site. These sections need a live server to authenticate users against a database.

Challenge 6: Keeping the Static Site Updated

Every time you make a change to your WordPress site – publish a new blog post, update a page, add an image – you need to regenerate the static files and redeploy them. For active blogs that publish frequently, this can feel repetitive.

The best workflow is to keep your WordPress site on a private or password-protected server for content management, and then run Simply Static and redeploy whenever you are ready to push new content to the public site.

Section 9: Advanced Tips for Getting the Most Out of Simply Static

Tip 1: Keep WordPress Private

One of the most powerful strategies is to make your WordPress installation completely private and inaccessible to the public. You can do this by password-protecting the wp-admin area, using a firewall rule to block public access, or hosting WordPress on a local computer using a tool like Local by Flywheel or XAMPP. The static site is what visitors see, while WordPress lives behind the scenes.

Tip 2: Automate Deployments

If you are comfortable with tools like GitHub Actions or Netlify’s build hooks, you can set up automatic deployments. For example, you could configure a webhook so that every time you click Generate in Simply Static, it automatically triggers a new deployment on Netlify without any manual steps.

Tip 3: Use a Staging Environment

Before deploying to your live domain, consider deploying to a staging URL first. This lets you review the static site and catch any issues – broken links, missing images, layout problems – before your visitors see it.

Tip 4: Optimize Images Before Generating

Simply Static copies your images as they are. If your images are large and uncompressed, your static site will also have large images. Use a plugin like Imagify or ShortPixel on your WordPress site to compress images before generating the static version. This will result in faster loading times.

Tip 5: Check Your Destination URL Carefully

This cannot be stressed enough. The Destination URL setting in Simply Static controls how all internal links are written in the static output. If this URL is wrong, your navigation links, images, and stylesheets will all point to incorrect locations. Always verify this setting before every generation.

Tip 6: Test on Multiple Devices and Browsers

After deploying your static site, test it thoroughly. Open it on a desktop computer, a smartphone, and a tablet. Test it in Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. Click through every page and form to make sure everything looks and works correctly.

Section 10: Simply Static Pro – Is It Worth It?

The free version of Simply Static is genuinely excellent and handles the needs of most websites without requiring any payment. However, Simply Static Pro extends the plugin with features that some users will find valuable.

What Does Simply Static Pro Add?

• GitHub Deployment: Automatically push your generated static files to a GitHub repository, which can then trigger deployments to GitHub Pages or other platforms.
• Netlify and Cloudflare Integration: Deploy directly to Netlify or Cloudflare Pages from within WordPress without any manual steps.
• AWS S3 and DigitalOcean Spaces: Deploy directly to cloud storage buckets.
• Pagefind Search: Automatically build a search index for your static site so visitors can search your content.
• Form Handling: Built-in support for processing and forwarding form submissions from your static site.
• Single Page Generation: Regenerate only specific pages rather than the entire site, which is much faster for large websites.
• Password Protection: Apply HTTP Basic Auth to your static site.

Should You Upgrade?

For beginners and small sites, the free version is all you need. If you run a larger website, publish content frequently and want to automate deployments, or need built-in search functionality, the Pro version is a worthwhile investment that will save you a significant amount of time.

Section 11: Step-by-Step Workflow Summary

Let us put everything together into a simple, repeatable workflow that you can follow every time you want to update your static site.

First-Time Setup (Do This Once)

15. Install and activate the Simply Static plugin from the WordPress Plugin Directory.
16. Go to Simply Static > Settings and enter your Destination URL.
17. Choose ZIP Archive as your delivery method.
18. Configure any additional URLs or exclusions as needed.
19. Save your settings.

Ongoing Content Workflow

20. Log into your WordPress dashboard.
21. Create or update your posts and pages as usual.
22. When you are ready to publish, go to Simply Static and click Generate Static Files.
23. Wait for the generation process to complete and review the activity log for any errors.
24. Download the ZIP file.
25. Deploy the unzipped files to your hosting platform (Netlify, GitHub Pages, your server, etc.).
26. Test the live static site to confirm everything is working correctly.

Once you get comfortable with this workflow, the entire process from clicking Generate to having a live updated site takes just a few minutes.

Conclusion

Converting your WordPress site to a static site using the Simply Static plugin is one of the smartest moves you can make if your site does not require user logins, e-commerce, or real-time dynamic content. The benefits are immediate and significant: your site loads faster, costs less to host, is far more secure, and can handle virtually unlimited traffic without breaking a sweat.

The beauty of Simply Static is that you do not have to choose between the comfort of WordPress as a content management system and the performance of a static site. You get both. WordPress handles the writing, editing, and organizing. Simply Static handles the publishing.

As a beginner, the process might seem a little unfamiliar at first, but after you do it once or twice, it becomes completely routine. Install the plugin, configure your settings, click Generate, download your ZIP, and upload to Netlify. That is genuinely all there is to it for most websites.

The internet is moving toward faster, more secure, and more resilient websites. Static sites are a major part of that movement. By using Simply Static today, you are positioning your WordPress website to be leaner, faster, and more future-proof than the majority of sites out there.

Start with the free version, get comfortable with the process, and consider upgrading to Simply Static Pro only when you feel the need for automated deployments or advanced features. For now, the free plugin is all you need to take your first step toward a better-performing website.

Quick Reference: Simply Static Checklist

• Install Simply Static plugin from WordPress Plugin Directory
• Set Destination URL in Settings
• Choose delivery method: ZIP Archive for beginners
• Add any excluded URLs (e.g., /wp-admin)
• Click Generate Static Files
• Review activity log for errors
• Download the ZIP file
• Deploy to Netlify, GitHub Pages, or your server
• Test the live site on multiple devices and browsers
• Repeat whenever you publish new content

About the Author

Jay Patel is the Founder of XSquareSEO, a full-service SEO agency with experience in on-page SEO, eCommerce SEO, link building, technical SEO, SaaS SEO, and local SEO. For more information, feel free to contact us. 

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