Host Sphinx documentation and private builds in seconds
Drag your _build/html folder or a ZIP (up to 25 MB and 100 files) into ship.page for a free link to your Sphinx docs, no signup. The link goes live in seconds and stays online for 30 days without an account, and the $4 a month Pro plan adds password protection and up to 10,000 files.
A file. A folder. A fresh start.
Your static site, one link away.
Uploading publishes your file. The link is public but unlisted, not password-protected, so leave out secrets and confidential content.
- Default Sphinx HTML output folder from make html
- _build/html
- Pro plan with password protection and 10,000 files
- $4/mo
- Starting price for Read the Docs Business private docs
- $50/mo
- Free link lifetime with no account required
- 30 days
How to publish your Sphinx HTML output
Build your HTML files with make html
Run make html in the folder that holds your Sphinx Makefile. The Makefile created by sphinx-quickstart runs sphinx-build -M html <sourcedir> <outputdir> with BUILDDIR = _build, which writes your finished site to _build/html (or build/html if you chose separate source and build folders during setup).
Zip the html output folder
Compress the _build/html directory into a .zip file, not the parent project folder. Make sure index.html is inside that html folder; ship.page unwraps a single top-level folder in a ZIP automatically.
Drop the ZIP on ship.page
Drag your .zip file (or the _build/html folder directly if it is small) onto the browser uploader. You do not need an account or credit card for a free 30-day preview.
Share the link or add a password
Copy your live HTTPS subdomain link or download the PNG QR code from the success screen. If the docs are internal, upgrade to Pro for $4 a month to set a password and keep the same URL when you re-upload.
Comparing Sphinx documentation hosting options
| Option | Private docs | Cost | Catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Read the Docs Community | No (public only) | Free forever | For open source, shows ads |
| Read the Docs Business | Yes (private repos and auth) | From $50/mo ($50, $150, $250) | Pricey for simple sharing |
| ship.page free | Unlisted with noindex header | $0 (30 or 90 days) | 100 files per upload, no in-place updates |
| ship.page Pro | Yes (password protection) | $4/mo (Team is $19/mo) | No custom domains, static HTML builds only |
Where is the Sphinx HTML output folder?
When you run sphinx-build -M html <sourcedir> <outputdir>, Sphinx writes the static web pages to <outputdir>/html. The standard Makefile generated by sphinx-quickstart sets BUILDDIR = _build, so running make html writes to _build/html.
If you selected separate source and build directories when running sphinx-quickstart, your output folder is build/html instead of _build/html. Always upload the html folder itself so that index.html sits at the root of your site.
Tip: If you host a ZIP file containing a single top-level html folder, ship.page unwraps that folder automatically so index.html becomes your homepage.
How to host private Sphinx docs without paying $50 a month
Read the Docs Community is the standard home for public open-source projects; it is free forever and supported by ads. However, hosting private repositories and adding documentation authentication requires Read the Docs Business, which starts at $50 a month for the Basic plan (with Advanced at $150 and Pro at $250).
If you just need to share an internal API reference or a pull-request preview with coworkers, ship.page offers password-protected previews on the $4 a month Pro plan. Even on the free tier, every upload sends a noindex header so search engines ignore it, and links are never listed publicly.
- Free without an account: unlisted link stays live for 30 days.
- Free with an account: sign in with Google or email to keep the link for 90 days.
- Pro ($4/mo): pages never expire (or set a custom expiry from 60 seconds), password protection, and in-place updates on the same URL.
- Team ($19/mo): includes everything in Pro plus a vanity subdomain.
Why medium and large Sphinx builds need a ZIP and the 10,000-file limit
Sphinx generates a separate HTML file for every source file, plus static assets, theme files and a search index. Because of this, Sphinx builds often pass 100 files.
The free tier on ship.page caps uploads at 100 files and 25 MB zipped (100 MB unpacked). If your _build/html folder has more than 100 files, you will need the Pro plan ($4 a month), which raises the limit to 10,000 files and 100 MB zipped (400 MB unpacked).
Tip: Browser folder uploads are encoded into a single 10 MB request (roughly 7 MB of raw files) on all plans, so zipping _build/html first is the most reliable way to upload.
Can I deploy Sphinx docs from CI or the command line?
You do not have to drag and drop your build in the browser every time you edit a docstring. Developers can publish directly after running make html using one curl command to POST https://ship.page/deploy, the GitHub Action, or the MCP server at https://ship.page/mcp.
If you are evaluating other Python doc generators, you can also use ship.page for free documentation hosting or to publish a MkDocs site the exact same way.
Questions
Where does Sphinx put the generated HTML files?
Running sphinx-build -M html <sourcedir> <outputdir> writes the files to <outputdir>/html. With the default Makefile from sphinx-quickstart, running make html puts the output in _build/html, or in build/html if you chose separate source and build folders.
How much does Read the Docs charge for private Sphinx documentation?
Read the Docs Community is free forever for public open-source docs with ads, while Read the Docs Business starts at $50 a month for Basic, $150 for Advanced, and $250 for Pro to get private repositories and documentation authentication. On ship.page, you can password-protect a static Sphinx build on the Pro plan for $4 a month.
Why did my Sphinx upload hit the 100-file limit on the free plan?
Sphinx outputs HTML pages, theme CSS and JavaScript, images, and raw source text files, which quickly adds up to more than 100 files. The ship.page free plan allows up to 100 files per upload, while the $4 a month Pro plan supports up to 10,000 files and a 100 MB ZIP (400 MB unpacked).
Does Sphinx client-side search work on ship.page?
Yes. Sphinx builds a static JavaScript search index inside the html output folder, and ship.page serves HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and JSON files directly over HTTPS with no server code needed.
Can I update my Sphinx documentation without changing the link?
On the free plan, pages cannot be updated in place, so each new upload gets a new subdomain link. With Pro ($4 a month) or Team ($19 a month), you can re-upload your ZIP and keep the exact same link.
Keep reading
- Free documentation hosting
- Host a MkDocs site
- Host a ZIP file
- Password-protected previews
- ship.page pricing
Put your Sphinx build online now
Zip your _build/html folder and drop it onto ship.page for a live HTTPS link in seconds.