Downloading and Installation

As Publii is a desktop application rather than a server-side CMS, installation takes place on your computer. First, you'll need to grab the app from the Official Publii Download Section; there are downloads available for Windows, macOS and Linux. Choose the appropriate download for your operating system.

On Windows, double-click the downloaded installer and follow the installation process. On macOS, open the downloaded disk image and drag Publii into your Applications folder. On Linux, the installation process depends on the package you choose: install the DEB or RPM package using your system's package installer, or make the AppImage executable and run it directly.

Once installed, you can open Publii from the Start menu or desktop shortcut on Windows, the Applications folder on macOS, or your application menu on Linux. If you're using an AppImage, open the AppImage file from the location where you saved it.

Publii File Locations

Publii stores its application files separately from your website content. The default locations differ depending on whether you are using Windows, Linux or macOS:

For Windows

In Windows-based systems, the app files, which control the app interface and functionalities, are stored in the Publii install location, typically C:\Users\USER NAME\AppData\Local\Programs\Publii. The location may differ for existing installations. These files should not be modified except by experienced developers, otherwise you may cause crashes or other issues with the app.

The content files for Publii, which contain the files for your websites and other content that Publii generates, are stored separately in the Documents area for the current user, e.g. C:\Users\USER NAME\Documents\Publii. These files include folders for the currently-installed themes, folders for each website currently managed by the installed instance of the Publii app, and configuration files that store the current option settings for Publii. By default, individual website folders are stored in the sites subfolder. These files may be modified by web developers with experience of .json, .hbs and .css files in order to modify elements of a theme, the Publii settings, or created sites.

For macOS

Just as with Windows, Publii separates its files on macOS into two types: the app files, which control the app and its functionalities, and the website files, which contain all the content that Publii uses to make websites. The app is normally stored in the standard area for apps, /Applications/Publii.app. These files do not need to be modified except by experienced developers looking to modify the core functions of the Publii app; making changes to them can result in crashes or other instabilities.

The content files, which cover folders containing the installed themes' files, website content such as tags, posts and images, and configuration files containing the active settings in the installed instance of Publii, are stored in a separate location: /Users/USER NAME/Documents/Publii/. By default, individual website folders are stored in the sites subfolder. These files affect the website that Publii generates and your saved settings; they should only be modified directly by users with experience of .css, .json and .hbs files, such as theme developers or web designers.

For Linux

The location of Publii's application files on Linux depends on how you install it. Package installations may use a directory such as /opt/Publii, while an AppImage runs from the location where you saved it. These files provide the app functionality and interface. Modifying the application files can result in instabilities or crashes.

The content files, which store the actual website content, including tags, posts and images as well as themes, plus the configuration files that store the user's individual app settings, are stored in a different location, normally /home/USERNAME/Documents/Publii. By default, individual website folders are stored in the sites subfolder. Users with experience of web development who wish to make changes to the themes, or have more direct access to the site CSS, may do so through the files stored in this location.

The paths above assume your system uses the default Documents location. If you have moved or redirected your Documents folder, Publii's content folder will be stored there instead.

Changing where Publii stores its Website Files

You may set your own storage location for Publii's website files, allowing you to, for example, store your websites in a Dropbox folder and synchronize them with the cloud. This setting changes the location of your website folders, which are stored in Documents/Publii/sites by default; it does not move the entire Publii content folder or its global app settings.

To modify the storage location, open the application menu at the top-right of the app window and click App settings. The menu button may display a notification bell when there are notifications to review.

This will open the App settings screen. In the Files location section, click the Sites location field to open the folder picker and select an existing folder. Close any other Publii windows before changing this setting. The location cannot be changed while synchronization is in progress.

Once you have selected a folder, click the Save settings button at the top of the screen. By default, Publii will ask you to confirm that you want to move your existing websites to the selected folder. The original website folders are removed after the move completes successfully. If the destination already contains an item with the same name as one of your website folders, Publii will cancel the move rather than overwrite it.

If you want to use a different sites folder without moving your current websites, enable Change sites location without moving existing sites to the new folder before saving. Publii will use the selected folder, and your existing websites will remain in their original location.

If you wish to return to using the default storage location, click the X button next to the Sites location field, then click Save settings. This clears the custom location and restores the default path. The same choice applies when returning to the default location: move your existing websites there, or enable the option to change locations without moving them.