Carrd tutorial: build and publish your first one-page website
Build a small Carrd page on the free plan, add a button that reaches a useful checklist, publish to a Carrd address, and check the result on a phone.
In this guide
You can publish a simple page on Carrd’s free Basic plan using a .carrd.co address. You do not need to buy a domain or start a Pro trial for your first page.
Here you will make a small, useful checklist page: a clear heading, a short explanation, and one button that takes the visitor to the checklist. You can replace the sample with your own project details as you build. At the end, you will open the real published address and check it on a narrow screen.
Start signed in to an existing Carrd account with a free site slot. Basic currently allows three sites and adds Carrd branding. Custom domains, native contact forms, and other Pro features are outside this path. These conditions and the browser steps were checked on September 25, 2026.
Start with a blank page
From My Sites, click New Site, then choose blank page on the starting-point screen. This avoids accidentally choosing a Premium template. Carrd opens a page with a title and a short placeholder paragraph.
If a first-use overlay appears, read it and select Okay, got it!. The + in the top menu adds elements. Clicking an element opens its properties; Done closes that panel. You will only need text, a button, and one scroll point.
An element is a piece of the page. Keep the default page styling while learning the publishing steps; you can adjust its appearance later.
Write what the page is for
Click My Untitled Site and replace its text with a heading. For the practice page, use:
A small website check
Click Done. Select the placeholder paragraph and replace it with:
Check one page on a phone and record one thing to improve. Use the short checklist below before sharing your next page.
For your own project, say what the visitor can do or get here. Avoid filling the first screen with your entire background. Click Done and check that your changes appear on the canvas.
If this is only a test, add a brief sentence identifying it as a practice page. Do not publish real contact details, invented testimonials, or a service offer you do not intend to provide.
Add the button and its destination
Click the top +, choose Buttons, and open the Button row in its properties. Set:
- Label:
See the checklist - URL:
#checklist
Click Done. The label tells the visitor what will happen. The address beginning with # points to a named place on this same page.
Select the button element on the canvas, then use + → Control to add a control after it. In Type, choose Scroll Point. Set its Name to checklist, without the #, and click Done.
A scroll point marks where the button should take the visitor. Use Scroll Point, not Section Break: this page should remain one continuous page.
Select the scroll point, then choose + → Text. Place this text after the scroll point:
Your checklist
Read the heading on a phone. Tap the main button. Write down one thing to improve.
Carrd supports simple Markdown in its text editor: putting ** before and after a phrase makes it bold. Plain text is also fine.
Your element order should be heading, introduction, button, scroll point, checklist. Drag an element on the canvas if it is in the wrong place. The scroll point does not become a visible divider on the published page; it marks the start of the following content.
For a real project, replace the checklist with the details promised by your button. Keep the button’s URL and scroll-point name matched exactly.
Check the mobile layout, then publish
Use the phone icon in the top menu, Switch to Mobile View, to inspect the page. Make sure the heading wraps naturally, the button label fits, and every instruction is readable. The preview is useful, but you will still test the published page next.
Click the save-shaped Publish icon. Fill in:
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Title | A short browser-tab title, such as My website checklist |
| Description | One sentence explaining the page |
| Action | Publish to a .carrd.co URL |
| Name | An available lowercase name using letters, numbers, or hyphens; at least three characters |
These title and description fields describe the site; they do not replace the visible text you already wrote. Pick your own address name rather than assuming an example is available. If it is taken, adjust it and check again.
The Publish button stays unavailable while required information is missing. Complete the title, description, and address, then click Publish. Wait for Done! and the message confirming the published URL.
Do not choose a custom domain or a trial prompt for this exercise. The free address is enough to share the page and check that it works.
Open the actual page and test the button
Use View Site or open the published URL in another tab. Confirm that the browser loads it normally over HTTPS, your final text appears, and the default placeholder text is gone.
Tap See the checklist. The address should end in #checklist, and the checklist should be brought into view. A very short page may already show the whole checklist, so little movement is normal. Check the destination as well as the address.
If the link points somewhere else or does nothing useful, reopen the button’s URL and the scroll point’s Name. Check the spelling and that the checklist follows the scroll point, then publish the correction. Changes in the editor need to be published before visitors receive them.
Open the URL on a phone if you have one. Check that you can read it without sideways scrolling and that the button is easy to tap. A desktop mobile preview does not replace checking your own device.
Keep it online or take the practice page offline
If it is your real page and everything is correct, keep the URL and share it. You do not need a new hosting account; Carrd serves the page.
For a temporary practice page, open My Sites, choose Manage this site on its card, and open Site. Under Action, select Save as an offline draft, then Save Changes. Reload the old public URL to confirm that it no longer serves the page. This preserves the work in your account without leaving the practice page public.
Your next step is to replace practice content with a genuine, useful page—not add features just because they exist. Before sharing a real service page, use the landing-page launch checklist to check its message, links, and next action.
Sources and useful links
- Carrd builder basics — adding, editing, and arranging page elements.
- Using scroll points — connects a button to a specific place on the page.
- Mobile view — explains Carrd’s built-in mobile preview.
- Carrd plans — distinguishes optional Pro capabilities from the free page used here.