Beam publishes a finished website from a local export folder to a standard web server. It packages the site as a release, transfers it in resumable chunks, and activates it on the server. Beam 1.2.0 guides you through the complete setup.
Before you start
You need:
A Mac running macOS 13 Ventura or later.
A folder into which your website tool exports the finished site.
The public website address.
SFTP, FTPS, or FTP access to the live webroot.
Enough server space for a new release and any backup you create.
Beam includes one free project, so you can test the complete workflow before adding more projects.
Create the project
Install Beam in the Applications folder and open it.
Choose where Beam should save project settings. iCloud is recommended when you use more than one Mac. Only this Mac keeps the settings locally.
Enter a project name and the public website address.
Create a new export folder or choose the folder that already contains the exported website.
Enter the server protocol, host, port, username, and password.
Use Browse to select the live webroot instead of guessing its server path.
Run Test Connection.
Review the website and server settings, then choose Create Project. Beam prepares the webspace and installs its server components inside the selected webroot.
Always export the website into the selected local folder before publishing. A project can exist on several Macs, but every Mac needs its own local export folder.
Complete the first publish
Export the complete website into the local source folder.
Open the project in Beam.
Choose Publish Changes. On the first publish, Beam creates the complete initial release automatically.
Wait until upload, assembly, verification, and activation are complete.
Open the live website and check its homepage, navigation, forms, images, downloads, and server-managed content.
If the connection is interrupted during upload, use Resume. Beam sends the missing chunks instead of starting the complete upload again.