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Gone Hang Gliding
December 12, 2025
Question

Brand new to using Dreamweaver

  • December 12, 2025
  • 2 replies
  • 540 views

I'll be using Dreamweaver to create and manage a website. Ideally, I would like to be able to import an existing website then extensively modify it with Dreamweaver. Beginning with a simple site at first then adding more complexity. This is for a Chapter of the USHPA, Mountain Air Soaring Association, (MASA) for which I am the VP. The Mountain Air Soaring domain name is registered to me. We're also a 501(c)3. A website we'd like to pattern ours after is also another USHPA Chapter: the Rogue Valley Hang Gliding & Paragliding Association (similar links and content - less so at our start). A USHPA Chapter I'm also a member if is Center of Lift (the domain name of which is also registered to me). I'll be importing much of the content from COL to the new MASA Chapter as COL will cease being a Chapter after 3/1/26. The COL website is a Google site. I have all of the content for COL in various file types.
I've used Dreamweaver before but it's been awhile. Suggestions, comments?
NOTE: I don't want to be importing any websites which may have data that I shouldn't have (any financial data, etc.). What I want is the basic style, etc. If there are Dreamweaver templates that fit what I'm looking for I'd appreciate being directed to those.

    2 replies

    L
    Community Expert
    L e n aCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    December 13, 2025

    @Gone Hang Gliding , 

    In addition to what @Nancy OShea mentioned, Adobe’s online help provides a set of very useful guides to help you get back on solid ground with Dreamweaver:

    All of this is accessible from the left-hand help panel and covers the key steps needed to rebuild or adapt an existing website.

     

    You can also rely on a few articles we have published, designed to support gradual skill development:


    If you plan to import a site or modernize an existing structure, the Dreamweaver-focused series may also be helpful:

     

    Together, these materials should help you regain confidence with Dreamweaver, understand its current limitations, and move forward more easily with building or adapting your site.

    Please note that Puce & Média articles are written in French, but you can access localized versions easily by clicking the blue globe icon in the upper left corner of the page.

      Nancy OShea
      Community Expert
      Nancy OSheaCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      December 12, 2025

      How much experience do you have with HTML, CSS, JavaScript and Bootstrap?  Those are essential skills to have if you're going to do this solo.

       

      The first step is to create a new Site Definition.  Site => New Site. 

      Give it a name and location on your primary hard drive. 

      C:\MySite1

      CC-localsite.jpg

       

      Server details are the ones you received from GoDaddy for your hosting plan.CC-RootFolder.jpg

       

      Once your site is defined, Go to File ⇒ New ⇒ Starter Templates ⇒ Bootstrap Templates. 

      Choose one and hit CREATE button.

      image.png

      Ctrl + S to Save.  Name it index.html (your domain's landing page).

       

      This will give you a basic site & home page, to which you can add custom content. 

       

      Resources:

      - https://www.w3schools.com/html/
      - https://www.w3schools.com/css/
      - https://www.w3schools.com/js/

      - https://www.w3schools.com/bootstrap/

       

      Free Bootstrap Themes

      https://bootswatch.com/

      https://startbootstrap.com/themes

       

      Hope that helps. 

       

      Nancy O'Shea— Product User & Community Expert
      G
      Gone Hang GlidingAuthor
      December 13, 2025

      Thanks Nancy!
      Rusty on HTML. No experience with CSS, some experinece with JavaScript, heard of Bootstrap. So, overall minimal. I'm a fairly quick study but .... tiz the season to have lots of interuptions! I'll dive into your information and chat with GoDaddy. I am hoping to have the site hosted locally as opposed to with GoDaddy. But won't make that decision until I see what GoDaddy may offer to 501(c)3s. Lots to learn for sure! I'd like to use Dreamweaver. It may not be all I'm hoping for though for layout/design, etc. I'll just have to dive in and use it to see what I experience.

      B
      Community Expert
      Ben MCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      December 13, 2025
      quote

      Thanks Nancy!
      Rusty on HTML. No experience with CSS, some experinece with JavaScript, heard of Bootstrap. So, overall minimal. I'm a fairly quick study but .... tiz the season to have lots of interuptions! I'll dive into your information and chat with GoDaddy. I am hoping to have the site hosted locally as opposed to with GoDaddy. But won't make that decision until I see what GoDaddy may offer to 501(c)3s. Lots to learn for sure! I'd like to use Dreamweaver. It may not be all I'm hoping for though for layout/design, etc. I'll just have to dive in and use it to see what I experience.


      By @Gone Hang Gliding

       

      You won't be able to host your site locally from your computer to share on the internet. Hosting is not just as simple as having a website. You will have to host nameservers and manage a computer that will run 24/7 to be able to host the website for the public. Also if you are not familiar or interested in contuining to learn code, then DW might not be the best solution for you.

       

      Something you might want to consider is a solution like Webflow or Squarespace which both offer an integrated website builder as well as hosting in a single solution. These both offer a drag and drop editor and much of the editing can be done without learning code. Then you don't need to double down on hosting and a solution like Dreamweaver. You could still pay for your domain through Godaddy as they are a reliable registrar and this way you control the domain and both of those hosts will provide instructions on how to connect a domain from Godaddy to their services.

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