Chapter 1

mdBook Hosting Note — Refined

1. Core Technical Model

mdBook turns Markdown source files into a complete static website.

Markdown source files
        ↓
mdbook build
        ↓
generated book/ directory
        ↓
static hosting

The website is generated before deployment. It is not rendered dynamically for every visitor.

The final book/ directory contains the deployable website:

book/
├── index.html
├── chapter pages
├── searchindex.js
├── css/
├── fonts/
└── assets/

Each chapter is served as a normal HTML page.

2. Hosting Model

Because mdBook outputs static files, the website does not need:

backend server
database
SSR framework
Node runtime
user authentication
API layer

The hosting platform only needs to serve the generated book/ folder.

3. Hosting Options

Only these two options are being considered:

1. Cloudflare Pages
2. Vercel

Both work because both can host static websites.

4. Cloudflare Pages

Cloudflare Pages is the preferred option for the mdBook site.

For non-technical understanding:

Cloudflare Pages stores the finished website files and serves 
them quickly to readers through its global network.

For developers:

Project type: static site
Build output: book/
Runtime server: not required
SSR: not required
Backend: not required
CDN delivery: yes
Custom domain: supported
Git-based deployment: supported

Use Cloudflare Pages if the book remains mostly static content: chapters, resources, updates, and downloadable files.

5. Vercel

Vercel is also valid, but it should be treated as static hosting here.

For non-technical understanding:

Vercel can publish the finished mdBook website online 
even though the project is not a Next.js app.

For developers:

Framework type: static / other
Build output: book/
Runtime server: not required
SSR: not required
Backend: not required
Custom domain: supported
Git-based deployment: supported

Use Vercel if the broader project may later include Vercel-hosted frontend products. For the mdBook itself, it does not provide a major advantage over Cloudflare Pages.

6. Final Hosting Preference

Recommended order:

1. Cloudflare Pages
2. Vercel

Cloudflare Pages fits the static nature of mdBook more directly. Vercel remains a good fallback or ecosystem choice.

7. Practical Final Stack

mdBook
GitHub repository
Cloudflare Pages or Vercel
custom domain
Google Search Console
optional analytics
downloadable PDF edition

Do not build a Next.js app for the book itself.

Keep the book static. Add dynamic infrastructure only if the project later needs accounts, saved progress, paid access, quizzes, dashboards, comments, or an admin panel.