
Now that dimaginar.com had become a static site, it was time for another digital puzzle. I had an AllMyLinks page with various links to places where people could find more: my website, LinkedIn, Reddit, GitHub. It worked fine, but I never looked at it. The visitor statistics sat in a portal I never visited. And now that dimaginar.com ran entirely in my own stack, that external dependency no longer fit.

So I built [Dimaginar Go](https://go.dimaginar.com). Again, my own static site, own subdomain, integrated into my stack. And I could say goodbye to another "free" tool.

## Control Over Data and Analytics

I didn't really have a problem with AllMyLinks. It worked well. But something started to gnaw at me. You're giving away data to an external party, you have no control over how it looks, and your analytics sit somewhere you rarely check.

Dimaginar runs on Cloudflare Pages, my analytics run on Ackee. Adding a single links site is then a relatively simple step.

## From Template to Live Site

I didn't want to just start with instructions in my AI coding tool. Shortly before, I had watched a course by Andrew Ng ([Build with Andrew](https://www.deeplearning.ai/courses/build-with-andrew/)) where he used a simple design template: Goal, Input, Layout, Features, Output. You don't have to fill everything in, but it helps to think before you begin.

I used Mistral AI to convert my raw thoughts from template to design document. That works well because I can then think about a project without sitting at my computer. I save the design documents in Joplin, also accessible from my phone. When I'm ready to build, I pass the document to Google Antigravity.

The first version ran in about ten minutes. The branding was right, but the links weren't properly copied. One iteration later, the right links were in place. Then the real work began. It took about an hour to get the layout right on both desktop and mobile, and to make the fonts more readable.

Deployment to Cloudflare Pages took fifteen minutes. Setting up Git, configuring DNS, adding to Ackee. I know this workflow well enough now that it's becoming routine.

## The Challenge: Ackee Event Tracking

I wanted to track how often each link was clicked. In Ackee you need to create events, where you have four options. On advice from Google Gemini, I chose "chart with total sums" and that turned out to be wrong. I only saw a rising number, not which link was clicked. Just shows you can never fully trust generative AI.

Tried multiple things. Troubleshooting in the browser. Testing code. Everything seemed to be set up correctly, but it didn't work as I wanted.

I started on an alternative solution on advice from Perplexity AI, which apparently also didn't know about the difference in event behavior. For one event, I then tried a different view, "list total" instead of "chart". Immediately I saw what I wanted. The link names appeared in Ackee with the number of times each link was clicked. Now I had to roll back the setup of multiple events. All this took about an hour, but it works now.

## Own Stack, Own Terms

Go.dimaginar.com now runs entirely in my own stack. I see the visitor statistics in the same dashboard as dimaginar.com. 5 links, but on my terms.

As far as I'm concerned, another perfect example of digital autonomy in practice. Not replacing everything for the sake of replacing, but making conscious choices about where your data lives and which tools you use. AllMyLinks works fine if that's what you want. But if you want control, you can build it yourself. And that's easier now than it's ever been.

---

## About The Author

**Peter van Barneveld** is a Cloud Engineer exploring practical paths to digital autonomy. He tests what actually works in daily use. His approach: figure it out, document the journey, share honest results.

Connect with Peter on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/pwvanbarneveld/) or join the discussion on [r/Dimaginar](https://www.reddit.com/r/Dimaginar/).

---

## FAQ

**How long does this take if you do it for the first time?**

I already had experience with Cloudflare Pages and Ackee, so deployment was routine. That's why it took me 3 hours in total including troubleshooting. If this is new to you, you definitely need to add more time to learn the different steps. Building the site itself with AI help can be relatively quick. Then you have a good starting point to learn further. Fine-tuning the layout takes the most time.

**Why Cloudflare Pages instead of Netlify or Vercel?**

I already use Cloudflare for DNS and dimaginar.com. Keeping everything together makes it simpler. Netlify or Vercel work fine too, choose what fits your stack. By the way, I use Netlify for Ackee as frontend, because I found that the best option from the possibilities described by Ackee.

**Do you have to use a design template?**

No. I found it useful to think ahead without directly coding, but you can also start directly with instructions in your AI coding tool. The template especially helps with projects where you don't know exactly what you want yet.

**Where can I learn more about AI coding?**

The courses on [deeplearning.ai](https://www.deeplearning.ai/) are highly recommended if you want to learn more about AI coding. Free, accessible, and practically oriented. Andrew Ng's [Build with Andrew](https://www.deeplearning.ai/courses/build-with-andrew/) is a good starting point if you have no experience at all.


After successfully migrating my Dimaginar website, I was curious about visitor statistics. On my WordPress site I had Google Analytics running, but given my search for alternatives to US tech giants, this felt like another interesting digital puzzle to solve.

In terms of requirements, I wanted a privacy-friendly solution without tracking. I don't want to be overwhelmed with data and don't want to bother visitors with a cookie notice. My wishlist included visitor numbers, time spent on my website, and ideally per page as well. Keeping it free was also important.

These requirements pushed me toward an open source solution.

## Choosing Ackee

The most eye-catching solution was Ackee. Particularly because of its simplicity and the way it can be deployed. It works by forking to your own GitHub, where I chose an installation on Netlify's free tier. A MongoDB was needed as a backend, but I could also use a free tier from MongoDB Atlas for this.

## From Installation to First Data

Installation and configuration was mainly reading carefully and then executing precisely. I used Claude as my AI assistant. It helped me with the initial research, installation and configuration, and troubleshooting.

After the successful installation on Netlify, it was time to log into Ackee for the final steps. I had to create a tracking script which I had my Claude AI coding agent implement in Visual Studio Code. Then it was just a simple git push of my website, which triggers an auto deploy to Cloudflare.

And voilà, with a first test visit the data came in.

## What I Learned

Unfortunately, I then discovered that my desired data, time spent per page, is not available. I do have views per page and time spent visiting Dimaginar in general. For now, that's fine with me. Should the site grow, I can always consider switching to an alternative like Matomo.

After the initial setup, I wanted to secure access to Ackee. The ACKEE_ALLOW_ORIGIN variable defaults to *, which allows all domains. I wanted to change this to https://dimaginar.com, but due to a typo, tracking stopped working. Redeploying multiple times to find the error cost me a significant portion of Netlify's free build minutes. Something to keep in mind, check your environment variables thoroughly before deploying.

Now it's been running flawlessly for several days and I'm extremely satisfied with this setup. Despite using well-known US parties for hosting, I can easily switch and don't have a lock-in feeling. I can pick up MongoDB and run it elsewhere, and for the frontend my own GitHub repo is leading.

As far as I'm concerned, another beautiful example of digital autonomy in practice.

---

## About the Author

**Peter van Barneveld** is a Cloud Engineer exploring practical paths to digital autonomy. He tests what actually works in real daily use. His approach: figure it out, document the journey, share honest results.

Connect with Peter on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/pwvanbarneveld/) or join the discussion on [r/Dimaginar](https://www.reddit.com/r/Dimaginar/).

---

## Frequently Asked Questions

**What about updates and maintenance for Ackee?**

Because you have a fork, you need to merge updates from the original Ackee repo yourself. This doesn't happen automatically. For most users this isn't a problem, updates are rare and not critical for daily use.

**Do you need to update your privacy policy for Ackee?**

Yes, even though Ackee is privacy-friendly. You need to mention in your privacy policy that you collect anonymous analytics, what data you collect (pageviews, duration, referring sites), and where the data is stored. No cookie banner needed, but transparency remains important.

**Can you track multiple websites with one Ackee installation?**

Yes, you can add multiple domains to one Ackee dashboard. Each site gets its own domain ID for the tracking script. This is useful if you have multiple projects. MongoDB costs remain the same, you simply use the same database for all your sites.


For two years, my Dimaginar email and file storage ran on M365 Business. I occasionally looked at European alternatives without really taking action. Until I found the Swiss solution kSuite and dared to make the switch.

The migration went as you'd expect from an email and file migration. Some configurations required figuring out, but with the right documentation I got there quickly. Now everything runs on European servers and I'm extremely happy with the setup.

## Why kSuite

I was specifically looking for a complete package with email, file storage, and WebDAV synchronization for my notes and backups. Although kSuite is Swiss and not EU, I trust that my data is better protected there than with American tech giants. Swiss data privacy is aligned with GDPR level, which the EU also recognizes.

The admin portal is also well-organized. Less overwhelming than the Microsoft admin center, where you sometimes have to navigate through endless menus. At kSuite I quickly find what I'm looking for.

## Moving Email with Outlook

The email migration went through Outlook. My M365 mailbox was already connected in Outlook, so I exported everything to a PST file. Then I connected my new kSuite mailbox in Outlook and imported the PST file. I only had email, no calendar or contacts, which made the process simpler.

DNS configuration required some attention. I ran into a DMARC problem, but once I found the right Infomaniak article, I could easily add it correctly. It's the kind of configuration you encounter with any platform, just like with M365.

## Files to kDrive

For file storage I use kDrive. I installed the Windows client locally, just as I had done with OneDrive. After installation, kDrive appears automatically in Windows Explorer, exactly like OneDrive does. On my phone I installed the kDrive app.

Copying files was straightforward through the explorer. I selected everything in OneDrive, copied it to kDrive, and done. No complex migration tools needed.

## WebDAV for Synchronization

An important reason to choose kSuite Business was WebDAV support. I use this for synchronizing my [Joplin](https://dimaginar.com/en/guides/onenote-to-joplin/) notes and as a destination for my Duplicati backups.

The WebDAV configuration required some figuring out, but Perplexity helped me quickly find the right documentation. Now it runs stable and reliable.

## How It Works Daily

After a few weeks of daily use, I'm pleasantly surprised. Email, files, and synchronization run flawlessly.

I use the webmail client on Windows and the Infomaniak Mail app on my iPhone. Both do what they need to do. The iPhone app is fast and stable, exactly what I need on the go.

With file storage, I see the biggest difference from OneDrive in the Office integration. Auto-save doesn't work in kDrive like you're used to with OneDrive. You need to save files manually. This requires awareness, but it's not a showstopper. Within Office apps you can add kDrive as a location, which makes opening and saving easier.

Opening files directly from kDrive in the web interface happens through the integrated office suite. This works fine enough, but it's not my preference. Especially the speed leaves something to be desired compared to local. That also applies to the web version of MS Office, by the way.

On the phone I have no problems viewing files. Apart from some small Excel edits, I don't do much with files on my phone.

WebDAV runs stable for my Joplin synchronization and Duplicati backups. This was an important requirement and it works as expected.

## Where I Stand Now

No, I'm not working completely Microsoft-free. I still use a personal Outlook account and Microsoft Office on Windows. Many personal contacts use my old email address, which makes complete migration difficult. I'm still uncertain about setting up forwarding.

Locally, I'm going to test LibreOffice to see if it can be a full alternative to Microsoft Office. But for now, the kSuite migration is a first step. My Dimaginar email and files run on European servers. That gives me more control and independence without having to flip everything at once.

This setup also makes future switches easier. As long as an email or storage solution supports standard protocols, I can move without starting from scratch. That's digital autonomy in practice.

* * *

## About the Author

**Peter van Barneveld** is a Cloud Engineer exploring practical paths to digital autonomy. He tests what actually works in real daily use. His approach: figure it out, document the journey, share honest results.

Connect with Peter on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/pwvanbarneveld/) or join the discussion on [r/Dimaginar](https://www.reddit.com/r/Dimaginar/).

* * *

## Frequently Asked Questions

**What does kSuite Business cost?**

The first year you get 50% off with an annual commitment. This costs about 55 euros for the entire year. After the first year you pay the regular rate of about 110 euros per year. For this you get email hosting with custom domain, kDrive storage, WebDAV access, and office tools like kMeet.

**Did I have downtime during the migration?**

Minimal. For email, the DNS conversion determines the downtime. kSuite has a diagnostic test for your DNS entries, but DMARC was missing from that overview. In my first test, receiving worked but sending didn't. It took about an hour to discover and fix this.

For files there was no real downtime. I copied everything while OneDrive was still running, only switched over when the migration was complete.

**How did the OneNote to Joplin migration go?**

For my OneNote to Joplin migration, I wrote a [separate guide](https://dimaginar.com/en/guides/onenote-to-joplin/). That migration requires more configuration work than email and files. WebDAV via kDrive plays a crucial role in the Joplin synchronization between devices.

**Do I need extra backups besides kDrive?**

kDrive has built-in protection. Deleted files remain in the recycle bin for 6 months, and you can restore your kDrive to 3 months earlier. For me this wasn't enough. I want to go back further than 3 months.

Because I was already used to Duplicati, which runs locally on my PC, I simply added the local kDrive folder to my Duplicati backup schedule. I did the same in the past for OneDrive. This way I determine myself how far back I can go, independent of the cloud provider.


My wife looked at the chaos on her hard drive and asked if I couldn't just build an app to solve it. Multiple import folders filled with thousands of photos, videos, and endless duplicates. Sorting manually would take her days.

Now, I'm absolutely not a programmer, but I've been experimenting with vibe coding for a few weeks. This seemed like the perfect project to see how far that would take me.

## Why I chose Rust

I could have accomplished this with Python, but I'd heard many good things about Rust. That language is known for speed and efficient memory usage, but especially for preventing errors that often get in the way of AI driven development. And I'd long wanted to create a real Windows executable, so this was the moment.

Rust normally has a steep learning curve for developers. But the combination of Antigravity and Gemini worked surprisingly well. I could build a stable tool quickly even without a technical background.

## The design process upfront

Before I started writing code, I invested time in the design. I used Gemini as an assistant for this. We worked through what the tool needed to do exactly, what the interface looked like, which functions were essential. That groundwork proved really worthwhile later.

The first version did exactly what I had in mind. Moving files to folders by year, setting duplicates aside separately, everything worked immediately as intended. Really remarkable.

## Keeping focus on what was truly needed

I considered adding a gallery view within the app, a visual overview of all organized photos. But after a few attempts, I decided not to pursue that. The chosen GUI didn't seem like the right choice for that purpose. More importantly, it wasn't really necessary. Viewing and further cleaning up the photos works excellently from Windows Explorer with preview view.

Exactly what building your own tool is about. You don't need to add features because they "should be there." You only build what solves the problem.

## From personal tool to public release

Because the main goal worked so well, I decided to publish the tool on GitHub. That decision led to a number of additional iterations. Adding a warning message that it's wise to have a backup and that use is at your own risk. Clear names for the buttons. A proper icon. And extra focus on user-friendliness for people opening the tool for the first time.

The iterations were all small improvements. I never had to solve errors or problems. I think that's an advantage of Rust in combination with AI tools, it prevents many of the typical beginner mistakes that normally occur.

## Compiling in WSL to Windows executable

What I also found remarkable is that I did the compiling in WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) and the output is a Windows application. Initially I also got a Linux version, but we abandoned that.

Assigning the icon to the executable took some time. That didn't work well from WSL, so we saved the icon we use within the app separately. I could manually convert this to the correct icon format. After each compilation, I have to assign the icon to the exe with a tool within Windows via PowerShell. A bit of manual work, but that's no problem for me since I expect few changes.

## The 10,000-file test

We used my own photo archive as the first big test. In just a few minutes, five different import folders with nearly 10,000 files were completely organized. What would normally be an endless chore in Windows Explorer was done with a few clicks. The duplicates were neatly collected and only needed a final check.

## The bigger picture

The entire project took about 24 hours, including all the steps to publish it as a release on GitHub. For me, this was a wonderful project to discover how powerful vibe coding is for solving practical problems, even if you can't write a single line of code yourself.

But more importantly, this illustrates a new form of digital autonomy. When you identify a manageable digital problem, you now have a choice. You can search for an existing tool, but you don't know upfront whether it does exactly what you want. Creating folders by year, finding duplicates, you'd have to test all that. And then you often get all kinds of bells and whistles that you don't need at all.

Or you build a tool yourself that only focuses on your specific problem. No compromises, no unnecessary complexity. Only what's needed to solve the problem.

That's perhaps the most beautiful form of digital autonomy for me. You have control over your data, and over the tools you use to manage that data.

## Do you have this photo chaos too?

If you recognize this chaos and keep putting off the manual organizing, you can find the tool here. The complete source code is also on GitHub, so you can see exactly what the tool does before you use it.

And have you identified a small digital problem yourself for which you might be able to build a simple tool? I'd love to hear about it. Let's share ideas on Reddit.

Download here the [Photo & Video Organizer](https://github.com/dimaginar/photo-video-organizer)

Share your ideas in our [Reddit community](https://www.reddit.com/r/Dimaginar/)

* * *

## About the author

**Peter van Barneveld** is a Cloud Engineer exploring practical paths to digital autonomy. He tests what actually works in real daily use. His approach: figure it out, document the journey, share honest results.

Connect with Peter on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/pwvanbarneveld/) or join the discussion on [r/Dimaginar](https://www.reddit.com/r/Dimaginar/).

* * *

## Frequently asked questions

**Do you really need to know nothing about programming?**  
What you do need is patience to go through the design process with an AI assistant, and willingness to learn to understand what the tool does. You need some understanding of technical concepts, but no coding expertise. The AI writes the code, you steer the decisions and evaluate the results.

**What do you concretely need for such a project?**  
An AI coding agent, a development environment like WSL with VS Code, and an AI assistant for questions. Time to learn and experiment. Always critically evaluate what the AI suggests, especially with code and system changes.

**What does this actually cost in AI tools?**  
For this project I only invested time, no money. I used Antigravity, which is generous with free credits in the preview phase. Gemini 3 Pro for the coding plan and initial output, then Gemini 3 Flash for iterations. For larger changes sometimes Claude Sonnet 4.5 (also via Antigravity). For help I used the free Gemini version. And GitHub for publication is also free.

**What if I find a bug or have a suggestion?**  
Open an issue on GitHub, then we can address it via GitHub features. Or come to the Reddit community to share ideas. This is my first public tool, so feedback is welcome.


**Update February 2026** - The OneNote to Joplin Readiness tool checks your system before you start migrating. Free on [GitHub](https://github.com/dimaginar/onenote-to-joplin).

I recently moved all my OneNote notes to Joplin successfully. OneNote worked fine, but I was curious how good an open source alternative would actually be. There's a lot of talk about digital autonomy, but I often miss the concrete solutions. So why not figure it out myself? I really like digital puzzles, so the game was on.

## Why Joplin Appealed to Me

First of all, because it's open source. Additionally, because it supports markdown for both editing and viewing, alongside a "normal" editor. And there were many positive reviews.

During my first test, it worked pretty straightforward. I quickly created some notebooks and notes, trying to replicate my OneNote structure. A hierarchy in notes is an important requirement for me.
But when I decided to actually move from OneNote, the real challenge began.

But when I decided to try to move from OneNote, the real challenge came.

## Setting Up Sync Was the Real Work

Installing Joplin is straightforward. The challenge wasn't Joplin itself, but achieving the same seamless multi-device experience that OneNote provides out of the box. With OneNote, you install the app, sign in, and your notes are just there on every device. With Joplin, that seamlessness requires real configuration work. Much harder and initially much less user-friendly. But I succeeded, and I'm genuinely happy with the result.

By design, Joplin works locally. Your notes live on your device. Which is fine, even preferable for data ownership. But using the same notes across multiple devices means setting up synchronization yourself. For me, that's Windows and iPhone.

Luckily Joplin supports multiple sync methods: Dropbox, OneDrive, Nextcloud, WebDAV, and others. WebDAV worked best for me because my kDrive subscription includes it.

The setup involved:

- Creating a dedicated folder in kDrive for the notes
- Generating an app password through the kSuite admin portal
- Finding the correct WebDAV URL

That last part took some puzzling. Using Perplexity, I found kDrive's official documentation, which got me unstuck quickly. Modern AI assistants excel at cutting through documentation to find exactly what you need.

Once I had the right URL, I configured Joplin on Windows first. After the first successful sync, I added my iPhone with the same settings. It worked perfectly. The synchronization has been reliable since. No conflicts, no lost notes.

As a user, I only needed a short time to adjust to how Joplin organizes notebooks and notes. After a few days, it was already part of my note-taking routine.

## Migrating Content from OneNote

The actual migration also took some puzzling, because OneNote's default export wasn't usable for a complete migration where the entire structure is preserved and can be imported into Joplin. Yet it went surprisingly smoothly.

Perplexity directed me to a tool called md exporter, a console application specifically designed for this purpose. The process:

1. Select a OneNote notebook
2. Export it to a Joplin Raw folder
3. Import that folder into Joplin
4. Keep OneNote open while exporting

What I really loved was that the complete hierarchical structure remained intact. Sections, subsections, pages, everything maintained its organization. That detail really made me happy. Years of accumulated notes, properly structured, moved cleanly to a new system.

I repeated this for several notebooks. Depending on the size, exporting can take considerable time per notebook, but that's just waiting. In the end, all my OneNote content now lives in Joplin, fully accessible and searchable.

**Update:** After publishing this guide, I frequently get questions about how the migration tool actually works in practice. Console applications can be intimidating, and figuring out if your system is ready isn't straightforward for everyone.

So I built the **OneNote to Joplin Readiness** tool with the help of AI. It verifies your setup before you start the migration. Free and open source on GitHub. If you're planning to migrate, try it out. I'm still testing it with different setups, so feedback helps.

You can find it on [GitHub](https://github.com/dimaginar/onenote-to-joplin).

## Making Sure Your Notes Stay Safe

For backing up my notes, I first thought the synchronization folder in my kDrive could serve as backup. However, if that folder gets corrupted, you can't rely on it as a true backup.

Luckily Joplin has a built-in backup tool. Configuring a backup folder in my kDrive was straightforward, and it became part of my daily backup schedule with Duplicati. This setup gives me confidence that my notes are well protected. In a future guide, I'll cover Duplicati in more detail.

## When Does This Approach Make Sense?

If you're not afraid of some configuration work, Joplin is an excellent open source alternative to OneNote. Budget two to three hours for the complete setup and migration. If you have large OneNote notebooks, the actual export and import can take considerably longer. 

The synchronization requires upfront effort, but once configured, it just works. Your notes remain under your control, and you can export them anytime to markdown, PDF, or other formats.

One disclaimer: my storage solution, kDrive, isn't open source. It comes from a Swiss company. I'm planning a follow-up guide about my complete kSuite journey and why I chose that path.

## What Challenges Should You Expect?

The configuration work is real. You need comfort with following technical instructions, finding WebDAV URLs, generating app passwords, entering settings correctly, and configuring the backup. An AI assistant helps enormously here, but you still need to understand what you're configuring.

Sharing notes requires more manual work than OneNote's built-in sharing capabilities. You can export notes to share them, but real-time collaboration isn't Joplin's strength. If you collaborate heavily on notes, this is an important limitation.

## What's the Real Result?

The system works reliably. My notes now sync seamlessly between devices, just like OneNote, and Joplin feels noticeably faster. The difference is that I own the data much more completely now. I can export everything to standard formats anytime I want. No vendor lock-in.

Most importantly: the effort paid off. I gained confidence that open source alternatives can compete with commercial tools for daily use. Sometimes the setup requires more work, but the ongoing experience can be just as smooth. And with AI assistants, these kinds of migrations have become much more accessible than a few years ago.

## What I'm Considering Exploring Next

The success with Joplin reinforces my broader experiment with digital autonomy. Next up: sharing my complete kSuite migration for email and file storage, why I chose this, and which other tools like Duplicati are part of it.

I'm also very curious about alternatives to tools like Confluence. That's Atlassian's wiki and knowledge management platform where teams collaborate on documentation. Finding an open source option for collaborative knowledge bases would complete another piece of the puzzle.

* * *

## About the Author

**Peter van Barneveld** is a Cloud Engineer exploring practical paths to digital autonomy. He tests what actually works in real daily use. His approach: figure it out, document the journey, share honest results. 


Connect with Peter on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/pwvanbarneveld/) or join the discussion on [r/Dimaginar](https://www.reddit.com/r/Dimaginar/).

* * *

## Frequently Asked Questions

**Does Joplin work offline like OneNote?**
Yes, and even better. Joplin's local-first design means it works fully offline by default. Everything is stored on your device. Sync happens when you're connected, but you never lose access to your notes.

**Can I still share notes with others?**
Sharing requires more manual work than with OneNote. It relies on Joplin Cloud, which is a paid feature. Alternatively, you can export notes to markdown, PDF, or other formats. I recommend using Joplin primarily for personal use. For collaboration, there are probably better alternatives.

**What happens if kDrive or my sync service disappears?**
Your notes remain stored locally in Joplin. They're not tied to any single service. You can switch to a different sync method like Dropbox, Nextcloud, or another WebDAV provider, and everything continues working.

**Is markdown really necessary, or can I use rich text?**
Joplin uses markdown for editing, but it's simpler than it sounds. Learning the basics takes maybe thirty minutes, and then it quickly becomes second nature. If you prefer, Joplin also has a rich text editor that handles the markdown for you.

**Will this work with my Android device?**
Yes. Joplin supports Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android. The sync configuration process looks similar across all platforms.

**Can I go back to OneNote if this doesn't work?**
Your original OneNote data remains untouched during migration. Keep it as a backup until you're confident in Joplin. Migrating back from Joplin to OneNote is considerably harder due to limited import and export options on Microsoft's side.


AI coding tools have changed what's possible in a weekend. I rebuilt my personal website, moving from WordPress to a fast static Next.js site deployed on Cloudflare Pages, in just 6 hours. An AI agent handled most of the coding. The result is a noticeably faster, more modern site that's easier to maintain.

This isn't about becoming a developer. It's about modern tools collapsing the gap between wanting a better website and actually creating one. If you're running a small personal site on WordPress, this approach might surprise you with what's achievable in a single weekend.

## Why Move from WordPress to Static Next.js?

WordPress worked, but it felt outdated. For a small personal site, editing and maintaining it took more time than it should. Parts of the site were slow, partly due to hosting limitations.

A static Next.js site solves these problems. Static means the pages are pre-built files. No database queries, no server processing. The result is lightning-fast loading and dead-simple hosting. Next.js gives you modern development tools while still exporting to static files. And with an AI coding assistant, you don't need to be a React expert to build one.

## What Tools Do You Actually Need?

Here's what made this project possible in 6 hours:

- **AI coding agent** (I used Google Antigravity): Does the actual coding, handles Git commands, builds the site structure
- **Development environment**: I ran Antigravity in WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) through VS Code. Some familiarity with Linux, Bash, or VS Code helps since you'll work across the editor, terminal, and browser
- **ChatGPT or similar AI assistant**: For "how does this work?" questions, especially around deployment and DNS
- **Cloudflare Pages** (free tier): Hosting that auto-deploys when you push code changes
- **GitHub**: Stores your code and triggers automatic builds
- **Domain name**: If you already have one (like I did from WordPress), you'll just point it to Cloudflare's DNS

Antigravity is currently in preview with generous free credits. I rebuilt my site and completed another project with just one week's allocation. If the free tier becomes more limited, Visual Studio Code with the Claude extension (which can use a Pro subscription) is a good alternative for projects that aren't too large.

Antigravity has a familiar VS Code-like interface (it's built on VS Code) plus an Agent Manager that acts as mission control for your AI agents. This combination makes it feel both familiar and surprisingly capable.

Before starting the actual coding, I discussed the approach with my AI assistant. We discussed the design for a simple approach with a modern design, components that work well together and are perfectly suited for Cloudflare Pages. This outcome of the conversation shaped the design specifications for the entire build.

The technical stack underneath: Next.js, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS. Content lives directly in configuration files. Simple and straightforward for a small site. You edit text in TypeScript objects rather than dealing with a separate content management system. But here's the thing: you don't need to know these technologies deeply. The AI handles the implementation. You focus on what you want.

## What's the Actual Process?

The rebuild happened in two main stages.

**Stage 1: Building the site (4 hours)**

I started by sharing the link to my WordPress site with the AI coding agent. It analyzed the layout and generated a Next.js version inspired by that structure. Then came the fun part: tuning the layout, adjusting the design, and rewriting content.

One challenge: I couldn't test the mobile version locally. After the first deployment, some layout choices didn't work well on mobile. My image display and spacing were off. But I could fix these with simple AI instructions and a quick git push. The whole fix-deploy cycle took minutes, not hours.

The first build worked surprisingly well. Not "proof of concept" quality. Actually good. That set the tone for the rest of the project.

**Stage 2: Publishing and migration (2 hours)**

This part had the steeper learning curve. Publishing to Git, connecting Cloudflare Pages, updating DNS. Some parts I knew, others were no longer readily available knowledge, and some were completely new.

Fortunately, Antigravity handled the Git workflow completely. I had forgotten the exact commands, but I could just instruct it: "push these changes to GIT" and the steps were executed.

For Cloudflare Pages configuration and DNS migration, I needed some help from my ChatGPT assistant. My current domain for my WordPress setup only needed to be moved to Cloudflare's DNS. The good news: Cloudflare automatically copied my entire DNS configuration when I transferred. I just pointed my domain to Cloudflare's nameservers, and everything came over. My AI assistant walked me through the trickier steps and answered my "how does this actually work?" questions.

Having that second AI assistant for infrastructure questions while the coding agent focused on building was surprisingly effective.

## What Challenges Should You Expect?

**The learning curve isn't just code, it's the development environment and deployment**

The Next.js building went smoothly because the AI handled it. The challenging parts were getting comfortable with the development setup (WSL, VS Code, terminal workflows) and deployment concepts (connecting repositories, configuring build settings, DNS propagation). If these environments are new to you, budget extra time for this learning curve. An AI assistant helps, but you still need to understand what you're configuring.

**Review before running anything important**

AI suggestions are often solid, but I always reviewed commands before executing them, especially anything touching Code, Cloudflare, Git. This isn't about lack of trust; it's about staying in control of your project. The same applies to the generated code itself. AI can introduce security vulnerabilities like missing input validation or insecure dependencies, so reviewing what gets deployed matters. After this project, I'm going to explore further how to better secure my website.

**Cloudflare Pages has build limits on the free tier**

The free plan limits the number of builds per month. This is perfect for a small personal site that doesn't change often. It's therefore advisable to test locally first, then push a batch of changes at once rather than pushing every tiny edit.

## When Should You Use This Approach?

This method works well if:

- Your WordPress site is basically a personal website with a few sections
- You want a faster, more modern site
- You're willing to try a weekend project with AI assistance
- You don't need WordPress features like user login or complex plugins

Keep in mind:

- You'll need time to learn the development environment and deployment workflow
- Content updates require Git commits rather than a visual editor
- This approach works best for sites you control yourself

## What's the Real Result?

The site feels noticeably faster and updates are easy to implement. Edit the text directly in the repository, or ask AI to modify the text, where a simple new git push ensures the site is updated. I could also easily move my vCard download, which I use with an NFC business card, and SEO is cleaner without relying on plugins.

Most importantly: 6 hours to go from "my WordPress site feels dated" to "I have a modern, fast static site on professional infrastructure" is genuinely impressive. That time includes partly learning new tools and concepts.

The game has changed. AI coding agents make projects like this accessible that were previously seen as impossible by many. You still need to think through what you want and review the results. But the gap between "I have an idea" and "I have a working site" has collapsed enormously.

## What I'm Considering Exploring Next

This first version was more than sufficient for my intended new site, but there's more I might explore as my site evolves:

**Code security scanning**: AI-generated code can contain vulnerabilities like missing input validation or insecure dependencies. GitHub's Dependabot automatically checks for vulnerable dependencies and can create pull requests to update them. It's built in and easy to enable for any repository.

**MDX for interactive content**: Right now, content lives in configuration files. Simple and direct. But if I start writing articles regularly, I might explore MDX. It's Markdown (simple text formatting) with the ability to embed React components. Want to add a calculator, live code demo, or interactive chart to an article? MDX makes that possible while keeping most of your writing simple.

**Lightweight analytics**: Understanding who visits the site without the bloat of traditional analytics. Services that preferably give insights while respecting privacy.

I haven't implemented these yet, but they're on my radar to explore further, even as needs change. The foundation is flexible enough to grow.

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## About the Author

**Peter van Barneveld** is a Cloud Engineer exploring practical paths to digital autonomy. He tests what actually works in real daily use. His approach: figure it out, document the journey, share honest results.

Connect with Peter on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/pwvanbarneveld/) or join the discussion on [r/Dimaginar](https://www.reddit.com/r/Dimaginar/).

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## Frequently Asked Questions

**Can I do this without coding experience?** You need some understanding of technical concepts, but not coding expertise. The AI writes the code. You guide the decisions and review the results. If you can follow instructions for Git commands and DNS settings, you can handle this. An AI assistant can explain concepts as you go.

**Can I migrate my existing WordPress content?** Yes. The AI migrated all the content from my WordPress site in the first generated version. It pulled the text, structure, and layout automatically. The editing time I spent afterward was mostly refining the site's theme and rewriting some text to match the new direction, not fixing migration issues.

**How much does this actually cost?** The setup I used costs nothing if you stay within free tiers:

- Antigravity: Free credits during preview phase (very generous). Alternative: VS Code with Claude extension (works with Claude Pro subscription)
- Cloudflare Pages: Free tier handles small personal sites easily
- GitHub: Free for private and public repositories

You might pay for a domain name if you don't already have one (~€15-20/year). That's it.

**What if something breaks after deployment?** Static sites are surprisingly resilient. There's no database to corrupt or plugins to conflict. If something does break, you have two safety nets. First, Git keeps your entire history, so you can roll back to any previous version. Second, besides local testing, Cloudflare Pages lets you preview changes before making them live. Test first, then deploy with confidence.

**How do I update content for my site?** Edit the text files in your repository (using any text editor) and push the changes. Cloudflare automatically rebuilds and deploys the site. Or use an AI assistant to help you make the edits. The workflow becomes natural quickly.

**Is this faster than keeping WordPress?** For a small personal site, absolutely. WordPress requires updates, plugin management, and database maintenance. A static site just sits there working. You only touch it when you want to change content or need to implement important security updates.

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