Where does it live — and what does it talk to?

A page is just HTML. The second you build one, you have to answer two questions: where does it live, and what does it connect to. This is the map. Match the tool to the job — don't bolt a database onto a page that only needs to sit there.

What it is

The decision rule for hosting, data, media, and AI on anything you build.

When to use it

The moment a build is done in Design and you ask "now where do I put it?"

The 3 questions

Does it display (host it), remember (add a database), or think (it needs an API)?

Static is just files. Thinking is an API call. Knowing the difference is the whole skill.

The 3 questions — ask these in order

1 · Does it just display?

A sales page, a one-pager, a static hub. It shows information and never changes on its own. You only need hosting.

2 · Does it need to remember?

Bookings, form entries, a login, saved progress. Anything that has to persist between visits. You need a database.

3 · Does it need to think?

Answer questions, generate, score, respond. The page has to call AI to do its job. You need an API.

The trap

Most people reach for the heaviest tool by default. A sales page does not need Supabase. Start at question 1 and only move down if the answer is yes.

Layer 1 · Host the page

Tool	Reach for it when	Watch out
Vercel	Static site or front-end. Drop the HTML, it's live in seconds. Generous free tier. Your default for a standalone page.	Overkill if it already lives in your funnel platform.
GoHighLevel	The page belongs inside your existing funnel / CRM stack. Paste into a blank or custom-code page at a clean slug.	Less flexible for complex apps. Great for marketing pages.
AWS Amplify	You're already in the AWS world, or the build will grow into a bigger app with auth and backend later.	More setup. Don't start here unless you're already there.

Layer 2 · Store the data

Tool	Reach for it when	Watch out
Supabase	You need a real database with structure — users, records, relationships. SQL under the hood, cleaner to reason about, generous free tier.	A little more upfront thinking about your data shape.
Firebase	You want fast, real-time data and easy Google auth. Great for live-updating apps and quick prototypes.	Google ecosystem. Costs can creep at scale if you're not watching.
Artifact storage	It's a published Claude artifact and the data is light — a tracker, a checklist, a journal. Built in, no setup.	20MB cap, text only, published-only. Unpublish = data gone. Not for real client apps.

Layer 3 · Hold the media

Tool	Reach for it when	Watch out
Loom	Fast, async walkthroughs and personal video. Quick to record, easy to embed. Your default for "let me show you."	Reads casual, not cinematic. Fine — that's the point.
Vimeo	Polished, branded video with no recommendations or distractions around it. Client deliverables, course content, sales VSLs.	Paid for the good tiers. Worth it when presentation matters.

If it uses Claude, it needs an APIA static page is just files sitting on a host. The moment you want it to think — answer, generate, score — it has to call Claude through an API. Inside a published artifact that's built in, and each user pays their own usage. On your own hosted site you wire an API key yourself. Either way: static = files, thinking = an API call.

The decision, in one line

Display only?

Host it — Vercel or GHL. Done.

Needs to remember?

Add a database — Supabase or Firebase. Or artifact storage if it's light and published.

Needs to think?

It calls Claude through an API. Published artifact (built in) or your own key on a hosted site.

Has video?

Loom for fast and personal, Vimeo for polished and branded. Never let video bloat the page itself.