Connect Ghost for publish and preview
Pro lets you connect Fantasma to your Ghost site with an Admin API key. Then you can publish the theme from the builder and, when the connection is healthy, preview with real site data instead of placeholders.
Free users design and download a ZIP without a connection; preview stays on demo data.
What you get
- Publish — Push theme output to the linked site where the app supports it.
- Real-data preview — Snapshot content from Ghost so feeds and context look closer to production.
Publish is the connected alternative to downloading a ZIP and uploading it by hand. It is faster for sites you own, while Download ZIP is still useful when you need a file for review, backup, CI, or client handoff.
Treat the API key like a password: only paste it in Fantasma’s connection UI; rotate it in Ghost if it leaks; remove the connection when you no longer need access.
Preview: Demo vs Connected site
Use Preview data in the builder toolbar. Pick Demo data or Connected site. Pro is required to load preview from Ghost; otherwise preview stays on demo data.
If Connected site looks wrong, refresh the connection snapshot and check for errors. Refresh after big content or site setting changes.
Add the connection
- Open Fantasma’s Ghost connection flow from publish, Download ZIP, or account.
- Enter your Ghost Admin URL (
https://...). - In Ghost, create an Admin API key under Settings → Integrations → Add custom integration or your host’s equivalent.
- Paste the key into Fantasma and save.
- Run verify or health check if offered.
routes.yaml
Connecting Ghost does not replace routes.yaml when your project changes routes. If the builder warns about routes, download and upload routes.yaml in Labs → Routes.
Live site vs builder
Ghost still owns active theme, members, navigation labels, and most site settings. Fantasma ships theme files. If preview and production differ, check connection health, Ghost’s active theme, and Ghost content.
If something fails
- Verify or health check fails: confirm the Admin URL uses HTTPS and the key is an Admin API key with the required permissions.
- Preview does not match Ghost: refresh the snapshot and confirm the connection is active.
- Publish succeeds but the site looks wrong: confirm the new theme is activated and rule out cached assets.
Remove or replace
Disconnect in Fantasma when rotating keys or handing off a project. New site = new URL + new key.