Getting started with HugoFox takes less time than making a cup of tea. Within five minutes of signing up, you can have a professional-looking website ready to customise with your own content.
No payment details are required, no technical knowledge is needed, and there are no complicated setup steps that waste your valuable time.
The signup process
Creating your account
Creating your HugoFox account involves answering a few straightforward questions about your organisation, and that’s it.
You’ll choose whether you’re a Parish Council, charity, club, or small business. This ensures the features you use are relevant to your needs from day one.
For UK-registered charities, please provide your charity registration number so we can verify your eligibility for the free Bronze package for life.
This verification usually happens within 24 hours, but you can begin building your website straight away while it runs in the background.
No upfront payment required
The entire signup process requires no payment information upfront. You’ll start with a 30-day free trial to explore the features of your website.
Unlike some companies that offer free trials, we don’t ask for any payment details at the beginning. You’ll only pay once you’ve tested everything and decided to keep your website with HugoFox.
Simply share a few details about your organisation, start building, and add your payment details when you’re happy and ready to continue.
Immediate access
Once you’ve completed signup, you’ll be taken straight to your new website dashboard with full access to every feature in your chosen package.
There’s no long wait, no extra verification steps, and no artificial delays. You can begin building and launching your website right away.
Building your first pages
Drag-and-drop interface
HugoFox uses a flexible drag-and-drop page builder that lets you design your pages exactly how you want them to look.
You’re not restricted to rigid templates. You can arrange content, images, and features in whatever way suits your organisation best.
The interface shows your page as you build it, so you’ll always know roughly what visitors will see, and you can use a preview button to see exactly how things look on a page. There’s no complicated code to learn or technical terminology to figure out.
Pre-built content blocks
Although you’re free to create from scratch, HugoFox provides a range of pre-built content blocks so you can add everything you need to your webpages, including images, written content, forms, links to calendars, and so much more.
If you need a contact form, simply add the block and select the information users need to enter. For videos, the video box allows you to add one in seconds.
These blocks are fully customisable. You can change colours, adjust layouts, and edit text to create a design that suits your organisation perfectly.
Starting with common page types
Most organisations begin with a few key pages: a home page, about us, contact information, and a news section. HugoFox makes it easy to get these pages up and running.
The difference is that you’re not locked into a fixed layout. You can mix, match, and modify everything so your pages reflect your exact needs.
You’re in full control of the final look, including which features appear on each page.
Adding your content
Text editing made simple
If you can send an email or create a Word document, you’ll have no trouble editing text on your HugoFox website. Simply add a text box and start typing.
You can format text, add links, and style your content easily. Every button is clearly labelled and simple to use.
What you see while editing is exactly what your visitors will see once the page is live.
Adding images and media
Adding images is quick and straightforward. Choose the Image block for single photos or the Gallery block for multiple images. Browse your files and select what you need.
Images are automatically resized to display beautifully across phones, tablets, and desktops. The responsive design is handled for you.
Videos can be embedded from YouTube or other platforms just by pasting the link. Documents like PDFs upload in the same way, so you can easily share meeting minutes, reports, or information sheets.
Creating multiple pages quickly
Creating new pages only takes a few clicks. Choose the type of page, such as a news article or event announcement, and begin building.
You’ll have a blank canvas ready for your content, whether you want something simple or detailed.
Most organisations add their first few key pages, such as their home page, about page, and contact details, within their first hour. Not because they rush, but because HugoFox makes it easy.
Customising appearance
Colours and branding
Many people worry about visual design, but HugoFox’s tools make it simple to create something professional and on-brand.
You can customise your website’s colours using brand-matching swatches, making your website feel uniquely yours.
Uploading your logo
Uploading your logo takes only seconds. Drag the file in, and HugoFox automatically sizes and positions it correctly.
There’s no need to resize images manually or worry about stretching or misalignment.
Layout adjustments
Layouts are adjusted visually, not through code. Move blocks around until you’re happy, preview the page, and save when it looks right.
You’ll always see changes in real-time, giving you complete control without the need for technical complexity.
Typography choices
Font options are carefully selected to look professional and remain readable on all devices. This limits mistakes like mismatched or hard-to-read fonts, but still gives you creative flexibility.
With a few simple adjustments to colours, layout, and typography, you can create a polished, cohesive design in just a couple of hours.
Understanding available features
Clear feature organisation
You shouldn’t have to spend hours finding features or figuring out how things work. The HugoFox dashboard is designed to be clean, clear, and logical.
Each feature is clearly named and easy to locate. Unlike many website builders, nothing is buried in menus or hidden behind multiple clicks.
If you do get stuck, our UK-based support team is available 24/7 to help.
Built-in help and guidance
Each feature includes brief guidance written in plain English. Our Help Centre also offers step-by-step articles for those who want extra detail, though most users find the system intuitive enough to use without them.
HugoFox is designed so that the most obvious action is usually the right one.
Getting help when you need it
Helpful documentation
HugoFox provides documentation written for community organisations, not technical professionals.
Articles use examples that make sense for parish councils, charities, and local groups, so you won’t need to translate business jargon into your own context.
UK-based support from specialists
Email support connects you with people who understand your organisation’s needs.
When a parish clerk asks about publishing meeting minutes, they’ll speak to someone who already understands transparency rules, accessibility standards, and common parish workflows.
Silver and Gold customers also receive telephone support when email isn’t fast enough.
One-on-one training
Our Gold package includes personalised one-on-one training sessions to help you get the most from your website.
You can ask as many questions as you like and receive tailored guidance from our UK-based team. Gold customers also enjoy priority support and early access to new features.
Addressing common concerns
I’m not technical. Can I still use HugoFox?
This is one of the most common questions we hear, but it stops being a concern as soon as you start your free trial.
If you can use email or Word, you can use HugoFox. Any unfamiliar terms, such as SEO, are explained clearly within the platform.
What if I break something on our website?
You can’t break anything. Automatic daily backups enable you to easily restore your website to an earlier version.
You can also unpublish pages temporarily if you want to hide them while making changes.
The system is designed so that mistakes are simple to fix and never cause lasting issues.
What if I don’t have time to learn?
The learning curve is gentle because the features are intuitive and well-explained.
If you genuinely don’t have time, our team can build your entire website for a one-time fee. This service includes unlimited revisions until you’re completely satisfied.
Is HugoFox really that simple?
Getting started with HugoFox truly is that simple. Within minutes, you’re building; within hours, you’re confident; and within days, you have a professional website that effectively serves your community.
That’s not a marketing claim, it’s what community organisations experience every day when they choose HugoFox for their online presence.