diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 3ba83e8144..965bbebaf3 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,15 +1,53 @@
-.PHONY: serve html clean github
+# type `make help` to see all options 
 
-serve:
-	@hugo --i18n-warnings server -D
+# If you have naively forked this repo, say to
+# github.com://myname/numpy.org.git, you can test out the build via
+# make TARGET=myname BASEURL=https://myname.github.io/numpy.org deploy
 
-html:
-	@hugo
-	@touch public/.nojekyll
+TARGET ?= origin
+BASEURL ?= 
 
-clean:
-	@rm -rf public
+ifdef BASEURL
+	BASEURLARG=-b $(BASEURL)
+endif 
 
-github: | clean html
-	@echo "Command to upload to git goes here"
-	@echo "See `push_dir_to_repo.py` in NumPy"
+all: build
+
+.PHONY: serve html clean deploy help
+
+.SILENT: # remove this to see the commands executed
+
+serve: public ## serve the website
+	hugo --i18n-warnings server -D
+
+public: ## create a worktree branch in the public directory
+	git worktree add -B gh-pages public $(TARGET)/gh-pages
+	rm -rf public/*
+
+html: public ## build the website in ./public
+	hugo $(BASEURLARG)
+	touch public/.nojekyll
+
+public/.nojekyll: html
+
+clean: ## remove the build artifacts, mainly the "public" directory
+	rm -rf public
+	git worktree prune
+	rm -rf .git/worktrees/public
+
+deploy: public/.nojekyll ## push the built site to the gh-pages of this repo
+	cd public && git add --all && git commit -m"Publishing to gh-pages"
+	@echo pushint to $(TARGET) gh-pages
+	git push $(TARGET) gh-pages
+
+
+# Add help text after each target name starting with '\#\#'
+help:   ## Show this help.
+	@echo "\nHelp for this makefile"
+	@echo "Possible commands are:"
+	@grep -h "##" $(MAKEFILE_LIST) | grep -v grep | sed -e 's/\(.*\):.*##\(.*\)/    \1: \2/'
+	@echo 
+	@echo If you have naively forked this repo, say to
+	@echo github.com://myname/numpy.org.git, you can test out the build via
+	@echo make TARGET=myname BASEURL=https://myname.github.io/numpy.org deploy
+