diff --git a/config/siteConfig.js b/config/siteConfig.js
index af5e02f4..38a5bc67 100644
--- a/config/siteConfig.js
+++ b/config/siteConfig.js
@@ -10,9 +10,6 @@ function SiteConfig () {
   this.auth = {
     sessionKey: 'default',
   };
-  this.customComponents = {};
-  this.customContainers = {};
-  this.customPages = {};
   this.details = {
     description: 'Welcome to my decentralized image and video sharing site.',
     host       : 'http://localhost:3000',
@@ -29,22 +26,17 @@ function SiteConfig () {
     thumbnailChannelId      : 'default',
     uploadDirectory         : '/home/lbry/Uploads',
   };
-  this.routes = {};
   this.update = (config) => {
     if (!config) {
       return console.log('No site config received.');
     }
-    const { analytics, assetDefaults, auth, customComponents, customContainers, customPages, details, publishing, routes } = config;
+    const { analytics, assetDefaults, auth, details, publishing } = config;
     console.log('Configuring site details...');
     this.analytics = analytics;
     this.assetDefaults = assetDefaults;
     this.auth = auth;
     this.details = details;
     this.publishing = publishing;
-    this.customComponents = customComponents;
-    this.customContainers = customContainers;
-    this.customPages = customPages;
-    this.routes = routes;
   };
 }
 
diff --git a/config/slackConfig.js b/config/slackConfig.js
index b9c8ab25..56008a27 100644
--- a/config/slackConfig.js
+++ b/config/slackConfig.js
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ function SlackConfig () {
           iconEmoji : ':face_with_head_bandage:',
         });
       };
-      if (slackInfoChannel) {
+      if (this.slackInfoChannel) {
         winston.add(winstonSlackWebHook, {
           name      : 'slack-info-transport',
           level     : 'info',
diff --git a/config/viewsConfig.js b/config/viewsConfig.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..11310efa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/viewsConfig.js
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+function ViewsConfig () {
+  this.components = {};
+  this.containers = {};
+  this.pages = {};
+  this.update = (config) => {
+    if (!config) {
+      return console.log('No components config received.');
+    }
+    const { components, containers, pages } = config;
+    console.log('Configuring custom components ...');
+    this.components = components;
+    this.containers = containers;
+    this.pages = pages;
+  };
+}
+
+module.exports = new ViewsConfig();
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 0e2a6efc..3b91ed8a 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -13,18 +13,14 @@ const loggerConfig = require('./config/loggerConfig.js');
 const mysqlConfig = require('./config/mysqlConfig.js');
 const siteConfig = require('./config/siteConfig.js');
 const slackConfig = require('./config/slackConfig.js');
+const viewsConfig = require('./config/viewsConfig.js');
 
 function Server () {
   this.configureLogger = loggerConfig.update;
   this.configureMysql = mysqlConfig.update;
   this.configureSite = siteConfig.update;
   this.configureSlack = slackConfig.update;
-  this.configureModels = () => {
-    logger.debug('here is where you could add/overwrite the default models')
-  };
-  this.configureRoutes = () => {
-    logger.debug('here is where you could add/overwrite the default routes')
-  };
+  this.configureViews = viewsConfig.update;
   this.createApp = () => {
     // create an Express application
     const app = express();
@@ -33,21 +29,18 @@ function Server () {
     app.enable('trust proxy');
 
     /* add middleware */
+
     // set HTTP headers to protect against well-known web vulnerabilties
     app.use(helmet());
+
     // 'express.static' to serve static files from public directory
-    if (siteConfig.routes.publicFolder) {
-      // take in a different public folder, so it can serve it's own bundle if needed
-      const publicFolder = Path.resolve(process.cwd(), siteConfig.routes.publicFolder);
-      app.use(express.static(publicFolder));
-      logger.info('serving static files from custom path:', publicFolder);
-    } else {
-      const publicPath = Path.resolve(process.cwd(), 'public');
-      app.use(express.static(publicPath));
-      logger.warn(`serving static files from default static path at ${publicPath}.  Please specify a path in your config/siteConfig.js file`);
-    };
+    const publicPath = Path.resolve(process.cwd(), 'public');
+    app.use(express.static(publicPath));
+    logger.info(`serving static files from default static path at ${publicPath}.`);
+
     // 'body parser' for parsing application/json
     app.use(bodyParser.json());
+
     // 'body parser' for parsing application/x-www-form-urlencoded
     app.use(bodyParser.urlencoded({ extended: true }));
 
diff --git a/server/controllers/api/claim/publish/createBasicPublishParams.js b/server/controllers/api/claim/publish/createBasicPublishParams.js
index a8d84404..7ede4ad7 100644
--- a/server/controllers/api/claim/publish/createBasicPublishParams.js
+++ b/server/controllers/api/claim/publish/createBasicPublishParams.js
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ const createBasicPublishParams = (filePath, name, title, description, license, n
   if (thumbnail) {
     publishParams['metadata']['thumbnail'] = thumbnail;
   }
+  logger.debug('publish params:', publishParams);
   return publishParams;
 };
 
diff --git a/server/render/build/handlePageRender.js b/server/render/build/handlePageRender.js
index e529fbf1..cbc803b9 100644
--- a/server/render/build/handlePageRender.js
+++ b/server/render/build/handlePageRender.js
@@ -27,11 +27,13 @@ function _interopRequireDefault(obj) { return obj && obj.__esModule ? obj : { de
 */
 var siteConfig = require('../../../config/siteConfig.js');
 
+var viewsConfig = require('../../../config/viewsConfig.js');
+
 module.exports = function (req, res) {
   var context = {}; // customize the reducer by passing in intial state configs
 
   var MyReducers = (0, _spee.Reducers)(siteConfig);
-  var MyApp = (0, _spee.App)(siteConfig);
+  var MyApp = (0, _spee.App)(viewsConfig);
   var MyGAListener = (0, _spee.GAListener)(siteConfig); // create a new Redux store instance
 
   var store = (0, _redux.createStore)(MyReducers); // render component to a string
diff --git a/server/render/build/handleShowRender.js b/server/render/build/handleShowRender.js
index 04320311..cb7511a1 100644
--- a/server/render/build/handleShowRender.js
+++ b/server/render/build/handleShowRender.js
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ function _interopRequireDefault(obj) { return obj && obj.__esModule ? obj : { de
 */
 var siteConfig = require('../../../config/siteConfig.js');
 
+var viewsConfig = require('../../../config/viewsConfig.js');
+
 var returnSagaWithParams = function returnSagaWithParams(saga, params) {
   return (
     /*#__PURE__*/
@@ -56,7 +58,7 @@ module.exports = function (req, res) {
   var context = {}; // configure the reducers by passing initial state configs
 
   var MyReducers = (0, _spee.Reducers)(siteConfig);
-  var MyApp = (0, _spee.App)(siteConfig);
+  var MyApp = (0, _spee.App)(viewsConfig);
   var MyGAListener = (0, _spee.GAListener)(siteConfig); // create and apply middleware
 
   var sagaMiddleware = (0, _reduxSaga.default)();
diff --git a/server/render/src/handlePageRender.jsx b/server/render/src/handlePageRender.jsx
index 8bc14d07..6479a808 100644
--- a/server/render/src/handlePageRender.jsx
+++ b/server/render/src/handlePageRender.jsx
@@ -15,13 +15,14 @@ import renderFullPage from '../renderFullPage.js';
 import Helmet from 'react-helmet';
 
 const siteConfig = require('../../../config/siteConfig.js');
+const viewsConfig = require('../../../config/viewsConfig.js');
 
 module.exports = (req, res) => {
   let context = {};
 
   // customize the reducer by passing in intial state configs
   const MyReducers = Reducers(siteConfig);
-  const MyApp = App(siteConfig);
+  const MyApp = App(viewsConfig);
   const MyGAListener = GAListener(siteConfig);
 
   // create a new Redux store instance
diff --git a/server/render/src/handleShowRender.jsx b/server/render/src/handleShowRender.jsx
index 9b5004f5..568ad877 100644
--- a/server/render/src/handleShowRender.jsx
+++ b/server/render/src/handleShowRender.jsx
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import { Reducers, GAListener, App, Sagas, Actions } from 'spee.ch-components';
 import Helmet from 'react-helmet';
 
 const siteConfig = require('../../../config/siteConfig.js');
+const viewsConfig = require('../../../config/viewsConfig.js');
 
 const returnSagaWithParams = (saga, params) => {
   return function * () {
@@ -29,7 +30,7 @@ module.exports = (req, res) => {
 
   // configure the reducers by passing initial state configs
   const MyReducers = Reducers(siteConfig);
-  const MyApp = App(siteConfig);
+  const MyApp = App(viewsConfig);
   const MyGAListener = GAListener(siteConfig);
 
   // create and apply middleware