A Comprehensive Guide to Building Your Website with Jekyll and GitHub Pages: Step-by-Step

When it comes to building a website, one of the easiest and most efficient ways is to use Jekyll in combination with GitHub Pages. This guide will walk you through the entire process, from setting up your initial files to deploying your website to the cloud. This step-by-step tutorial is designed to be beginner-friendly, suitable for anyone with a basic understanding of HTML and CSS.

What is Jekyll and GitHub Pages?

Jekyll is a static site generator tool that allows you to build a website based on Markdown and HTML files. GitHub Pages, on the other hand, is a platform provided by GitHub that hosts your static files and makes them accessible on the internet. Together, Jekyll and GitHub Pages offer a powerful and easy-to-use solution for building and hosting your website.

Where to Find the Official Documentation

The starting point for any Jekyll project is the official Jekyll documentation. This vast repository of information is your best friend throughout the process and can help you with just about anything related to Jekyll and GitHub Pages. The documentation is well-organized and easy to follow, making it a reliable resource regardless of your skill level.

Setting Up Your Development Environment

To begin, you will need to set up your development environment. Here are the steps to follow:

Install Ruby (version 2.6 or higher) and a Ruby package manager, like RubyGems Install Jekyll (run gem install jekyll) Install Git to manage your code Fork a GitHub Pages project, which will be the base for your website. You can use GitHub’s pre-built starter templates

Creating Your Website Template

Once your development environment is set up, you can start creating your website template. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

Familiarize yourself with the directory structure. Most Jekyll sites follow a similar structure, with the _config.yml file for site-wide settings and the _includes, _layouts, and _posts directories for specific content. Create your layout files. These define the basic structure of your pages. For example, a layout file might look like this:

    {{ page.title }}
  
    {{ content }}
  

Define your page and site-wide variables. In your _config.yml file, you can set various options, such as the site title:

  title: Your Website Title
  baseurl: 

In your template files, use liquid tags to access these variables. For example:

{{ site.title }}

Create your posts and pages. Use the _posts directory for blog posts, giving each file a date and title. For regular pages, create files in the root directory.

Deploying Your Website

Once your website is ready, it’s time to deploy it to GitHub Pages. Here are the steps:

Connect your GitHub project to your local Jekyll site. If you’re using a forked repository, push the changes to your GitHub Pages branch. Typically, this is the master branch or a gh-pages branch. Run the command to build the Jekyll site:

$ jekyll build

This will create a `_site` directory containing your static HTML files. Push the built files to your GitHub repository:

$ git add -A
$ git commit -m "Update site"
$ git push origin gh-pages

GitHub Pages will automatically deploy your site from this branch, and you’ll be able to access it on {{ username }}

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some common questions that beginners might have when building their first website with Jekyll and GitHub Pages:

What is Markdown? Markdown is a simple, plain text file format that Jekyll uses to render HTML. It’s easier to write than HTML and more readable than raw HTML. How do I add images to my site? Place images in the /images directory and reference them in your layout or posts using the relative path. How can I customize my website’s theme? You can use a custom theme or modify the default theme. Look for theme options in the _config.yml file and customize them as needed.

Conclusion

Building a website with Jekyll and GitHub Pages is a straightforward process that requires minimal technical expertise. By following this step-by-step guide, you can create a professional-looking site without any big hurdles. Remember to check out the official Jekyll documentation for additional resources and support. Happy coding!