Architect

Architect is a free, open-source Jekyll theme for GitHub Pages that provides a ready-made, customizable layout for static project or personal websites.

What is Architect?

Architect is a Jekyll theme developed under the pages-themes GitHub organization and distributed for use with GitHub Pages through the remote_theme mechanism. It takes a Jekyll site configuration and produces a static HTML website with a built-in design; adding one line to _config.yml enables the theme. The theme's source repository includes templates, layouts, and Sass stylesheets that users can override locally.

Key Features

• One-line installation — Add remote_theme: pages-themes/[email protected] plus the jekyll-remote-theme plugin in _config.yml to apply the theme to a GitHub Pages site.
• Configurable site metadata — Set title and description in _config.yml; optionally enable download buttons with show_downloads: true and add Google Analytics with google_analytics: [Your Google Analytics tracking ID].
• Custom Sass stylesheet — Override the theme's styling by creating /assets/css/style.scss with an @import of the theme and adding custom CSS or Sass after it.
• Flexible layout overrides — Copy the default layout from _layouts/default.html into your site and edit it, or add custom _includes files for elements such as a favicon.
• Google Analytics customization — Insert modern Google Analytics code into _includes/head-custom-google-analytics.html to replace the theme's original tracking code.
• GitHub URL overrides — Replace auto-generated GitHub URLs (e.g., {{ site.github.zip_url }}) by defining custom github: variables in _config.yml.
• Local preview and tests — Clone the repo, run script/bootstrap, then bundle exec jekyll serve to preview at localhost:4000; run script/cibuild to verify the site builds.

Who should use Architect?

• GitHub Pages beginners — Create a first project or personal site quickly by adding the theme to an existing repository, with no design work required.
• Open-source maintainers — Set up a clean project homepage with download links and configurable metadata for a repository.
• Developers wanting a simple blog or docs site — Use the theme as a starting point and customize the layout and styles through the documented override mechanisms.

What can you do with Architect?

• Launch a project site — Configure show_downloads to display download buttons for repository releases or archives.
• Set up a personal portfolio — Add a title and description, then customize the stylesheet to match your branding.
• Extend the theme — Override the HTML layout and includes to add custom navigation, footer, or analytics scripts without forking the theme.

How does Architect work?

Architect works as a remote Jekyll theme that GitHub Pages builds automatically. After setting the remote_theme and plugin in _config.yml, the theme's layouts and styles are applied to your site's pages; overrides live in your repository's _layouts, _includes, and assets/css directories.

Pricing

Architect is free and open source; the repository is publicly available and contributions are welcomed. No paid tiers or premium features are mentioned.

Alternatives

Other Jekyll themes in the pages-themes collection include Cayman, Minimal, Slate, Midnight, Merlot, and Tactile.

FAQ

Is Architect free?

Yes, Architect is an open-source project released under the pages-themes GitHub organization. There are no license fees, and you can view and contribute to its source code on GitHub.

How do I install Architect?

Add remote_theme: pages-themes/[email protected] to your _config.yml and include the jekyll-remote-theme plugin in the plugins list. If you want to preview locally, add the github-pages gem to your Gemfile and run bundle install.

Can I customize the theme's look?

Yes, you can create /assets/css/style.scss to import the theme and add custom CSS or Sass, and you can also override the default HTML layout by copying it into your site's _layouts directory.

Does Architect support Google Analytics?

Yes. Set google_analytics in _config.yml, or paste modern tracking code into _includes/head-custom-google-analytics.html to replace the default snippet.

Can I override the download and URL links?

Yes. The theme uses GitHub-provided variables like site.github.zip_url; you can override them by defining custom github: variables in _config.yml as described in the theme's documentation.