Clean Blog Hexo is a responsive blog theme for the Hexo static site generator, ported from Start Bootstrap's Clean Blog design, that turns Markdown posts into a clean, Bootstrap-based blog with comments, analytics, and image galleries.
What is Clean Blog Hexo?
Clean Blog Hexo is a Hexo theme that reimplements the popular Clean Blog Bootstrap template for the Node.js-based Hexo static site generator. It takes Markdown posts and pages written with YAML front-matter as input, and outputs a static HTML blog with a clean, typography-focused design. The theme was adapted by Jonathan Klughertz and is available under the MIT license, with the original design created by Blackrock Digital.
Key Features
- Comment support — Integrates both Disqus (via a shortname) and Facebook comments (via an app ID), though the documentation recommends choosing one to avoid two comment sections per post.
- Analytics and sharing — Google Analytics tracking ID and AddThis share buttons are configured directly in the theme's
_config.yml. - Cover images — Home page and individual posts/pages support a
coverfront-matter field; a separateshare_coverfield sets the image used when a post is shared on social media. - Tag and category pages — The theme supports dedicated tags and categories pages; you create them with
hexo new pageand set thetypetotagsorcategoriesin front-matter. - Responsive images and galleries — Images scale to the viewport, and an image gallery is powered by FeatherLight.js.
- Code syntax highlighting — Built-in highlighting for code blocks in posts.
- Customizable menu — The header menu accepts simple paths or Font Awesome icons for items like GitHub, configured in
_config.yml. - Subtitle-based excerpts — Since traditional excerpts are not supported, you use the
subtitlefront-matter field to show a text snippet on the index page.
Tech stack: built on Bootstrap, jQuery, and FeatherLight.js, and runs inside the Hexo engine.
Who should use Clean Blog Hexo?
- Hexo bloggers — Anyone running a blog on Hexo who wants a clean, minimalist design with a single-column layout and large cover images.
- Developers — Developers who want a simple, hackable theme with configuration in YAML, no build step beyond Hexo, and an MIT license.
- Writers and journalists — People who publish long-form articles and want a typography-focused reading experience with support for tags, categories, and sharing.
What can you do with Clean Blog Hexo?
- Set up a personal blog — Use
hexo new postto write Markdown posts, configure the theme in_config.yml, and deploy the generated static site to any hosting service. - Customize the look per post — Add
cover,share_cover, andsubtitlein front-matter to control the featured image, social share image, and index excerpt for each post. - Add a tags or categories archive — Create the dedicated pages with
hexo new pageand set thetypefield, then add links in the menu.
How do I install and configure Clean Blog Hexo?
Clone the repository into your Hexo project's themes directory and set theme: clean-blog in your main _config.yml. Then edit the theme's _config.yml to set the menu, home page cover image (index_cover), Disqus shortname or Facebook app ID, Google Analytics ID, AddThis ID, and social account URLs. Individual post settings live in each post's front-matter.
Pros and cons
- Pros: MIT licensed; responsive; integrates Disqus, Facebook comments, Google Analytics, AddThis; supports tags/categories, cover images, galleries, and syntax highlighting; configuration is centralized in
_config.yml. - Cons: No traditional excerpt support — you must use the
subtitlefield instead; choosing both Disqus and Facebook comments results in two separate comment sections per post.
Pricing
Free — the theme is open source under the MIT license. There are no paid tiers or premium features listed.
FAQ
How do I add a tags page?
Run hexo new page "tags", edit the new page's front-matter to set type: "tags", and add a Tags entry to the menu in the theme's _config.yml.
How do I set a cover image for a post?
Add cover: /path/to/image.jpg to the post's front-matter. To set a separate image for social sharing, use share_cover: /path/to/image.jpg.
Can I use both Disqus and Facebook comments?
Yes, but the documentation recommends choosing one. If you fill in both disqus_shortname and facebook.appid, the theme will render two sets of comments per post.
Does the theme support excerpts?
No. Unlike some themes, Clean Blog Hexo does not display standard excerpts. To show a text snippet on the index page, add a subtitle field to the post's front-matter.
What license is Clean Blog Hexo released under?
MIT — you are free to use, modify, and distribute the theme, with attribution as required by the original designers.
