Dante is a Jekyll agency-website template that demonstrates Bookshop 3.0 component-based editing and is optimized for live editing in CloudCannon; the template is no longer actively maintained but remains available for reference and learning.
What is Dante?
Dante is a Jekyll 4.2.0 template for simple agency websites, functioning as a complete, working example of Bookshop 3.0 (a component library for static sites). It takes content collections such as Posts and Staff Members, plus data files for navigation and footer, and outputs a static website with pre-built pages, a blog, a portfolio, an author system, and search engine optimisation. The template is designed to be edited in CloudCannon, where components and pages can be added, updated, and removed visually. The project repository is hosted under the CloudCannon organization on GitHub and lists 11 stars.
Key Features
- Bookshop 3.0 integration — Implements the Bookshop 3.0 component library so that site sections are built from reusable, pre-styled components managed as structured data.
- Live editing in CloudCannon — Optimised for CloudCannon, allowing content and components to be edited in the CMS without touching code.
- Pre-built pages and pre-styled components — The template ships with ready-made pages and styled components, so a site can be assembled without custom styling work.
- Blog — Includes a Posts collection where each post can link to an author from the Staff Members collection; new-post defaults live in
_posts/_defaults.md. - Staff and author system — A Staff Members collection is reused across the site, giving a single place to edit team bios and attributions.
- Contact form — Includes a contact form that is not connected to a backend, leaving the user to connect any provider; CloudCannon's form service is recommended by the template's instructions.
- Editable navigation and footer — Navigation and footer content are stored as data files, exposed in CloudCannon under Data > Navigation and Data > Footer for easier client access.
- Search engine optimisation — SEO is listed as a built-in feature of the template.
Who is it for?
- Design agencies — set up a portfolio and blog site with a team page, managed through CloudCannon's visual editor.
- Developers evaluating Bookshop 3.0 — use Dante as a reference implementation to see how Bookshop components work in a real Jekyll site.
- CloudCannon users — get a Jekyll template that is already configured for CloudCannon editing, including data files for navigation and footer.
What can you do with Dante?
- Agencies: publish portfolio items and case-study posts, attribute them to staff members, and display team bios from one collection.
- Freelancers: deliver a client site with a contact form that can be wired to any backend or to CloudCannon's form handling provider.
- Learners: explore how Bookshop 3.0 assembles components from a content file, using the template's pre-built pages as examples.
How does Dante work?
The template runs on Jekyll 4.2.0, which supports newer versions as well. The setup involves running the Bookshop dependencies with npm install, the Jekyll dependencies with bundle install inside the site directory, and then starting the site with npm start from the repository root. Editing is done in CloudCannon through the Posts, Staff Members, and Data collections, with pages and components managed visually.
Pros and cons
- Pros: Fully functional Bookshop 3.0 example; ready for CloudCannon editing; includes blog, portfolio, staff, and SEO features.
- Cons: No longer actively maintained; the contact form ships without a connected backend, so you must wire up a provider yourself.
FAQ
Is Dante still actively maintained?
No. The template's own notice states it is no longer actively maintained but remains available for reference and learning. CloudCannon recommends its modern templates for production sites.
What Jekyll version does Dante use?
Dante was built with Jekyll version 4.2.0, and the documentation says it should support newer versions as well.
Does Dante include a blog and portfolio?
Yes. It has a Posts collection for blogging and a portfolio section, along with a Staff Members collection for authors and team members. Posts can link to authors from the Staff Members collection.
How is the contact form handled?
The contact form is not connected to any backend, allowing you to connect the provider of your choice. Since the template is configured for CloudCannon, the instructions recommend using CloudCannon's form service.
What is Bookshop 3.0?
Bookshop 3.0 is the component library system that Dante implements. It allows website sections to be built from reusable, pre-styled components, and is the core technology demonstrated by this template.
