Eleventy Minimal Blog is a minimal static-site blog template built with Eleventy (11ty) that turns Markdown posts into a deployable static website with SCSS styling and a built-in RSS feed.
What is Eleventy Minimal Blog?
Eleventy Minimal Blog is a lightweight blog starter scaffolded around the Eleventy static site generator. It takes Markdown files placed in a posts folder as input and runs them through Eleventy's build pipeline to produce a complete static website in a _site directory. The template is authored by Arpit Batra and is available as a public GitHub repository with 108 stars. It is designed to be deployed to any static host, with a Netlify status badge included in the repository.
Key Features
- Markdown-based blogging — Write each blog post as a Markdown file in the
postsfolder; no database or CMS is required. - SCSS styling — Author styles in SCSS, which is compiled into CSS during the build.
- Built-in RSS feed — The template generates an RSS feed automatically, letting readers subscribe to new posts.
- Local development server — Run
npm run serveto preview changes locally with live reload. - One-command production build —
npm run buildoutputs the final static site into the_sitefolder, ready to deploy. - Netlify-ready deployment — The repository includes a Netlify status badge and the author's own site using this template runs on Netlify, so you can point Netlify at the repo with
npm run buildas the build command.
Who is it for?
- Developers who want a no-frills blog — Set up a personal blog without a heavy framework or CMS, and keep posts in version-controlled Markdown.
- Static site enthusiasts — Anyone comfortable with the command line and npm can clone the repo, install dependencies, and start publishing.
- Designers who like to customize SCSS — Since all styling lives in SCSS files, you can adjust the theme to match your own design system.
What can you do with it?
- Personal blog: Publish articles and notes in Markdown, and automatically get an RSS feed for your readers.
- Portfolio site: Extend the template to include static pages beyond blog posts, using Eleventy's flexible page structure.
- Project documentation: Adapt the minimal layout to serve lightweight documentation pages alongside your blog content.
How does it work?
Clone the repository, run npm i to install dependencies, then drop Markdown files into the posts folder. Use npm run serve to preview your blog locally, and npm run build to generate the final static site in _site for deployment.
FAQ
Is Eleventy Minimal Blog free?
Yes, the template is published as a public GitHub repository and is free to use. There is no licensing fee, and the author accepts optional support through Buy Me a Coffee.
How do I add a new blog post?
Create a new Markdown file inside the posts folder with your post content. The template will pick it up on the next build or when you run the local server.
What is the build output folder?
Running npm run build generates a static site in the _site folder. You can deploy that folder to any static hosting service, including Netlify.
Does the template include an RSS feed?
Yes, an RSS feed is built in, so readers can subscribe to your blog without any extra configuration.
