HB Start Theme is a Hugo theme for building your own start page — a fast, responsive, minimalist page inspired by Google Chrome's new tab. It is an open-source theme from the hbstack organization, published on GitHub as the repository hbstack/theme-start.
What is HB Start Theme?
HB Start Theme is a Hugo theme whose core function is to turn a Hugo site into a personal start page. You configure the content of your page in Hugo — typically links and settings — and the theme generates a static HTML page with a clean, minimalist design. The theme runs on Hugo, a static site generator, so the output is plain HTML, CSS, and JavaScript that can be hosted on any static server. It is maintained by the hbstack organization and distributed through GitHub.
Key Features
- Chrome new-tab inspiration — The design is directly inspired by Google Chrome's new tab page, giving you a familiar, minimalist shortcut view.
- Hugo-based — This is a Hugo theme; you can install it as a conventional theme or as a Hugo module, and there is a "Hugo Requirements" badge showing the minimum Hugo version needed (not specified in the README).
- Fast and responsive — The theme is described as fast, responsive, and modern, making it suitable for screens of all sizes.
- Live demo — A working preview is available at start.hbstack.dev, so you can test the default layout before installing.
- Official docs — Setup and configuration guides are available at hbstack.dev/en/themes/start/.
- Open source — The code is on GitHub under hbstack/theme-start, allowing you to inspect, fork, and contribute.
Who is it for?
- Hugo users who want to build a personal start page without hand-coding the frontend.
- Developers and browser power users who want a new-tab replacement that works across all platforms and browsers.
- Site owners who need a simple, fast landing page of links on a server they already run.
What can you do with HB Start Theme?
- Personal new-tab page: create a page that mimics Chrome's new tab with your own bookmarks and links, then set it as your browser home or new-tab.
- Self-hosted link hub: deploy a minimal page that lists the websites and tools you use every day, hosted on your own domain.
- Learning resource: since it's an open-source Hugo module within the hbstack ecosystem, you can study how a modern Hugo theme stack is organized.
FAQ
Is HB Start Theme free?
Yes, the theme is open source, and the GitHub repository has a license badge, so you can use it without paying a fee. The README doesn't mention any paid plans or proprietary restrictions.
What does HB Start Theme do?
It builds a start page for you: you provide links and settings through Hugo, and the theme renders a fast, minimalist HTML page inspired by Google Chrome's new tab. It's meant to be your default browser start page.
Do I need Hugo to use HB Start Theme?
Yes, it is a Hugo theme, so Hugo must be installed. The "Hugo Requirements" badge indicates a minimum version is needed, though the exact version number is not shown on the page.
Can I try it before installing?
Yes, a live demo is available at start.hbstack.dev, and the official documentation is at hbstack.dev/en/themes/start/, where you'll find installation and configuration instructions.
