Hexo Theme Random

Hexo Theme Random is a theme for the Hexo static site generator that rotates a random fullscreen background image on every page, using the Vegas background player. It suits bloggers who want an image-first layout with no article excerpts and no pagination in the post list.

What is Hexo Theme Random?

Hexo Theme Random is a theme for the Hexo static site generator that uses a random fullscreen image as the background of every page. It takes a standard Hexo blog and produces a visual-first site where the background is the primary design element. The theme is published by GitHub user Stiekel and includes both English and Chinese documentation, plus a live demo link.

Key features

• Hexo-native install — Clone the repository into themes/random from the blog root, then set theme: random in the Hexo main _config.yml.
• Random Unsplash backgrounds — The default image source is Unsplash, with unsplashConfig options for gravity (north, east, south, west, center), blur, and greyscale.
• Custom background URLs — The backgroundImages list accepts your own URLs; the __width__ and __height__ placeholders are replaced with the browser viewport dimensions when the image is loaded.
• Vegas slideshow controls — vegasConfig configures transition effects (such as slideLeft2, slideRight2, flash2), delay, timer, shuffle, and the number of preloaded images.
• Per-page background toggle — turnoffBackgroundImage disables backgrounds independently for the homepage (index), listing pages (post_list), and posts (post); backgroundColor sets a custom hex color.
• Social icons auto-replaced — The social config block converts text links into icons for GitHub, Twitter, Weibo, DouBan, and additional sites like Facebook, Dribbble, LinkedIn, Zhihu, and Quora are supported on request.
• Comment and analytics integrations — Supports Disqus, Valine, gitalk, Google Analytics, Baidu Tongji, Uyan, and JiaThis through keys in the theme or site config.
• Tags and categories pages — Create them with hexo new page tags or hexo new page categories, then set type: "tags" or type: "categories" in the front matter.

Who is it for?

Hexo Theme Random is aimed at Hexo bloggers who want a minimal, image-focused design. It fits users who prefer fullscreen backgrounds over text excerpts, and who do not need pagination on listing pages. Developers can also use it as a base for a custom single-column blog, since it already wires up common comment engines, analytics, and social links.

Use cases

• Photographers and visual artists: Display their own work by filling backgroundImages with image URLs, and turn off backgrounds on post pages to keep text readable.
• Minimalist writers: Publish posts and let the archive, tags, and category pages show only titles and dates, without excerpts or pagination.
• Chinese and English bloggers: Use the provided Chinese README for setup guidance while configuring social and analytics services from the English docs.

How does it work?

Install the theme by running git clone https://github.com/stiekel/hexo-theme-random.git themes/random in the blog root, then change the theme value in the Hexo main config file to random. After that, edit theme/random/_config.yml to set menu links, social icons, background image sources, and third-party service keys.

FAQ

Does the theme support comment systems?

Yes. It supports Disqus, Valine, and gitalk. Configure the corresponding key (e.g. disqus_shortname, or the valine block with LeanCloud appId and appKey) in the theme or site config.

Can I use my own background images instead of Unsplash?

Yes. Replace the URLs in the backgroundImages list with your own image links. Use __width__ and __height__ placeholders in the URL if your image server can crop to those dimensions.

How do I create a tags or categories page?

Run hexo new page tags and modify source/tags/index.md to set type: "tags". Do the same for categories with hexo new page categories and type: "categories" in the front matter.

Can I turn off the background image on specific pages?

Yes. Set turnoffBackgroundImage in the config, with index, post_list, and post as boolean keys to control the homepage, listing pages, and post pages individually.