Hinode Template is a Hugo-based GitHub repository template that scaffolds a documentation and blog site with Bootstrap 5 styling and npm/GitHub Actions automation.
What is Hinode Template?
Hinode Template is the official starter repository for the Hinode theme, a clean documentation and blog theme for Hugo, an open-source static site generator. The template takes a new GitHub repository as input and produces a fully configured Hugo site, with Bootstrap 5 components, npm scripts, and GitHub Actions workflows already in place. It is maintained by the gethinode organization and requires Git, the Go binary, and Node.js to run locally; the Hugo binary itself is embedded as an npm dependency.
Key Features
- Bootstrap 5 styling — The theme is built on Bootstrap 5, giving documentation and blog pages a clean, responsive layout with familiar utility classes.
- Hugo modules — Components are installed and maintained via Hugo modules, so updating the theme and its dependencies is done with a single command.
- npm automation — npm scripts handle installation, module updates, and local development;
npm run startstarts a local preview server, andnpm run mod:updaterefreshes Hugo modules. - GitHub Actions workflows — The template includes bundled GitHub Actions workflows for automated builds; the pnpm section notes that these workflows can be switched from npm to pnpm.
- One-click repository setup — The "Use this template" button on GitHub lets you initialize a new repository with all template files without manual copying.
- Optional pnpm support — Detailed instructions show how to migrate the install to pnpm, including a supply-chain quarantine for packages less than 24 hours old and a PostCSS binary shim for Hugo compatibility.
- Documentation and blog layouts — The template is tailored for two content types: documentation sections and a personal or company blog.
Who is it for?
- Technical writers — Set up a documentation site with a clean, Bootstrap-based layout and write content in Markdown via Hugo's native workflow.
- Bloggers — Establish a fast, static personal blog with minimal setup, using the template's preconfigured theme and local development server.
- Consulting agencies — Use the template to spin up client-facing project documentation sites quickly, reusing the GitHub Actions-based build pipeline.
- Developer teams — Standardize internal or external docs by forking the template through the "Use this template" button, ensuring every project starts with the same tooling.
What can you do with it?
- Quick-start a documentation site: Click "Use this template", clone the new repository, run
npm install && npm run mod:update, thennpm run startto preview the site locally. - Automate deployment: Use the bundled GitHub Actions workflows to build and deploy the site to a static host on every push, or connect to Netlify as the status badge indicates.
- Switch package managers: Follow the pnpm migration steps to replace npm with pnpm, gaining faster installs, a shared package store, and a 24-hour supply-chain quarantine.
How does it work?
The template is designed around a copy-and-run workflow: after creating a repository from the template, you clone it locally, install npm packages and Hugo modules with npm install && npm run mod:update, and then run npm run start for a local development server. For pnpm, you convert the lockfile, pin the pnpm version, and add a postinstall script to restore the postcss binary shim that Hugo expects.
FAQ
What is Hinode?
Hinode is a clean documentation and blog theme for Hugo, an open-source static site generator. The Hinode Template is the official repository template that preconfigures a Hugo site with this theme and additional automation.
Does Hinode Template require a separate Hugo installation?
No. The Hugo binary is embedded as an npm binary, so installing the npm dependencies also provides the correct Hugo version. You only need Git, Go, and Node.js on your local machine.
Can I use pnpm with this template?
Yes, the template includes optional instructions for using pnpm. The migration involves replacing the lockfile, pinning pnpm in package.json, adding a supply-chain quarantine to .npmrc, and creating a postinstall script to fix the PostCSS binary for Hugo.
What is the "Use this template" button?
It is a GitHub feature that creates a new repository pre-populated with all files from this template. This is the recommended way to start a new Hinode site, as described in the installation steps.
What does the GitHub Actions integration do?
The template ships with GitHub Actions workflows for automated builds. The exact steps are not listed, but the pnpm section instructs users to replace the npm ci or npm i install steps with pnpm install, indicating the workflows handle installation and site building.
