Hyde Hugo Starter is a pre-configured blog theme template for the Hugo static site generator, pairing a two-column layout with the Forestry content management system. Originally created as the Jekyll theme Hyde by Mark Otto and ported to Hugo by Steve Francia, this starter repo is designed to give you a running blog with minimal setup.
What is Hyde Hugo Starter?
Hyde Hugo Starter is a Hugo theme that produces a static blog with a prominent sidebar and straightforward content area. It takes Markdown posts and pages as input and outputs a fully generated HTML site, ready to deploy to any static hosting provider. The template is distributed as a Forestry starter repo, which imports a fully configured Hugo project (using Hugo version 0.42) directly into your Forestry account, letting you edit content in a visual editor rather than editing code by hand.
Key Features
Hyde Hugo Starter bundles the core Hyde theme features with several Forestry-specific conveniences.
- Two-column layout — A bold sidebar sits beside the main content column, a design inherited from the original Jekyll Hyde theme.
- Eight optional themes — Hyde ships with eight color schemes based on the base16 palette; you can switch themes from the Forestry Site Configuration, and the CSS file includes a Themes section you can copy to create your own colors.
- Reverse layout — A single toggle in Site Configuration flips the page orientation so the sidebar appears on the opposite side.
- Disqus comments — Add your Disqus Shortname in Site Configuration to enable comment sections on posts.
- Google Analytics — Drop in your tracking code to enable analytics without touching theme code.
- Forestry CMS integration — Create and edit posts and pages through the Forestry editor, manage the sidebar menu, preview draft content, and publish by toggling the Draft switch off.
- Deployment-ready for Netlify — The docs walk you through deploying with a build command of
hugo, a publish directory ofpublic, and aHUGO_VERSIONenvironment variable set to0.42; AWS S3/CloudFront and other hosting options are also covered. - MIT license — Free to use, modify, and redistribute.
Who should use Hyde Hugo Starter?
Hyde is aimed at anyone who wants a static blog managed through a visual CMS rather than raw Markdown files.
- Bloggers who want a clean, minimalist blog without building a site from scratch.
- Developers who already use Hugo and want a ready-made theme with Forestry as a visual editing layer.
- Content teams who prefer editing in a CMS interface over committing Markdown files directly.
What can you do with it?
With the starter repo imported and configured, the main workflows are writing, customizing, and publishing content through Forestry.
- Start a personal blog quickly: Import the starter repo into Forestry, write a post, and deploy to Netlify in about five steps.
- Customize the look: Apply one of the eight base16 themes, or edit the included CSS to craft your own color scheme.
- Manage all content from Forestry: Create new posts and pages, reorder sidebar links, preview drafts, and publish with the Draft toggle — all without leaving the Forestry interface.
How does Hyde Hugo Starter work?
Setting up Hyde Hugo Starter follows a four-step path: import the starter repo, configure deployment, edit content in Forestry, and publish.
- Click the Forestry import button to copy the starter repository into your account and connect it to the Forestry Content Manager.
- Configure deployment — for Netlify set the build command to
hugo, the publish directory topublic, and add aHUGO_VERSIONvariable of0.42. - Edit content in Forestry: create posts, adjust sidebar menus, and preview pages.
- Publish by turning Draft off and saving; your hosting provider rebuilds and updates the site.
FAQ
Is Hyde free?
Yes. The theme is open sourced under the MIT license, so you can use it for personal or commercial projects free of charge.
How many themes does Hyde include?
Hyde ships with eight optional themes based on the base16 color scheme. You can also create your own theme by copying an existing one in the included CSS file.
Does Hyde support comments?
Yes, you can enable Disqus comments by entering your Disqus Shortname in Site Configuration -> Additional Settings. If you don't have a Disqus account, you can sign up at disqus.com.
Can I deploy Hyde to platforms other than Netlify?
Yes. The documentation covers AWS deployment with S3 and CloudFront, plus other options such as GitHub Pages, Webhooks, and FTP/SFTP.
