Interplanetary Gatsby Starter is a Gatsby blog starter that pushes your writing onto the decentralized web by deploying to IPFS through Pinata, with setup handled entirely inside CodeSandbox.
What is Interplanetary Gatsby Starter?
Interplanetary Gatsby Starter is a Gatsby-based blog template created by @agentofuser for publishing on the decentralized web. It takes a standard Gatsby blog and adds IPFS deployment tooling, producing a static website that is pinned to Pinata and accessible over IPFS. The entire workflow runs in the browser through CodeSandbox, so you do not need to install Gatsby, IPFS, or any programming tools locally. It is built on the author's production blog at interplanetarygatsby.com.
Key Features
- Zero-install browser workflow — open the starter on CodeSandbox, fork it, and write/edit the blog entirely in the browser; the README promises no prior knowledge of Gatsby, IPFS, or programming is required.
- One-command IPFS deployment — after adding your Pinata API keys as CodeSandbox secrets, running
yarn stagepins the site to Pinata and prints a unique IPFS hash. - Full-featured default blog — the starter ships as a complete, styled blog based on the author's own IPFS+Gatsby site at interplanetarygatsby.com.
- Dual access modes — readers can view the published blog through the HTTPS gateway at
https://gateway.pinata.cloud/ipfs/hashor directly over the peer-to-peer network if they have IPFS installed. - Pinata integration — deployment authenticates with the
IPFS_DEPLOY_PINATA__API_KEYandIPFS_DEPLOY_PINATA__SECRET_API_KEYsecrets, so you need a free Pinata account to do the initial setup.
Who is it for?
- Decentralized web explorers — stand up an IPFS-hosted blog in minutes to experience how DWeb publishing works without managing a server.
- Non-programmers — the CodeSandbox-only flow means the only real requirement is writing; the README explicitly says no Gatsby, IPFS, or programming background is assumed.
- Privacy-conscious writers — publishing to IPFS means content lives on a peer-to-peer network rather than a centralized hosting provider.
What can you do with Interplanetary Gatsby Starter?
- Independent writers: publish blog posts to IPFS and share the Pinata gateway URL with readers, keeping full control over the content.
- Workshop leaders: walk a group through the fork-pin-deploy flow to teach IPFS hosting using a real, working site.
- Prototypers: spin up a decentralized blog in under an hour and evaluate whether IPFS hosting fits your project.
How does it work?
- Open the starter on CodeSandbox and click Fork.
- Sign up for a free Pinata account and copy the API key and secret.
- Add those values as CodeSandbox secret keys named
IPFS_DEPLOY_PINATA__API_KEYandIPFS_DEPLOY_PINATA__SECRET_API_KEY. - Run
yarn stagefrom the Server Control Panel sidebar and wait for the terminal to print an IPFS hash. - Paste that hash after
https://gateway.pinata.cloud/ipfs/to view your live site.
FAQ
Do I need to know Gatsby or IPFS to use this starter?
No. The README states the starter is designed so you can publish without any prior knowledge of Gatsby, IPFS, or even programming. All steps happen in the browser, and the deployment script handles the IPFS pinning for you.
Is Interplanetary Gatsby Starter free to use?
The starter itself is open source, and the setup guide points you to a free Pinata account to obtain the API keys needed for deployment. There are no paid tiers mentioned in the README.
How do I view my published website?
After yarn stage finishes, the terminal prints an IPFS hash. Append that hash to https://gateway.pinata.cloud/ipfs/ and open it in any browser, or open it directly in a peer-to-peer IPFS client if you have one installed.
Can I share my site with friends?
Yes. The README says you can send the gateway URL to a friend and they can view your website through the HTTPS gateway, or over the peer-to-peer network if they have IPFS installed.
