Jekyll Multiverse Template is an open-source Jekyll gallery theme that adapts HTML5 UP's Multiverse design so each image in the gallery becomes its own post with title and caption metadata.
What is Jekyll Multiverse Template?
Jekyll Multiverse Template is a Jekyll site template based on the Multiverse theme by HTML5 UP. It turns a folder of images plus per-image metadata into a static portfolio or gallery website with a lightbox-style presentation. The template is built for Jekyll, the static site generator, and is maintained by joaomlneto (João Neto) on GitHub. A live demo is available at https://joaomlneto.github.io/jekyll-multiverse-template/.
Key Features
- Post-per-image structure — Each image in the gallery is a separate Jekyll post; metadata such as title and caption goes in the
_imagesfolder, while actual thumbnails and full-size images go intoassets/images. - HTML5 UP design — The template is a direct adaptation of the popular Multiverse theme from HTML5 UP, retaining the original grid layout and lightbox gallery behavior.
- Static site output — Since it is built with Jekyll, the final website is a set of static HTML files that can be hosted on GitHub Pages, Netlify, or any static file host.
- GitHub Pages demo — A working example is deployed at the
joaomlneto.github.iodomain, demonstrating how the template behaves with real content. - Easy content additions — Adding a new gallery item requires only creating a post in
_imageswith a title and caption, plus placing the image files in the designated assets folder; no direct HTML editing is needed. - Lightbox gallery — The template includes a lightbox interaction for viewing larger versions of images, as indicated by the repository's
lightbox-gallerytopic.
Who is it for?
- Photographers and visual artists — Anyone who wants a clean, image-first portfolio site without writing HTML or CSS from scratch.
- Jekyll users — Developers who prefer Jekyll's static workflow and want a ready-made gallery theme that builds with the standard Jekyll commands.
- Hobbyist collectors — People who want to display a themed collection, such as the author's showcase of his grandfather's paintings.
What can you do with it?
- Photographers: Publish a photo portfolio where each image has its own title and caption by adding posts and images to the folders.
- Artists: Present a series of works in a responsive grid with full-size lightbox viewing for visitors.
- Static site hobbyists: Deploy the generated gallery to GitHub Pages for free and maintain it through simple file additions.
How does it work?
To add a new gallery item, you create a markdown post in _images containing the image title and caption, and place the thumbnail and full-size image in assets/images. Running a normal Jekyll build compiles everything into the final gallery page. The template's workflow is designed around Jekyll's conventions, so the demo site built with it is hosted on GitHub Pages.
