Kiko Plus is a deprecated Jekyll blog theme that transforms a GitHub repository into a static personal blog with Disqus comments, Google Analytics, pagination, custom tags, and SEO support.
What is Kiko Plus?
Kiko Plus is a Jekyll-based blog theme created by AWEEKJ, inspired by the Kiko theme, and designed to be hosted on GitHub Pages. As input it takes a GitHub repository configured through the _config.yml file; as output it produces a static blog with Markdown-written posts. The theme is now deprecated — the repository description redirects users to the newer and easier kiko-now theme, which mixes jekyll-now with Kiko-plus.
Key Features
- Disqus comment system — Enable Disqus by setting your site's short name under the
disquskey in_config.yml. - Google Analytics — Add your Google Analytics tracking ID in
_config.ymlto measure site traffic. - Pagination support — Built-in pagination breaks blog post listings into multiple pages.
- Custom tags — Posts can include tag metadata, letting you organize and group content by topic.
- SEO support — The theme includes baseline SEO metadata for better search engine visibility.
- Footer social links — Configurable icons for Facebook, Twitter, GitHub, LinkedIn, Medium, Tumblr, and email, editable in
_config.ymland_includes/footer.html. - Rake task helpers —
rake postandrake draftgenerate new posts and drafts with title, date, and tags directly from the command line. - Local preview — Run
rake geminstallthenjekyll serveorrake previewto build and view the site at localhost:4000.
Who is it for?
- Developers on GitHub — Set up a personal blog on a
username.github.iorepository without managing a server or database. - Command-line writers — Use Rake tasks to scaffold posts and drafts in Markdown, then commit and push to publish.
- Jekyll users — Get a ready-made theme with pagination, tags, analytics, and comments already integrated.
- Bloggers migrating from other themes — A minimal configuration file controls most settings, making migration straightforward.
What can you do with Kiko Plus?
- Personal bloggers: Publish Markdown posts to GitHub Pages and collect comments via Disqus with no backend setup.
- Developers: Automate post creation with
rake postandrake draft, including tag and date arguments. - Site owners: Track visitors with Google Analytics and link your social profiles from the footer.
How does Kiko Plus work?
Kiko Plus can be installed by forking the repository and renaming it to USERNAME.github.io, or by creating a gh-pages branch in an existing repository and pushing the theme files. After installation, edit _config.yml to set your blog name, social links, copyright, Google Analytics ID, Disqus short name, URL, and base URL. For local development, run rake geminstall to install Jekyll plugins, then jekyll serve or rake preview to preview at localhost:4000.
Pros and cons
- Pros: Free under the MIT License; simple GitHub Pages deployment; includes Disqus, Google Analytics, pagination, custom tags, and SEO support; Rake tasks speed up content creation.
- Cons: Explicitly deprecated — the author no longer updates it and recommends kiko-now instead; local preview requires Jekyll to be installed.
Pricing
Kiko Plus is free and open source, released under the MIT License.
Alternatives
- kiko-now — The official replacement recommended by the author, mixing jekyll-now and Kiko-plus for a simpler setup.
- Kiko — The original theme by gfjaru that Kiko Plus is inspired by.
FAQ
Is Kiko Plus still maintained?
No, the theme is deprecated and will not receive updates. The repository description directs users to the newer kiko-now theme, which is described as easier and mixed with jekyll-now.
How do I install Kiko Plus on GitHub Pages?
You can either fork the Kiko Plus repository and rename it to USERNAME.github.io, or create a gh-pages branch in an existing repository and push the theme's files to that branch. Then update _config.yml with your site details.
Can I use Disqus and Google Analytics with Kiko Plus?
Yes, both are supported. Add your Disqus short name and Google Analytics tracking ID to _config.yml under the disqus and google-analytics keys, respectively.
What are the system requirements for local development?
You need Jekyll installed on your machine. After cloning the repository, run rake geminstall, then jekyll serve or rake preview, and access the site at localhost:4000. Set url in _config.yml to https://localhost:4000 for local preview.
