Minimal Mistakes Jekyll

Minimal Mistakes Jekyll is a ready-to-use Jekyll template for GitHub Pages that packages the Minimal Mistakes theme into a fork-and-blog setup for people who don't use the command line.

What is Minimal Mistakes Jekyll?

Minimal Mistakes Jekyll is a preconfigured Jekyll template that bundles the Minimal Mistakes theme (release 4.8.0) into a GitHub repository you can fork and immediately publish as a blog on GitHub Pages. It takes Markdown content with YAML front matter as input and produces a static website served at https://username.github.io (or a custom domain). The template is maintained by limyunkai19 and includes demo posts, a blank index.html, and documentation for non-technical users.

Key Features

• Fork-to-publish workflow — No Git or command line required; fork the repository, rename it to username.github.io, and GitHub Pages serves the site automatically.
• Minimal Mistakes theme bundled — Includes _layouts, _sass, _includes, and assets copied directly from Minimal Mistakes 4.8.0, with the single layout set as the default.
• Site configuration via _config.yml — Edit settings like title, name, description, author details, minimal_mistakes_skin, search, permalink, and sticky_sidebar; the README documents which line numbers change what.
• Organized content directories — _posts/ for blog posts, _pages/ for static pages, _drafts/ for unpublished drafts, _data/navigation.yml for the navigation bar, and assets/images for uploaded files.
• Math equation support — Set use_math: true in a post's YAML front matter to enable LaTeX-style equations in that post.
• Custom domain instructions — Repository settings plus DNS A and CNAME records for apex and www domains, with links to GitHub's official guides.
• Search and skin options — Turn on search by setting search: true; choose a color skin from Minimal Mistakes' documented variations.
• Local development support — With Git and Jekyll installed, run bundle exec jekyll serve to preview at http://localhost:4000, or add --drafts to see unpublished drafts.

Who is it for?

• Non-technical bloggers — People who want a free blog on GitHub Pages without learning Git or the command line; they can create posts and pages entirely through the GitHub web interface.
• Jekyll beginners — Anyone wanting a working Jekyll site with the Minimal Mistakes theme plus a documented file structure to learn how Jekyll organizes themes, configuration, and content.
• Developers starting a quick blog — Those comfortable with Git can clone the fork, run the site locally with bundle exec jekyll serve, and push changes to publish.

What can you do with it?

• Start a personal blog — Write posts in _posts/ using the required title and date front matter plus Markdown; commit and see the post live on GitHub Pages.
• Add static pages — Create pages like an About page in _pages/ with a permalink and title, then expose them in the nav by editing _data/navigation.yml.
• Manage drafts — Store unpublished posts in _drafts/, preview them locally with bundle exec jekyll serve --drafts, and move them to _posts/ to publish.
• Add images and math — Upload images to assets/images and reference them in posts; enable math support with use_math: true in the front matter.

How does Minimal Mistakes Jekyll work?

The workflow is: fork the repository, rename it to username.github.io (or a project name), edit _config.yml to set your title, name, and author details, then add posts and pages. GitHub Pages automatically builds and serves the Jekyll site from the master branch. For local development, clone the fork and run bundle exec jekyll serve.

FAQ

Is Minimal Mistakes Jekyll free?

Yes. The repository is open source under the MIT license, as shown by the license badge, and the bundled Minimal Mistakes theme is also free.

Do I need to know Git or the command line?

No for the primary workflow. You only need to fork the repository and edit files on github.com. Git and the command line are required only if you choose to develop locally.

How do I add math equations to a post?

Add use_math: true to the post's YAML front matter, then write the equation in LaTeX syntax within the Markdown body. The template loads math support through _includes/head/custom.html.

How do I set up a custom domain?

In your repository settings, enter your domain under Custom domain. Then at your DNS provider, add an A record for @ pointing to username.github.io. and a CNAME record for www pointing to username.github.io..

How long until my changes appear on the site?

The README states to wait around 10 seconds after committing for GitHub Pages to rebuild and reflect the changes.