NightFolio

NightFolio is an open-source Hugo theme for building a dark, minimal resume or portfolio site, with all content supplied as front matter and markdown in a single content/_index.md file. The theme assembles the page from modular partial templates styled with Tailwind CSS, and outputs a static site via Hugo's build command.

What is NightFolio?

NightFolio is a lightweight resume theme powered by Hugo, developed in the cx48/NightFolio repository on GitHub. It takes resume content written as front matter in content/_index.md and renders a single-page portfolio website using Hugo partials. The theme uses Tailwind CSS as the styling foundation, with a custom stylesheet in assets/css/style.css for tweaking colors and typography. Running hugo --minify generates the final static files in the public/ directory, ready to deploy to Vercel or GitHub Pages.

Key Features

• Minimal dark design — The layout uses a dark color scheme and clean typography focused on content legibility.
• Fully modular partials — Fourteen partial templates cover header, summary, experience, education, skills, certifications, projects, awards, publications, languages, hobbies, references, metrics, and courses.
• Front matter–driven editing — Updating content/_index.md changes every section of the resume; only four fields (summary, experience, education, skills) are required, while all others render only when their array is non-empty.
• Mobile-first responsive layout — The theme is styled with Tailwind's responsive utilities so the resume adapts to phones, tablets, and desktops.
• Easy static deployment — The README documents deploying to Vercel with the Hugo preset and to GitHub Pages, including a ready-to-use GitHub Actions workflow in .github/workflows/pages.yml.
• Customizable styles — Colors and typography can be changed by editing assets/css/style.css or adding new partials to the layouts folder.

Who is it for?

NightFolio suits job seekers who want a structured, low-maintenance resume website, and developers who prefer to edit Markdown front matter instead of HTML. It is also a practical starting point for Hugo beginners who want to learn how partials and front matter work together in a theme.

• Job seekers — Present experience, education, skills, and certifications in a professional single-page format.
• Developers — Extend the modular partial system to add new resume sections or restyle the theme without touching the content model.
• Freelancers and consultants — Publish a portfolio with projects and publications, deployed for free on GitHub Pages or Vercel.

What can you do with NightFolio?

• Recent graduates — Fill the optional certifications, projects, languages, and education sections to build a complete first resume site.
• Open-source contributors — Showcase awards, speaking appearances, and references through the optional front matter arrays.
• Technical writers — Add a publications section and link to articles from the resume, using the theme's static site output for fast page loads.

How does NightFolio work?

First, install Hugo v0.112.0 or newer. Then edit the front matter and markdown in content/_index.md to enter resume data. Run hugo --minify to build the static site into the public/ folder, and deploy that folder to your hosting service — Vercel or GitHub Pages instructions are included in the README.

Pricing

NightFolio is free and open source, published on GitHub under the cx48 repository with no usage fees. You can clone it, modify it, and deploy it as your own resume site without license restrictions.

FAQ

Do I need to include all front matter sections in NightFolio?

No. Only summary, experience, education, and skills are required. Optional sections such as certifications, projects, awards, publications, languages, hobbies, references, metrics, and courses render only when their front matter array contains data.

What Hugo version is required for NightFolio?

Hugo v0.112.0 or newer is recommended. The theme uses standard Hugo partials and front matter, so any recent Hugo extended version should build the site successfully.

Is NightFolio free to use?

Yes. NightFolio is open source, so you can use it for personal or commercial resumes without paying a license fee.

Can I customize colors and typography?

Yes. NightFolio uses Tailwind CSS with a custom stylesheet at assets/css/style.css. Edit that file to change the color palette, fonts, and other visual styles, or add new partials to expand the layout.

How do I deploy NightFolio to GitHub Pages?

The README offers two methods: build locally with hugo --minify and push the public/ folder to a gh-pages branch, or use the included GitHub Actions workflow that rebuilds the site on push to main and deploys automatically.

Pros and cons

• Pros — The theme is lightweight, content can be edited in Markdown, and the modular partial structure makes it easy to reuse or extend sections.
• Cons — The README notes that local development setup steps are still incomplete, and the dark-only color scheme may not fit sites that need a light theme.