Northendlab Jekyll

Northendlab is a responsive Jekyll blog theme by Themefisher, built for tech, gaming, and developer-focused blogs, and it ships pre-configured with the Sitepins Git-based CMS for visual content editing.

What is Northendlab Jekyll?

Northendlab is a Jekyll-based static site theme created by Themefisher for technology, gaming, and developer blogs. It takes Markdown posts and YAML configuration files as input and produces a fully static, responsive HTML site that can be hosted anywhere Jekyll works. The theme is free to download from its GitHub repository and comes with a live demo for previewing its default look.

What makes Northendlab Jekyll stand out?

• Sitepins CMS integration — the theme is pre-configured to work with Sitepins, a Git-based headless CMS, so editors can modify text, images, and site settings from a visual interface without touching code (via a one-click "Edit with Sitepins" clone flow).
• Dropdown navigation support — the main menu and footer menu are both defined in _data/parameters.yml, and the existing loop structure makes adding new items straightforward, including dropdowns.
• Simple post and author workflows — new posts are created by dropping year-month-date-post-name.md files into _posts (e.g. 2020-02-06-my-awesome-blog.md), and new authors are added by copying an existing author file.
• Centralized configuration — site parameters live in _data/parameters.yml, so most customization happens without editing the Jekyll _config.yml file; the README says only baseURL needs changing when hosting.
• Custom page editing — static pages like About and Contact are stored in _pages/, and each page can be customized directly or by following existing loops for repeated sections.
• MIT-licensed code — the theme's source is released under the MIT license, with the caveat that bundled demo images are not licensed for reuse.

Who should use Northendlab Jekyll?

• Tech and gaming bloggers — the theme's design and feature set are aimed at technology, gaming, and developer-focused content, making it a quick starting point for a personal blog in those niches.
• Developers who want a Jekyll starter — anyone comfortable with Jekyll can fork the repository, run bundle exec jekyll server locally, and customize posts, authors, and pages using the documented folder structure.
• Content teams using Git-based workflows — with Sitepins pre-installed, non-technical editors can update site content visually while the underlying changes are still committed to the Git repository.

How does Northendlab Jekyll work?

Install Jekyll on your machine, download or clone the theme repository, unzip it, and run bundle exec jekyll server to serve the site locally. After that, most configuration happens in _data/parameters.yml for navigation and site parameters, while posts and authors are managed through Markdown files in _posts and by copying existing author files.

Use cases

• Personal tech blog — publish Markdown posts with dates in the filename pattern and let Jekyll generate an archive automatically; the theme is designed for exactly this format.
• Gaming blog — set up the navigation menu and footer links in _data/parameters.yml, then add posts and pages without touching HTML.
• Open-source project blog — use the Sitepins integration to let contributors edit posts through a CMS while keeping the repository as the source of truth.

Pricing

The theme is free to download and use under the MIT license. Optional paid technical support is available by emailing [email protected].

Pros and cons

Pros

• Free and MIT-licensed — the theme's code can be used, modified, and redistributed without licensing fees.
• Git-based CMS included — Sitepins integration lets non-developers edit site content visually.
• Simple content workflow — posts and authors are managed through Markdown files with clear naming conventions.

Cons

• Demo images not reusable — the included images are for demonstration only and have their own licenses, so you'll need to source your own imagery.

FAQ

Is Northendlab Jekyll free?

Yes, the theme's source code is released under the MIT license, and the GitHub repository is public. You can download and use it without paying, though Themefisher offers paid technical support.

How do I create a new blog post?

Create a new file in the _posts folder with the naming convention year-month-date-post-name.md (for example, 2020-02-06-my-awesome-blog.md) and follow the front matter of existing posts.

How do I change the navigation menu?

Edit _data/parameters.yml and follow the existing loop structure to add or modify menu items. The theme also supports dropdown menus.

Can I edit content without coding?

Yes, the theme is pre-configured with Sitepins, a Git-based headless CMS. Click the "Edit with Sitepins" button on the README, follow the instructions, and you can edit text, images, and configuration visually.

Are the demo images free to use?

No. The README states that the bundled images are only for demonstration purposes and have their own licenses; Themefisher does not have permission to share them.