re-cover is a Hugo theme for recovery groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous that builds a fast static website with meeting information, readings, and donation options. It is distributed on GitHub and comes with a live demo on Netlify.
What is re-cover?
re-cover is a Hugo theme designed for recovery groups (12-step groups such as AA) that produces a clean, readable website covering meeting location, times, format, the meeting guide, online-only resources, and donations. It is built on Hugo, a static site generator, so the output is plain HTML and CSS with no backend or database. Most group-specific data lives in the config.toml file; content like readings is stored as individual markdown files. The theme was created by sieis, is hosted on GitHub, and has an example site that can be copied to start a new group website.
Key Features
- Config-driven home page — Almost all meeting-specific text (location, times, format) is set in config.toml, so groups with limited needs can launch by editing a single configuration file.
- Markdown readings — Popular recovery readings are bundled as markdown files in the content/readings folder; setting "draft = true" in a file's front matter removes it from the site.
- Readings list page — An unlinked /readings/ page lists every available reading and is rendered by the section.html layout; individual reading pages use single.html.
- About page with chairperson guidelines — The about page has placeholder sections for group guidelines, editable through the guidelines.json file in the data folder (six sections in the example).
- Font Awesome via CDN — Icons load from the Font Awesome CDN, so no local icon files are required.
- Custom colors and images — The theme ships with its own color scheme in main.css and stock illustrations from unDraw; both can be replaced by editing the stylesheet or static images.
- Meta data and favicons — The head partial sets title, description, og:image, and favicon, with favicon files stored in /static/favicons/.
- Free hosting friendly — The static output is small and can be hosted for free on services like Netlify or GitHub Pages; the only optional cost is a custom domain if a group wants meetingname.com.
Who is it for?
re-cover is aimed at 12-step groups that want a simple, fast website without maintaining a CMS; intergroup offices that coordinate multiple meetings and may need custom extensions; and webmasters with limited technical experience who can edit toml and markdown files rather than build a site from scratch.
What can you do with re-cover?
- AA meetings: Publish meeting location, times, and format on the home page and add links for online-only meetings.
- Group secretaries: Put the meeting guide and regular readings online so members can follow along without paper handouts.
- Area intergroups: Use the theme as a starting point and contact the author for custom solutions that go beyond the base theme.
- Treasurers: Add a donation option to the site so members can contribute online easily, using whatever payment service the group already uses.
How does re-cover work?
Installation follows the standard Hugo workflow: create a new site with "hugo new site", clone the re-cover repository into the themes folder, and copy the contents of its exampleSite into the site root. After editing config.toml and the reading markdown files, run "hugo server -D" to preview locally or "hugo" to build the static site for deployment.
FAQ
Is re-cover free?
Yes, the theme is open source on GitHub and can be used without charge. Hosting can also be free on static-site services like Netlify; the only potential cost is a custom domain name if a group registers meetingname.org or similar.
Does re-cover have a blog?
No, the base template does not include blog functionality. The author notes that a blog could be added if a group needs one, but it is not part of the default theme.
How do I change the readings?
Each reading is a separate markdown file in the content/readings folder. Add new readings by creating new markdown files there, and deactivate existing ones by setting "draft = true" in the file's front matter.
What configuration is needed?
Most group-specific data is stored in config.toml, which you copy from the exampleSite. Colors are in main.css, images are replaceable, and meta tags for title, description, and og:image are set in the head partial.
Can intergroups use re-cover?
The author states that local intergroups may find the theme useful and that he has worked with intergroups to provide custom solutions beyond the theme's simplicity. Contact through the GitHub repository is the suggested route.
