Simple FAQ Theme for Hugo

Simple FAQ Theme for Hugo

The Simple FAQ Theme for Hugo is a minimal, data-driven Hugo theme that turns TOML files of question-and-answer groups into a single static FAQ page with anchor-based menu navigation.

What is the Simple FAQ Theme for Hugo?

The Simple FAQ Theme for Hugo is a free, MIT-licensed Hugo theme created by aerohub as a port of CodyHouse's FAQ Template. It consumes TOML data files located in data/faq/groups/ — each file contains an id, a name, and a list of [[items]] with question and answer fields — and renders them as a single-page FAQ with a menu that jumps to each group's anchor. The theme runs on the Hugo static site generator and requires no JavaScript or external dependencies. The author describes it as a "dummy port" whose primary goal was learning how to build FAQ pages with Hugo.

Key Features

• Data-driven FAQ groups — Define each FAQ group in a separate TOML file under data/faq/groups/; numeric filename prefixes like 01-basics.toml control the display order of groups on the page.
• Anchor menu navigation — The id field in each TOML group becomes a page anchor, and menu items in config.toml use url = "#id" to link to it; menu order is set with weight.
• Custom styling hook — Drop your own CSS into the assets folder and reference it through the custom_css parameter under [params] in config.toml; the original Sass and CSS files live in the static folder for forking.
• Example site included — The exampleSite folder ships with a ready-made config.toml and data folder so you can copy them and get a working FAQ page immediately.
• No JavaScript or external dependencies — The theme renders static HTML through Hugo's native pipeline, so there is no build step beyond Hugo itself.
• MIT licensed — The theme is released under the MIT license, with the original CodyHouse Terms also applying.

Who is it for?

• Hugo learners who want a minimal, readable example of how to build data-driven pages and menus in Hugo.
• Developers working on documentation sites who need a simple FAQ page that they can restyle to match their existing design system.
• Content editors who maintain structured Q&A data and prefer editing TOML files over writing HTML.

What can you do with the Simple FAQ Theme for Hugo?

• Documentation maintainers: Publish a grouped FAQ section by writing TOML files for each topic, keeping questions and answers in plain text, and let Hugo generate the static page.
• Hobbyist site owners: Set up a lightweight "notes" page by reusing the same TOML group structure to organize snippets or notes by category.
• Hugo theme developers: Study the theme's folder layout and template calls to learn how to map data files to page anchors and menu entries.

How does the Simple FAQ Theme for Hugo work?

After cloning the repository into your themes directory, copy the config.toml and data folder from exampleSite into your site root. Then edit the TOML files under data/faq/groups/ to add your own questions and answers, and configure menu items in config.toml using name, weight, and url values that match group ids. Run hugo server -w and view the page at localhost:1313.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Extremely simple and lightweight; content lives in easy-to-edit TOML files; no JavaScript or external assets; MIT licensed.
• Cons: The original FAQ Template contains no styles for text formatting, and this port inherits that limitation — you must provide your own CSS to make the page look polished; the author explicitly calls it a "dummy port" for learning, not a production-ready theme.

Pricing

The theme is free and open-source under the MIT license, with the original CodyHouse Terms also applying to the underlying template. No paid tiers or commercial licensing are mentioned.

FAQ

How do I install the Simple FAQ Theme for Hugo?

Run mkdir themes && cd themes && git clone https://github.com/aerohub/hugo-faq-theme hugo-faq-theme inside your Hugo site folder. Then copy the example config.toml and data folder from the theme's exampleSite into your site root.

How do I add a new FAQ group?

Create a new TOML file in data/faq/groups/ with a numeric prefix for ordering, then add an id, a name, and one or more [[items]] blocks containing question and answer fields. The id is also used as the page anchor for menu links.

Does the theme come with styling?

No — this port of CodyHouse's FAQ Template does not include styles for text formatting. You need to add your own CSS. The theme provides a custom_css parameter under [params] in config.toml to reference your stylesheet, and the original Sass/CSS source files are included in the static folder.

What license is the theme released under?

The theme is MIT-licensed, but you must also respect the original CodyHouse Terms for the FAQ Template that it ports. This means you can freely reuse and modify the theme, but you should review CodyHouse's terms for any additional restrictions.

Can I use this theme for a production FAQ page?

It's possible, but be aware that the author describes it as a "dummy port" created to learn Hugo, and the lack of built-in text formatting means you'll need to write custom styling. For a production site, you may prefer a more complete Hugo theme or add your own CSS to this one.