Simplicity is a Jekyll theme styled with Bulma.css, designed for personal blogs and GitHub Pages, that converts a folder of Markdown files into a static website with Disqus comments and Google Analytics integrated.
What is Simplicity?
Simplicity is a Jekyll theme built with the Bulma.css framework. It takes a Jekyll site containing Markdown posts and configuration in _config.yml and produces a static HTML blog. The theme runs on Jekyll, a Ruby-based static site generator, and is designed to be deployed to GitHub Pages. The repository is maintained by bananaappletw and is released under the MIT License.
Key Features
- Bulma.css styling — the theme uses the Bulma CSS framework for its layout and component styling, giving a clean, responsive design without additional frontend build tooling.
- Disqus comments — a comments section appears below each post in production builds when a Disqus shortname is set in
_config.yml; individual posts can opt out withcomments: falsein YAML Front Matter. - Google Analytics — add a
google_analytics: UA-NNNNNNNN-Nline to_config.ymlto enable tracking, and the snippet loads only in production environments (JEKYLL_ENV=production). - Environment-aware scripts — both Disqus and Google Analytics are gated behind
JEKYLL_ENV=production, so local development builds stay clean of third-party widgets. - GitHub Pages ready — the repository clone command (
git clone ... [username].github.io) is structured to deploy directly to a GitHub Pages user site. - MIT licensed — the theme is open-source, so you can fork, modify, and reuse it freely with attribution requirements defined by the MIT License.
Who is it for?
Simplicity is aimed at developers and writers who want a minimal, low-dependency blog theme. It suits Jekyll users who prefer a tiny CSS framework over a full-featured design system, and GitHub Pages users who want to host a personal site with comments and analytics without configuring a separate static site generator.
What can you do with Simplicity?
- Personal bloggers: publish a clean, Bulma-styled blog on GitHub Pages by cloning the repository into a
username.github.iorepo and adding Markdown posts. - Jekyll developers: use the theme as a starting point for custom blog layouts, since it has a small codebase and an MIT license to modify.
- Site owners who want reader engagement: enable Disqus comments by adding a shortname to
_config.ymland get a comment section on every production post.
How does Simplicity work?
Installation follows the standard Jekyll workflow: clone the repository into your GitHub Pages repository, run bundle install to install dependencies, and start a local server with jekyll serve. To enable comments, add a disqus.shortname to _config.yml; for analytics, add a google_analytics tracking ID. Both features activate only when you build with JEKYLL_ENV=production.
FAQ
Is Simplicity free to use?
Yes, the theme is open-source under the MIT License, so you can use and modify it freely.
How do I enable Disqus comments on my posts?
Add a disqus: shortname: your_shortname block to your _config.yml file. Comments are enabled by default and appear only in production builds (JEKYLL_ENV=production). You can disable comments on a specific post by setting comments: false in that post's YAML Front Matter.
How do I set up Google Analytics?
Add a line google_analytics: UA-NNNNNNNN-N to your _config.yml file. The analytics snippet is injected only when the site is built with JEKYLL_ENV=production.
Does the theme work with GitHub Pages?
The README instructs cloning the theme directly into a [your_github_username].github.io repository, and the theme runs under Jekyll, which GitHub Pages supports natively.
What CSS framework does Simplicity use?
Simplicity uses Bulma.css, a modern CSS framework based on Flexbox, to provide responsive layout and components.
