Slate

Slate is a Jekyll theme for GitHub Pages that provides a minimal, configurable starting point for publishing project and personal websites.

What is the Slate theme?

Slate is a free, open-source Jekyll theme published by the pages-themes organization on GitHub, built specifically for GitHub Pages sites. It takes a Jekyll project's _config.yml settings and generates a static page with a header, a centered content column, and optional download buttons; no HTML editing is required for basic use. The theme is hosted at pages-themes.github.io/slate for previewing, and its source repository is github.com/pages-themes/slate.

Key Features

• Remote theme installation — Add remote_theme: pages-themes/[email protected] to _config.yml along with the jekyll-remote-theme plugin to apply the theme without forking the repo.
• Configuration variables — Set title, description, show_downloads, and google_analytics in _config.yml; the theme uses these to populate the page header, meta description, download URL links, and the analytics snippet.
• Custom stylesheet support — Override the theme's default Sass by creating /assets/css/style.scss, importing the theme with @import "{{ site.theme }}", and adding your own CSS or Sass right after the import line.
• Layout overrides — Replace the default HTML by copying _layouts/default.html from the theme's repository into your own site and editing that copy; smaller changes like a custom favicon can be placed in your _includes folder.
• Google Analytics customization — Paste a current Google Analytics code snippet into _includes/head-custom-google-analytics.html to use the latest tracking code instead of the theme's older embedded version.
• URL override support — Override GitHub-generated URLs (such as site.github.zip_url) by adding a github: block in _config.yml and specifying custom values for those variables.
• Local preview and tests — Clone the repo, run script/bootstrap to install dependencies, then bundle exec jekyll serve to preview at localhost:4000; run script/cibuild to execute the theme's minimal build test suite.

Who should use the Slate theme?

• GitHub Pages beginners — Publish a personal or project page in minutes by adding one remote_theme line and a couple of variables, without dealing with HTML or theme internals.
• Open-source maintainers — Create a clean project landing page with download links (through show_downloads) and a small maintenance footprint, since the theme is designed for quick setup.
• Jekyll developers — Use Slate as a simple base, then extend it with custom Sass or a modified default layout to add exactly the complexity they need.

What can you do with the Slate theme?

• Launch a project site — Set remote_theme to pages-themes/[email protected], add your repository's title and description, and publish a minimalist page with download buttons for your release files.
• Build a personal homepage — Use the fixed header and centered content layout for a short bio or link page; adjust the look by editing the theme's Sass variables in your custom style.scss.
• Document a tool or library — Add a documentation subfolder under the theme's pages, and rely on its clean typography; the project philosophy statement explicitly mentions creating "first (or 100th) website" and favors simplicity over flexibility.

How does the theme work?

Activating Slate takes two steps: add remote_theme and the plugin to _config.yml, then commit; GitHub Pages builds the Jekyll site with the theme. For local development, add gem "github-pages" to your Gemfile and run bundle install, then bundle exec jekyll serve to preview at localhost:4000. Configuration variables set in _config.yml are read during build to produce the final HTML.

Alternatives

Other Jekyll themes for GitHub Pages include Minima (the default Jekyll theme) and Cayman, both of which also use a remote_theme approach for installation.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Slate theme free?

Yes, Slate is open source and published by the pages-themes organization. You can use it on any GitHub Pages site at no cost, and contribute improvements through the repository's CONTRIBUTING file.

How do I change the theme's colors?

Create /assets/css/style.scss in your site, set new Sass variable values before the @import "{{ site.theme }}" line, and add your own CSS afterward. The theme's default stylesheet then compiles with your overrides.

Can I use my own Google Analytics code?

Yes. Set the google_analytics variable in _config.yml with your tracking ID, or place the latest Google Analytics snippet into _includes/head-custom-google-analytics.html to replace the theme's older default code entirely.

How do I override links that the theme generates from GitHub?

Find the variable name in the default layout, such as site.github.zip_url. Then in _config.yml add a github: block and set that variable (without the site. prefix) to your custom URL; Jekyll will use your value during the build.

Does Slate work in local Jekyll development?

Yes. Clone the repository, run script/bootstrap to install dependencies, and run bundle exec jekyll serve for a local preview at localhost:4000. The repo also includes a test suite that can be run with script/cibuild.