Starter 11ty Notes is a minimal Eleventy (11ty) static-site template that organizes and publishes notes written in Markdown. It takes Markdown files placed in the src/notes directory, applies the metadata you define for each note, and builds a static site with plain HTML and no server-side processing.
What is Starter 11ty Notes?
Starter 11ty Notes is an Eleventy-based static site generator tailored for maintaining notes on various concepts. The template requires three environment variables — PAYMENT_POINTER, AUTHOR, and COPYRIGHT — to configure Web Monetization, authorship, and copyright ownership. All content is authored in Markdown inside the src/notes folder, and the output is a fully static website that can be deployed to any static host.
Key Features
- Eleventy static generation — Built on the Eleventy static site generator, the template outputs plain HTML files, so no runtime, database, or server-side processing is needed.
- Environment-variable configuration — Three required variables control the site's behavior: PAYMENT_POINTER for Web Monetization, AUTHOR for the author's username, and COPYRIGHT for the rights owner.
- Markdown-first note management — Notes are written as Markdown in the src/notes folder with appropriate metadata; your entire site is version-controlled plain text.
- Web Monetization support — Setting PAYMENT_POINTER enables the site to participate in Web Monetization, allowing eligible visitors to send micro-payments automatically.
- Portfolio-oriented starter — The GitHub repository is tagged with the topics "11ty", "portfolio", and "starter", positioning it as a lightweight starting point for a personal notes or portfolio website.
Who is it for?
- Developers writing technical notes — publish code explanations, tool comparisons, or architecture notes as a static site without setting up a content management system.
- Personal-knowledge-base owners — keep a structured collection of Markdown notes and generate a clean, lightweight site to browse them.
- Open-source maintainers — quickly create a minimal glossary or documentation site where each concept lives in its own Markdown file.
What can you do with it?
- Build a personal knowledge base — Add Markdown files to src/notes, define their metadata, and the template organizes them into a static site for easy browsing.
- Accept Web Monetization payments — Set PAYMENT_POINTER to your payment pointer and start receiving micro-payments from visitors who use a Web Monetization provider.
- Control attribution — Configure AUTHOR and COPYRIGHT to display the correct author name and ownership notice throughout the site.
How does it work?
The setup follows a simple workflow: clone the template, set the three required environment variables (PAYMENT_POINTER, AUTHOR, COPYRIGHT), and add Markdown notes in the src/notes folder with the appropriate metadata. Then run the standard Eleventy build process to generate static HTML files ready for deployment.
FAQ
What environment variables does this template require?
Starter 11ty Notes requires exactly three environment variables: PAYMENT_POINTER, AUTHOR, and COPYRIGHT. PAYMENT_POINTER supplies a Web Monetization payment pointer, AUTHOR sets the author's username, and COPYRIGHT declares who owns the rights to the notes.
Where do I write my notes?
All notes should be placed in the src/notes folder. Each note is a Markdown file that includes the appropriate metadata, such as title, date, and tags, so the template can organize it correctly in the generated site.
Is there any pricing information?
The repository metadata does not list any pricing or license details. As a public GitHub repository, you can clone and use the code at no cost, but be sure to check the repository's LICENSE file for the exact terms.
Which static site generator does it use?
It uses Eleventy (11ty), a lightweight static site generator that processes Markdown and HTML templates into plain static HTML files. This makes the site fast and hostable anywhere.
