Stately is an open-source Jekyll theme for government websites, currently in alpha, that provides a modern, configuration-driven site design for public-sector audiences.
What is Stately?
Stately is a Jekyll theme designed specifically for government-oriented websites, built by pmarsceill. It turns a standard Jekyll site configuration into a static website with customizable navigation and footer logos, an optional top info bar, and GitHub edit links. The theme is distributed as a Ruby gem, though installation instructions are coming soon because the project is still in alpha. The source is available on GitHub under the MIT License.
Key Features
- Configurable navigation and footer logos — In _config.yml, set nav_logo_file and footer_logo_file to any SVG, PNG, JPG, or GIF image path; delete the lines to remove logos entirely.
- GitHub edit links — Enable github_link to show a "view source" or "edit this page" link on every page, useful for public contributions.
- GitHub Pages branch selection — Set github_pages_branch to master, master/docs, or gh-pages to match where your site is hosted.
- Optional info bar — Turn on info_bar and write HTML via info_bar_text to display a message (for example, a disclaimer) at the top of all pages.
- Standard Jekyll development workflow — After bundle install and npm install, run bundle exec jekyll serve to preview; the site auto-regenerates on changes.
- Built-in tests — Run script/test to validate SCSS and HTML output.
- Streamlined release process — The repository includes scripts to bump versions in package.json and stately-jekyll.gemspec, update CHANGELOG.md, and build the gem.
Who is it for?
Stately is for web developers who build or maintain government websites and want a Jekyll-based starting point. It is also useful for content managers who need a straightforward way to update navigation logos and disclaimers through config files. Finally, it suits teams deploying to GitHub Pages, since the theme handles branch-specific settings and edit links.
What can you do with Stately?
- Government web teams: Set up a professional-looking site with a custom logo, footer branding, and an information bar to display official disclaimers.
- GitHub Pages users: Configure the hosting branch and enable edit links so contributors can propose content changes directly from each page.
- Theme contributors: Use the documented development environment and test runner to add features and submit pull requests.
License and status
Stately is released under the MIT License, making it free to use, modify, and redistribute. In its current alpha state, installation as a Ruby gem is not yet available, but setup follows the standard Jekyll workflow.
