Vonge is a Jekyll portfolio and blog template that generates a configurable personal website with pre-built pages, pre-styled components, and a component library built on Bookshop. Created by CloudCannon for the JAMStack, Vonge is optimized for live editing in CloudCannon and includes a one-click deploy option to that platform.
What is Vonge?
Vonge is a personal portfolio and blog theme built on Jekyll version 4.2.1. It takes content structured for Jekyll and outputs a static HTML website featuring a blog, category pages, portfolio, and testimonials, all styled with SCSS. The template is designed to be fully configurable through CloudCannon's visual editor, allowing site settings, navigation, and content to be changed without writing code. Vonge is made by CloudCannon, the team behind the JAMStack cloud CMS and the Bookshop component library, and is available as a GitHub repository with a live demo.
Key Features
- Component library — A library of components for building pages, maintained for use with Bookshop, letting you assemble and reuse modular sections.
- Fully configurable website — Site-wide settings such as navigation, branding, and layout can be edited through the CloudCannon interface.
- Pre-built pages — Common pages such as home, portfolio, blog, and category pages are included out of the box, reducing setup time.
- Pre-styled components — Ready-made UI components with styling, so you don't need to write CSS from scratch; the template uses SCSS for theming.
- Blog with category pages — A blog section with taxonomy support for grouping posts by category, generating automatic category pages.
- Testimonials — A section for showcasing client or customer quotes, useful for building credibility.
- Portfolio — A presentation area for projects, work samples, or case studies, with a layout suited to visual content.
- Live editing with CloudCannon — Changes made in the CloudCannon editor update the site in real time, enabling content edits without redeployment.
- Search engine optimisation — Built-in SEO considerations for better search visibility across the generated pages.
In addition to these features, Vonge integrates with CloudCannon as its CMS and Bookshop as its component system. It runs on Jekyll 4.2.1 and should support newer Jekyll versions. The repository includes a Deploy to CloudCannon button so the site can be hosted and managed directly on CloudCannon's platform.
Who is it for?
- Personal bloggers — write and publish posts using Jekyll's Markdown workflow, with categories to organize content and a clean reading layout.
- Freelancers and creative professionals — build a portfolio page to showcase projects, add testimonials to build trust, and keep a blog for updates.
- Agencies and small businesses — quickly launch a branded, editable site for a client or your own brand, using CloudCannon's CMS to let non-technical users manage content.
What can you do with Vonge?
- Freelance designers: create a portfolio of past work with testimonial quotes and link to your blog for writing about design.
- Writers: publish a personal blog with category pages so readers can browse posts by topic and find related content.
- Small business owners: set up a professional web presence with pre-built pages, and use CloudCannon to update content without a developer.
How does Vonge work?
Vonge uses Jekyll and Bookshop. To run it locally, install the Bookshop dependencies with npm install, then install the Jekyll dependencies with npm run jekyll:install, and start the site with npm start. Note that pagination will not work in the local development environment; it works only after deploying to CloudCannon.
FAQ
Does Vonge work locally?
Yes, you can run it locally with npm install and npm start, but pagination will not function in that environment. Deploying to CloudCannon (using the deploy button) enables pagination and the full editing experience.
What is Bookshop?
Bookshop is a component library system developed by CloudCannon. In Vonge, Bookshop provides modular, reusable components that can be edited and assembled through a visual interface.
Can I edit the site without writing code?
Yes, Vonge is optimized for editing in CloudCannon. The CloudCannon CMS lets you change text, images, navigation, and other site settings through a visual editor, while still allowing developers to modify the underlying Jekyll templates when needed.
Does Vonge include a portfolio and a blog?
Yes, the template includes both a portfolio section for displaying projects and a blog with category pages, along with testimonials, all as pre-built components.
