---
title: "[Post title]"
date: YYYY-MM-DD
draft: true
tags: ["[tag-one]", "[tag-two]"]
description: "[One-sentence summary under 160 characters for search results and social cards]"
slug: "[post-slug]"
---

# [Post title]

> Blog post template for static site generators (Hugo, Jekyll, Astro and
> similar). It starts with YAML front matter, explains how the three
> generators differ, then gives a post body structure. Based on the
> documented conventions of each generator. Replace every `[bracketed]`
> value; delete the notes sections before publishing.

<!--
Guidance: How to use this template
- The front matter block at the very top must stay first in the file,
  between two lines of three hyphens, with nothing above it.
- Keep `draft: true` until the post is ready; most generators skip
  drafts in production builds.
- Dates in front matter are ISO 8601 (YYYY-MM-DD, optionally with time
  and time zone).
- Check your theme's documentation for extra fields it expects, such as
  `image`, `author` or `categories`.
-->

## Front matter reference

The same fields, shown on their own so you can copy and adapt them:

```yaml
---
title: "How we cut our build time in half"
date: 2026-10-21T09:00:00+07:00
draft: false
tags: ["ci", "performance", "github-actions"]
description: "Caching, parallel jobs and smaller images took our CI from 18 to 8 minutes."
slug: "cut-build-time-in-half"
---
```

| Field | Purpose | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| `title` | Page title and heading | Quote it if it contains a colon |
| `date` | Publication date for sorting and feeds | Future dates may be hidden until that date |
| `draft` | Exclude from production builds | Remove or set `false` to publish |
| `tags` | Taxonomy pages and related posts | Use lowercase, hyphenated tags consistently |
| `description` | Meta description and social preview | 120 to 160 characters |
| `slug` | URL segment | Lowercase, hyphens, no dates unless your permalinks need them |

## Generator differences

| Topic | Hugo | Jekyll | Astro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where posts live | `content/posts/` (or any section) | `_posts/` | `src/content/blog/` with a content collection |
| File name | Any, for example `my-post.md` or a page bundle `my-post/index.md` | Must be `YYYY-MM-DD-title.md` | Any; the file name is the default ID or slug |
| Drafts | `draft: true`, shown with `hugo server -D` | Put the file in `_drafts/`, or `published: false`; preview with `--drafts` | No built-in rule; filter `draft` yourself in the collection query |
| Front matter formats | YAML, TOML (`+++`) or JSON | YAML only | YAML; fields are validated by the collection schema |
| Slug | `slug` overrides the file name in the URL | `slug` used with the `permalink` pattern in `_config.yml` | Set via the collection loader or route; `slug` is a normal field you map |
| Tags | Built-in taxonomies (`tags`, `categories`) | `tags` and `categories` are built in | Define `tags` in the schema; build tag pages yourself |
| Summary | `description` or `summary`, or text before `<!--more-->` | `excerpt` or the first paragraph | Any field you define, usually `description` |

## Post body

### Introduction

[Two or three sentences: the problem or question, who it is for, and
what the reader will get from the post.]

### [Main section 1]

[Explain the first key point with an example, code block or image.]

### [Main section 2]

[Second key point. Keep headings descriptive so readers can skim.]

### [Main section 3]

[Third key point, or a step-by-step walkthrough.]

### Conclusion

[Summarise the takeaway in two sentences and suggest one next step, such
as a related post or a link to the code.]

## Before publishing

- [ ] `draft` set to `false` (Hugo, Astro) or file moved to `_posts/`
  (Jekyll).
- [ ] Images stored next to the post or in the static folder, with alt
  text.
- [ ] The local preview build shows the post at the expected URL.
- [ ] Description reads well as a search snippet.

## Standard and licence note

Based on the documented front matter conventions of Hugo, Jekyll and
Astro. Generator behaviour changes between versions; check your
version's documentation. Original text written for this collection.
Template licence: MIT.