Hugo theme styled with Simple.css
HugoPortfolioBlog
hugo-simplecss — Hugo Portfolio Template
By RyanBalfanz
A Hugo theme based on Simple.css for building portfolio and blog sites.
Explore the design
Compare the page layouts and mobile experience. Open any screenshot for a closer look.
Desktop homepage1 / 2
Desktop captureTop of page
Actual screenshot captured by the server browser.
All pages & views 2
Screenshots show visual appearance; interactive behavior may differ.
Recorded 2026-10-11View source
What stands out
A quick read of the recorded project description.
Repository provides an online demo of a site generated with `hugo new theme`
Simple.css custom styles are centralized in `assets/css/simple-custom.css`
The example site provides a reference file for style customization
Installed as a Git submodule, with configuration written in `hugo.toml`
Released under the MIT license; code may be used, modified, used commercially, and distributed for free
Template Details
This is a Hugo theme whose styling layer uses Simple.css. The repository states that it provides an online demo of a site generated with `hugo new theme` and shows how to customize styles following the examples in the Simple.css documentation.
The theme places Simple.css custom styles in the partial template `assets/css/simple-custom.css`; the corresponding file in the example site is `exampleSite/assets/css/simple-custom.css`, where you can adjust style variables such as colors.
The README installation steps are: create a new Hugo site, initialize a Git repository, add the theme as a Git submodule under `themes/hugo-simplecss`, set `theme = 'hugo-simplecss'` in `hugo.toml`, then run `hugo server`. The "Configuration" section of the README has no body content and does not describe other configurable options. The repository is released under the MIT license; the code may be used, modified, used commercially, and distributed for free, but third-party assets such as demo images, fonts, and icons require separate license verification.
HugoPortfolioBlog
Is it right for your project?
Use Cases
- Building a personal portfolio site with Hugo
- Building a text-focused blog with Hugo
- Using Simple.css as a starting point to adjust site colors and base styles
- Learning how to override styles in a Hugo theme by referencing the example site
Suitable For
- Developers building static sites with Hugo
- Portfolio or blog authors who want Simple.css as a styling base
- Users who need an MIT-licensed theme whose code they can modify themselves
Getting started & customization
Use these recorded setup notes alongside the repository instructions for your chosen version.
- 1
Run `hugo new site quickstart` to create a new site and enter the directory
- 2
After `git init`, use `git submodule add` to add the theme repository under `themes/hugo-simplecss`
- 3
Set `theme = 'hugo-simplecss'` in `hugo.toml`
- 4
Run `hugo server` for local preview
- 5
For style customization, refer to `exampleSite/assets/css/simple-custom.css` and write to `assets/css/simple-custom.css`
License & source material
Usage conditions & limitations
Free to use · keep license noticeThis entry covers the free version under the MIT license in the public repository; the free scope is the code of this version and does not mean external services or third-party assets are free.
Must comply with when using
- The code of this version may be used, modified, used commercially, and distributed for free.
- When distributing copies or substantial portions of the code, retain the original author's copyright notice and the full MIT license notice.
- The code is provided as is; warranties and limitations of liability are governed by the original license and applicable law.
Additional costs & items to verify
- Demo images, fonts, icons, and other third-party assets must be checked against their respective licenses; they cannot be judged solely by the code's MIT license.
- External services such as domains, hosting, databases, payments, or AI may incur separate charges.
View Original Text Basis
https://github.com/RyanBalfanz/hugo-simplecss/blob/main/LICENSEhttps://github.com/RyanBalfanz/hugo-simplecss/blob/main/README.mdPermission is hereby granted, free of charge
Original License Text
Compiled by DeepSeek based on repository license and README ·2026-10-11. Results only cover the materials read; dependencies, images, fonts, and subsequent term changes are subject to their respective original texts.
Project checks & description sources
Template Information
- Source platforms
- GitHub
- Documentation and maintenance reference score
- Partly documented · 70 / 100
- Technologies
- Hugo
- Website type
- Portfolio · Blog
How this score is calculated
Our heuristic uses license records (up to 30), a demo link (12), a preview (10), stars (15), recorded maintenance (15), description completeness (8), feature records (5) and classification data (5). It is not a code, security or performance test, or a Google score. A link does not establish tested functionality.
What to verify for this project
- Repository update recorded
- 2024-01-16
- Screenshot last checked
- 2026-10-11
A demo link is listed. Check it with your own content and viewport sizes; its presence does not confirm that forms, authentication or payments work.
The catalog identifies Hugo as the primary stack. Check the actual dependency manifest and lockfile for versions and hosting requirements. These notes use recorded metadata, not a code audit or a deployment test.
Use a selection guide →How this description was prepared
AI-assisted description based on catalog records and repository material. Repository authors are not automatically the reviewers of this description.
Review declaration: [email protected] · 2026-10-13
Inspect the recorded source material
SHA-256: 5450350ef9ff2bee1dfe5121eb31af030d47d6bfd269dde71071c4b5fb3fa3cf
2026-10-11T21:30:37.085Z
Source file / repository# hugo-simplecss A theme for [Hugo](https://gohugo.io) that uses [Simple.css](https://simplecss.org). A [live demo](https://hugo-simplecss.pages.dev/) based on the site generated from the `hugo new theme` command is available. It also demonstates how to customize Simple.css using the [example given in the docs](https://github.com/kevquirk/simple.css/wiki/Getting-Started-With-Simple.css#customise-simplecss). ## Features Simple.css customization is defined in the partial `assets/css/simple-custom.css`, for example [`exampleSite/assets/css/simple-custom.css`](exampleSite/assets/css/simple-custom.css). ## Installation ```shell hugo new site quickstart cd quickstart git init git submodule add https://github.com/RyanBalfanz/hugo-simplecss.git themes/hugo-simplecss echo "theme = 'hugo-simplecss'" >> hugo.toml hugo server ``` ## Configuration
Explore similar templates
Compare previews and descriptions within the same stack and category.
hugo-PaperMod
A fast, clean, responsive Hugo theme for blogs and lightweight portfolios, with three layout modes (Regular, Home-Info, Profile), automatic and manual light/dark themes, Fuse.js client-side search, multilingual support, and built-in Open Graph, Twitter Cards, and Schema.org data.
Hugo · Portfolio
LoveIt
LoveIt is a clean, elegant, and feature-rich Hugo blog theme derived from LeaveIt and KeepIt, MIT-licensed. It offers light/dark modes, responsive layout, multilingual support, and search via Lunr.js or Algolia.
Hugo · Blog
hugo-coder
hugo-coder is a minimalist Hugo blog theme maintained by luizdepra under the MIT license. It provides a clean, text-focused blog appearance, configuration documentation in the docs directory, and a complete exampleSite with hugo.toml.
Hugo · Blog
blowfish
Blowfish is a Hugo personal website and blog theme built with Tailwind CSS 4, focused on lightness, simplicity, and content-first presentation.
Hugo · Blog
hugo-paper
hugo-paper is a simple, clean, and customizable Hugo blog theme configured through config.toml or hugo.toml.
Hugo · Blog
hextra
Hextra is a Hugo theme for documentation and blog sites, built on Hugo and Tailwind CSS with design referencing Nextra.
Hugo · Documentation