What Easy Features Can Beginners Add to a Jekyll Blog

Can Beginners Add Useful Features to a Jekyll Blog Without Complex Coding?

Yes. You don’t have to be a developer to enhance your Jekyll blog. Even as a beginner, there are small but powerful features you can add to improve usability, style, and reader experience—without writing JavaScript or touching backend code.

Why Add Features at All?

Your blog works fine, right? But readers expect comfort: a way to go back to top, toggle dark mode at night, or search older posts. These touches show you care—and you can add them without stress.

Let’s Explore Simple Features You Can Add as a Beginner

1. Add a “Back to Top” Button

This small feature helps users scroll back quickly after reading long posts. You can do this using only HTML and CSS.

Add this in your _includes/footer.html:

<a href="#" class="back-to-top">↑ Top</a>

Then in main.scss or style.scss:

.back-to-top {
  position: fixed;
  bottom: 30px;
  right: 30px;
  background: #222;
  color: #fff;
  padding: 8px 12px;
  border-radius: 6px;
  text-decoration: none;
  font-size: 14px;
  display: none;
}

body:hover .back-to-top {
  display: block;
}

Now you have a scroll-friendly blog—without any JavaScript.

2. Enable Dark Mode with One Line of CSS

Modern browsers support media queries for dark mode. Add this snippet at the end of your main.scss:

@media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) {
  body {
    background-color: #121212;
    color: #eee;
  }
  a {
    color: #87cefa;
  }
}

That’s it. Users with dark mode enabled will see your blog in dark mode—automatically.

3. Add Simple Client-Side Search

As a beginner, you don’t need complex site search. Use a simple JavaScript-free solution using Lunr.js or prebuilt JSON.

The easiest: use Simple-Jekyll-Search. Add these steps:

1. Download simple-jekyll-search.min.js and place it in /assets/js

2. Create a search.json by adding this to _config.yml:

collections:
  posts:
    output: true

defaults:
  - scope:
      path: ""
      type: posts
    values:
      layout: post

plugins:
  - jekyll-feed
  - jekyll-seo-tag
  - jekyll-sitemap
  - jekyll-paginate
  - jekyll-archives
  - jekyll-json-feed

Then include the search HTML and script on a new page like search.html. It takes minimal effort and works well for beginners.

4. Improve Typography with a CSS Line

Readable fonts make your blog feel more professional. Add this to main.scss:

body {
  line-height: 1.7;
  font-size: 1.05rem;
  font-family: 'Merriweather', serif;
}

You don’t need web design knowledge. You just improve what already exists.

5. Add Estimated Reading Time Automatically

Let readers know how long your post takes to read. In your _includes/post-meta.html, add this:

{% assign words = page.content | number_of_words %}
{% assign minutes = words | divided_by:200 %}
<span class="reading-time">~{{ minutes }} min read</span>

This is done using Liquid, not JavaScript. It helps readers commit before reading.

How Do You Add These Without Breaking the Theme?

• Always edit in small steps—then preview.

• Use GitHub’s “commit preview” or test locally with Jekyll Serve.

• Keep a backup copy of files like main.scss, footer.html, etc.

What You’ll Learn By Doing This

• How HTML elements relate to layout

• How CSS classes control visibility and appearance

• How Liquid tags process content automatically

Why This Matters for Beginners

Many beginners stick to default blog settings. But small enhancements not only make your site better—they teach you how the web works. You’ll get more confident editing, more curious, and more capable.

Conclusion: You Can Add Features Without Becoming a Developer

You don’t need plugins, libraries, or advanced coding. You just need curiosity and a willingness to try. Jekyll gives you a safe, minimal environment to grow your skills while improving your blog.

Want a better blog experience for your readers? Start with small features—and learn as you go.