eleventy 🕚
A static site generator. An alternative to Jekyll. Written in JavaScript. Transforms a directory of templates (of varying types) into HTML.
Works with:
- HTML (
.html) - Markdown (
.md) (usingmarkdown-it) - Liquid (
.liquid) (used by Jekyll) - Nunjucks (
.njk) - Handlebars (
.hbs) - Mustache (
.mustache) - EJS (
.ejs) - Haml (
.haml) - Pug (formerly Jade,
.pug) - JavaScript Template Literals (
.jstl) (`strings with backticks`)
Getting Started
Installation
Available on npm.
npm install -g eleventy-cli
Sample project
Have a look at @Heydon’s lovely Inclusive Web Design Checklist, converted to use eleventy. The original project took a JSON file and converted it HTML with some one-off JavaScript. This uses eleventy to transform the data using a nunjucks template, resulting in a cleaner, templated setup.
Usage
# Searches the current directory, outputs to ./_site
eleventy
# Equivalent to
eleventy --input=. --output=_site
# Automatically run when template files change.
eleventy --watch
# Use only a subset of template types
eleventy --formats=md,html,ejs
# Find out the most up-to-date list of commands (there are more)
eleventy --help
Examples
Example: Default options
eleventy --input=. --output=_site
A template.md in the current directory will be rendered to _site/template/index.html. Read more about Permalinks
Example: Same Input and Output
Yes, you can use the same input and output directories, like so:
# Watch a directory for any changes to markdown files, then
# automatically parse and output as HTML files, respecting
# directory structure.
eleventy --input=. --output=. --watch --formats=md
Exception: index.html Templates
When the input and output directories are the same and the source template is named index.html, it will output as index-o.html to avoid overwriting itself. This is a special case that only applies to index.html filenames. You can customize the -o suffix with the htmlOutputSuffix configuration option.
# Adds `-o` to index.html file names to avoid overwriting matching files.
eleventy --input=. --output=. --formats=html
Data (optional)
Front Matter on any Template
You may use front matter on any template file to add local data. Front matter looks like this:
---
title: My page title
---
<!doctype html>
<html>
…
This allows you to assign data values right in the template itself. Here are a few front matter keys that we use for special things:
permalink: Add in front matter to change the output target of the current template. You can use template syntax for variables here. Read more about Permalinks.layout: Wrap current template with a layout template found in the_includesfolder.pagination: Enable to iterate over data. Output multiple HTML files from a single template. Read more about Pagination.
Special Variables
pkg: The local project’spackage.jsonvalues.pagination: (When enabled in front matter) Read more about Pagination.
Data Files
Optionally add data files to add global static data available to all templates. Uses the dir.data configuration option. Read more about Template Data Files.
Ignore files (optional)
Add an .eleventyignore file to the root of your input directory for a new line-separated list of files that will not be processed. Paths listed in your project’s .gitignore file are automatically ignored.
Configuration (optional)
Add an .eleventy.js file to root directory of your project to override these configuration options with your own preferences. Example:
module.exports = {
dir: {
input: "views"
}
};
| Configuration Option Key | Default Option | Valid Options | Command Line Override | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
dir.input |
. |
Any valid directory. | --input |
Controls the top level directory inside which the templates should be found. |
dir.includes |
_includes |
Any valid directory inside of dir.input. |
N/A | Controls the directory inside which the template includes/extends/partials/etc can be found. |
dir.data |
_data |
Any valid directory inside of dir.input. |
N/A | Controls the directory inside which the global data template files, available to all templates, can be found. |
dir.output |
_site |
Any valid directory. | --output |
Controls the directory inside which the transformed finished templates can be found. |
dataTemplateEngine |
liquid |
A valid template engine or false |
N/A | Run the data.dir global data files through this template engine before transforming it to JSON. |
markdownTemplateEngine |
liquid |
A valid template engine or false |
N/A | Run markdown through this template engine before transforming it to HTML. |
htmlTemplateEngine |
liquid |
A valid template engine or false |
N/A | Run HTML templates through this template engine before transforming it to (better) HTML. |
templateFormats |
liquid,ejs, md,hbs, mustache,haml, pug,njk,html |
Any combination of these | --formats |
Specify which type of templates should be transformed. |
htmlOutputSuffix |
-o |
String |
N/A | If the input and output directory match, index.html files will have this suffix added to their output filename to prevent overwriting the template. |
filters |
{} |
Object |
N/A | Filters can transform output on a template. Take the format function(str, outputPath) { return str; }. For example, use a filter to format an HTML file with proper whitespace. |
handlebarsHelpers |
{} |
Object |
N/A | The helper functions passed to Handlebars.registerHelper. Helper names are keys, functions are the values. |
nunjucksFilters |
{} |
Object |
N/A | The helper functions passed to nunjucksEnv.addFilter. Helper names are keys, functions are the values. |
Template Engine Features
Here are the features tested with each template engine that use external files and thus are subject to setup and scaffolding.
| Engine | Feature | Syntax |
|---|---|---|
| ejs | ✅ Include (Preprocessor Directive) | <% include /user/show %> looks for _includes/show/user.ejs |
| ejs | ✅ Include (pass in Data) | <%- include('/user/show', {user: 'Ava'}) %> looks for _includes/user/show.ejs |
| Liquid | ✅ Include | {% include 'show/user' %} looks for _includes/show/user.liquid |
| Liquid | ✅ Include (pass in Data) | {% include 'user' with 'Ava' %} |
| Liquid | ✅ Include (pass in Data) | {% include 'user', user1: 'Ava', user2: 'Bill' %} |
| Mustache | ✅ Partials | {{> user}} looks for _includes/user.mustache |
| Handlebars | ✅ Partials | {{> user}} looks for _includes/user.hbs |
| Handlebars | ✅ Helpers | See handlebarsHelpers configuration option. |
| HAML | ❌ but 🔜 Filters | |
| Pug | ✅ Includes | include /includedvar.pug looks in _includes/includedvar.pug |
| Pug | ✅ Excludes | extends /layout.pug looks in _includes/layout.pug |
| Nunjucks | ✅ Includes | {% include 'included.njk' %} looks in _includes/included.njk |
| Nunjucks | ✅ Extends | {% extends 'base.njk' %} looks in _includes/base.njk |
| Nunjucks | ✅ Imports | {% import 'macros.njk' %} looks in _includes/macros.njk |
| Nunjucks | ✅ Filters | See nunjucksFilters configuration option. |
Tests
Build Status: 
npm run test
npm run watch:test