Host ListLog on Your Domain with GitLab Pages

First, create a new GitLab project to host your ListLog blog:

1. Create a new project on GitLab.com
2. Clone the ListLog repository:

   git clone https://gitlab.com/grouplist/listlog.git your-blog-name
   cd your-blog-name

3. Update the remote origin:

   git remote set-url origin https://gitlab.com/yourusername/your-blog-name.git

4. Push to your repository:

   git push -u origin main

Edit the listlog.config.json file to customize your blog settings:

{
  "site": {
    "name": "My Awesome Blog",
    "description": "Thoughts on technology and life",
    "url": "https://yourdomain.com",
    "author": "Your Name",
    "language": "en"
  },
  "build": {
    "postsPerPage": 10,
    "generateSitemap": true,
    "generate404": true
  },
  "social": {
    "twitter": "https://twitter.com/yourusername", 
    "gitlab": "https://gitlab.com/yourusername"
  }
}

Key settings to update:

• site.url — Your custom domain (e.g., https://yourdomain.com)
• site.name — Your blog's title
• site.author — Your name
• social — Your social media profiles

Create your first blog post in the posts/ directory:

---
title: Welcome to My Blog
date: 2025-05-29
author: Your Name
tags: welcome, first-post, blogging
excerpt: Welcome to my new blog powered by ListLog and hosted on GitLab Pages!
---

# Welcome to My Blog!

I'm excited to launch my new blog using **ListLog**, a simple yet powerful static site generator.

## Why I Chose ListLog

- **Simple**: Write in markdown, publish automatically
- **Fast**: Static files load instantly
- **Free**: GitLab Pages hosting costs nothing
- **Professional**: Clean, responsive design

## What's Next?

I'll be sharing thoughts on technology, web development, and my projects. Stay tuned!

---

*This blog is powered by ListLog and hosted on GitLab Pages.*

Save this as posts/2025-05-29-welcome.md (using today's date).

GitLab Pages will automatically build and deploy your blog:

1. Commit and push your changes:

   git add .
   git commit -m "Initial blog setup"
   git push origin main

2. Check the CI/CD pipeline:
   • Go to your project → CI/CD → Pipelines
   • Wait for the build to complete (usually 2-3 minutes)
   • Look for a green "Passed" status
3. Access your blog:
   • Go to Settings → Pages in your GitLab project
   • Your blog will be available at: https://yourusername.gitlab.io/your-blog-name

To use your own domain name instead of the default GitLab URL:

Step 1: Configure GitLab Pages

1. Go to your project → Settings → Pages
2. Click "New Domain"
3. Enter your domain (e.g., blog.yourdomain.com)
4. Leave certificate settings as default for now
5. Click "Create New Domain"

Step 2: Update DNS Records

In your domain registrar's DNS settings, add these records:

Step 3: Enable SSL Certificate

1. Wait 24-48 hours for DNS propagation
2. Return to Settings → Pages → Your Domain
3. Click "Edit" next to your domain
4. Check "Force HTTPS"
5. GitLab will automatically provision a Let's Encrypt certificate

Publishing new posts is simple with GitLab's automatic deployment:

Method 1: Local Development

1. Write a new post in the posts/ directory
2. Test locally:

   npm install
   npm run build
   npm run dev

3. Commit and push:

   git add .
   git commit -m "Add new post: Post Title"
   git push origin main

4. Automatic deployment — GitLab builds and publishes your changes

Method 2: GitLab Web Editor

1. Go to your GitLab project
2. Navigate to posts/ directory
3. Click "+" → "New file"
4. Write your post using the web editor
5. Commit directly to main branch

Custom Themes

Customize your blog's appearance by editing:

• assets/style.css — Main stylesheet
• templates/index.html — Homepage layout
• templates/post.html — Individual post layout

Analytics Integration

Add Google Analytics to track your blog traffic:

"analytics": {
  "googleAnalytics": "G-XXXXXXXXXX"
}

SEO Optimization

ListLog automatically generates:

• XML sitemap at /sitemap.xml
• RSS feed at /feed.xml
• Meta tags for social sharing
• Custom 404 error page

Performance Features

• Static files — Lightning-fast loading
• CDN-ready — Works with GitLab's global CDN
• Mobile-optimized — Responsive design
• Minimal resources — No JavaScript required for basic functionality

Common Issues

Congratulations! Your ListLog blog is now live on your custom domain. Here are some next steps:

• Write more posts — Add content regularly to build your audience
• Customize your theme — Make your blog unique with custom CSS
• Set up analytics — Track your visitors and popular content
• Optimize for SEO — Use good titles, descriptions, and keywords
• Share your content — Promote your blog on social media