Can I Use GitHub to Start a Blog Even If I Don’t Know Anything About Coding

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Is It Possible to Build a Blog with GitHub If I’m Not a Programmer?

Yes, and you don’t even need to understand programming. GitHub allows you to publish static websites using something called GitHub Pages. With the help of a pre-built Jekyll theme like Mediumish, you can launch a clean, fast-loading blog without writing a single line of code.

What Is GitHub in the First Place?

GitHub is an online platform where people store and manage files for coding projects. But you don’t have to be a developer to use it. If you treat GitHub like cloud storage for your blog files, you can start using it right away—even as a complete beginner.

Do I Need to Install Anything on My Computer?

No. That’s the best part. Everything can be done inside your browser. You can create an account, make a repository, upload a theme, and publish your site—all from the GitHub website without installing any tools or applications.

What’s a Repository and Why Do I Need One?

A repository (often shortened to “repo”) is where all your blog files are stored. Think of it like a Dropbox or Google Drive folder for your website. If you don’t have a repo, there’s nowhere to save your blog files—and GitHub Pages won’t have anything to publish.

How Do I Create a Repository Without Messing It Up?

Follow these safe steps:

  1. Go to github.com and log in.
  2. Click the + icon in the top bar and choose New repository.
  3. Give it a name like yourusername.github.io if you want a personal blog.
  4. Leave it public. Don’t tick the box for README yet.
  5. Click Create repository.

What Happens After I Make the Repository?

You need to put something inside it—your blog theme files. If you’re using the Mediumish theme for Jekyll, you’ll copy (or “fork”) the theme repository into your own account, then move or rename the files into your newly created repository.

How Do I Get the Mediumish Theme?

Search for a public repository that already includes the Mediumish Jekyll theme. You can find it on GitHub by searching “Jekyll Mediumish” or through curated GitHub Pages theme directories.

Here’s a Simple Method to Use the Theme:

  • Fork the theme to your account using the Fork button.
  • Rename the repo to yourusername.github.io.
  • Enable GitHub Pages in the repository’s settings.

And just like that, your site is live.

Where Does Jekyll Come In?

Jekyll is a static site generator. It converts simple text files into complete websites. GitHub has Jekyll built-in, so you don’t need to install or run anything. You just place your blog files in your repository and GitHub does the rest in the background.

How Will I Know If My Blog Is Live?

After enabling GitHub Pages, GitHub gives you a link like:

https://yourusername.github.io

Open it in your browser. If you see your theme and homepage, your blog is online!

What If I See a 404 Page?

Here are some quick checks:

  • Make sure you have an index.html or index.md in the repository.
  • Check that GitHub Pages is turned on in the Settings > Pages tab.
  • Ensure your repo is public and has the correct structure.

Do I Need to Learn Git or Markdown to Post Articles?

No. You can use GitHub’s built-in editor to create new blog posts. Blog posts go inside the _posts/ folder and look like this:

---
title: "My First Blog Post"
date: 2025-07-03
---

This is my first blog post. I’m writing it from the GitHub interface.

You can use **bold**, _italic_, and links using simple symbols. It’s like writing plain text with extra formatting.

What If I Want to Change the Look and Feel of the Blog?

You can do this by editing the _config.yml file. This is where you change your site title, author name, menu items, social media links, and more. Each setting is written in plain text and can be edited right in GitHub.

Example Settings:

title: My Blog Name
author: Your Name
description: Sharing my thoughts and experiences
baseurl: ""

Can I Use a Custom Domain Later?

Yes. GitHub Pages supports custom domains like myblog.com. You just need to add a file named CNAME with your domain name inside it, and update your domain's DNS settings. GitHub provides full documentation for this, or you can ask your domain provider for help.

How Often Can I Post?

As often as you want. You can write and publish new posts by creating a new file in the _posts/ folder, following the format YYYY-MM-DD-title.md. GitHub will rebuild your site automatically each time you commit a new post.

Conclusion

GitHub might look technical, but if you focus only on what matters, you can build a blog without any prior experience in coding. You’re using powerful developer tools—but you’re using them your way, with the help of pre-built themes, GitHub Pages, and beginner-friendly workflows.

Quick Checklist to Launch

  • ✅ Created a GitHub account
  • ✅ Made a new repository
  • ✅ Added the Mediumish Jekyll theme
  • ✅ Enabled GitHub Pages
  • ✅ Wrote your first blog post

What’s Next?

Next, we’ll walk through how to edit the look and feel of your Mediumish blog by changing fonts, colors, and layout options—without touching complex code.