How do you structure Jekyll repos for team collaboration and maintainability

A well-structured Jekyll repository is more than just tidy—it is foundational for efficient collaboration. When multiple contributors are working on content, layouts, assets, or configuration, unclear structure leads to confusion, merge conflicts, duplicated work, and inconsistent site behavior. A clear and modular structure enables everyone to know where files belong, how components interact, and what can be safely modified.

What are the core principles when structuring a collaborative Jekyll repo?

There are five key principles to follow when building a Jekyll repo with collaboration in mind:

• Separation of concerns: Keep layouts, content, scripts, and data in their own dedicated folders.
• Minimal root directory: Reduce root-level clutter to highlight only essential project-level files.
• Self-explanatory paths: Use folder names that clearly indicate their purpose (e.g., pages/blog/ vs. pages/articles/).
• Modular includes and layouts: Keep reusable UI components in _includes and avoid bloated layout files.
• Documentation-first mindset: Every repo should contain a README and clear instructions for setup, deployment, and contribution.

What directory layout works best for teams?

Here’s a slightly advanced Jekyll structure tailored for team-based development:

/
├── _config.yml
├── _data/
├── _includes/
│   └── components/
├── _layouts/
│   ├── base.html
│   ├── post.html
│   └── page.html
├── _posts/
├── _sass/
├── assets/
│   ├── css/
│   ├── js/
│   └── images/
├── content/
│   ├── blog/
│   ├── docs/
│   └── case-studies/
├── pages/
│   ├── about.md
│   ├── contact.md
│   └── legal/
│       ├── privacy.md
│       └── terms.md
├── .gitignore
├── Gemfile
└── README.md

This structure clearly distinguishes between post-driven content (in _posts), static pages (in pages/), long-form content collections (in content/), and reusable components (in _includes/components/).

How can collections improve collaboration and structure?

Collections in Jekyll allow for scalable content models. Rather than forcing all articles into _posts, you can define specific folders for case studies, documentation, or products. This helps content writers and developers focus on their domain without navigating unrelated files.

collections:
  docs:
    output: true
  case_studies:
    output: true

Each collection behaves like a mini site section with its own templates and navigation, perfect for large teams working in parallel on different content types.

How do you manage roles and responsibilities in a structured repo?

Structure can reflect workflow boundaries:

• Content editors: Focus on _posts/, content/, and _data/.
• Frontend developers: Maintain _layouts/, _includes/, _sass/, and assets/.
• Site managers: Configure _config.yml, handle deployment, and manage the README and GitHub settings.

By matching the repo structure to your team’s roles, contributors can work without stepping on each other’s toes.

What Git practices support clean repo organization?

In addition to structural clarity, teams should enforce clean Git practices:

• Use .gitignore to avoid polluting the repo with generated files like _site.
• Adopt feature/ or content/ branch naming conventions.
• Use pull requests with code review, so structural changes are vetted.
• Tag releases to document the evolution of your site.

How does documentation fit into the structure?

The README file is your entry point. It should include:

• Overview of repo structure
• Setup and local development guide
• Deployment process (especially if using GitHub Pages)
• Contribution guidelines for content vs layout

Larger teams can move detailed developer guides into a docs/ folder and link them from the README.

What tools or automation help enforce structure?

Consider adding the following to enhance structure enforcement:

• Prettier: For consistent formatting across HTML, Markdown, and config files.
• HTMLProofer: For link checking and HTML validation.
• GitHub Actions: To automate checks on pull requests.

With these tools, the structure isn’t just convention—it’s enforced programmatically to avoid regressions.

How can site scaling impact your repo structure?

As your Jekyll site grows, you'll likely:

• Add more collections (e.g., tutorials, changelogs)
• Break templates into atomic components
• Use more data-driven layouts
• Integrate external APIs or plugins

Your initial structure must account for that potential growth. That means avoiding hardcoded paths, naming files for reuse, and planning where new features will go. A modular structure helps your team scale without re-architecture.

What is an example of poor repo structure in a team setting?

Imagine a repo where layouts, includes, and content live in the root folder. Posts are in multiple locations (_posts/, blog/, pages/), partials are duplicated, and there's no clear ownership. No one knows what custom.html does or if style-old.css is still in use.

That leads to:

• Confusion about file ownership
• High risk of accidentally deleting or overwriting files
• Long onboarding time for new team members
• Hard-to-maintain layouts and scripts

What’s the best way to document your folder usage?

Use inline comments where needed in layout files, but for general structure, create a file named structure.md or add a “Repo Structure” section in your README.md that explains:

• Purpose of each folder
• How collections and data files are organized
• Rules for adding new pages, images, or layouts

Well-documented structure is as critical as the structure itself.

Conclusion: How do teams maintain long-term scalability with Jekyll repo structure?

Successful teams treat their Jekyll repos like software products. They define clear folder roles, automate repetitive tasks, document every major decision, and ensure contributors know where to work. This prevents bottlenecks and keeps the site adaptable as features evolve, content increases, and team members change.

A scalable structure is not a one-time task—it’s a culture. Once your team embraces it, the benefits compound over time: faster onboarding, smoother updates, clearer roles, and a more maintainable website.