explaingit

stephengrider/simple-theme

Analysis updated 2026-07-14 · repo last pushed 2015-06-19

2HTMLAudience · developerComplexity · 1/5DormantSetup · easy

TLDR

A minimal starter template for building the visual layer of a Statamic website. It gives you the essential files needed to control how your site looks and serves as a learning tool for creating custom Statamic themes.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((repo))
  What it does
    Statamic theme starter
    Controls site appearance
    Learning template structure
  Tech stack
    HTML
    Statamic CMS
    Template files
  Use cases
    Build custom site look
    Learn Statamic themes
    Small business website
  Audience
    Developers new to Statamic
    Designers learning themes
  Setup
    Move folder to directory
    Update site config
    Follow tutorial guide
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Code map

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What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Build a custom visual theme for a Statamic website starting from the bare minimum files.

USE CASE 2

Learn how Statamic themes work by studying and modifying a simple, stripped-down template.

USE CASE 3

Create a small business website with a non-default layout by adding your own styling on top of this starter.

What is it built with?

HTMLStatamic

How does it compare?

stephengrider/simple-themed4l3k/upasstakcastel/css-calculator
Stars222
LanguageHTMLHTMLHTML
Last pushed2015-06-192016-09-30
MaintenanceDormantDormant
Setup difficultyeasymoderatemoderate
Complexity1/53/54/5
Audiencedeveloperdeveloperdeveloper

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min

Requires an existing Statamic website installation to use the theme files.

No license information is provided, so default copyright restrictions may apply.

In plain English

Stephen Grider's simple-theme is a bare-bones starter template for building the visual layer of a Statamic website. If you are working with Statamic, which is a content management system for building websites, this gives you the absolute minimum files needed to control how your site looks and feels. It is meant as a learning tool rather than a polished, ready-to-use design. The project works by providing a set of template files that dictate how your web pages are structured. To use it, you move the theme folder into a specific directory on your Statamic site and then update your site's configuration file to point to the new theme. Once that is done, Statamic uses these templates to display your content instead of the default ones. This starter would be used by developers or designers who are new to Statamic and want to understand how to create a custom look for their site. For example, if you are building a small business website and want to move away from the default Statamic layout, you can use these files as a starting point, add your own styling, and see how the pieces fit together. It is essentially a sandbox for learning the ropes of the platform. The README points to a three-part tutorial by Gareth Redfern that walks through the process of building a theme from scratch. If you are trying to figure out how Statamic themes work, following that guide alongside this code is the intended path. The project does not include any complex features, styling, or extras, keeping the focus entirely on showing the required structure for a functional setup.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
Help me install Stephen Grider's simple-theme into my Statamic site. Where do I move the theme folder and what config file do I update to point to it?
Prompt 2
I want to follow Gareth Redfern's three-part theme-building tutorial using the simple-theme repo as a starting point. Walk me through the basics of how the template files in this repo control my Statamic site's appearance.
Prompt 3
I cloned the simple-theme starter for Statamic. Can you help me add basic CSS styling to these template files so my site looks different from the default Statamic layout?

Frequently asked questions

What is simple-theme?

A minimal starter template for building the visual layer of a Statamic website. It gives you the essential files needed to control how your site looks and serves as a learning tool for creating custom Statamic themes.

What language is simple-theme written in?

Mainly HTML. The stack also includes HTML, Statamic.

Is simple-theme actively maintained?

Dormant — no commits in 2+ years (last push 2015-06-19).

What license does simple-theme use?

No license information is provided, so default copyright restrictions may apply.

How hard is simple-theme to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated easy, with roughly 5min to a first successful run.

Who is simple-theme for?

Mainly developer.

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