Introduction

I wrote zola-monoplain because I wanted a Zola theme that stays out of the way.

I like blogs where the content is the focus, pages load instantly, and the design does not fight against readability. I also wanted a theme that takes accessibility seriously and does not depend on external resources.

The result is mono/plain; a11y=true: an accessible, monospace, plain Zola theme built around content, user preferences, and privacy. It use the default Browser Stylesheet as a base and adds only what is necessary to make it work well for writing-focused sites. Default (installed) fonts and colors are preserved, and the theme is designed to be as un-opinionated as possible.

What the theme is

zola-monoplain is a theme for the Zola static site generator.

It is intentionally minimal:

• semantic HTML first
• native browser behavior where possible
• no external fonts, JavaScript, or stylesheets
• support for core blog features like posts, tags, search, and feeds

The goal is not to look flashy. The goal is to be predictable, readable, and robust.

Why I wrote it

I had three concrete reasons:

1. Accessibility by default: I wanted a theme that works well with keyboard navigation, screen readers, and user-defined browser settings.

2. Content over chrome: Less energy on visual effects. I wanted one that respects the text and helps readers stay focused.

3. Respect for users: No third-party assets, no unnecessary bloat, and no dark patterns. Just fast pages that work.

The philosophy behind it

The theme follows a simple principle:

Design should never say "Look at me." It should say "Look at this."

In practice, that means:

• respect your content
• respect your users
• respect user preferences
• respect user privacy
• respect user bandwidth

Why I still use it

I use this theme on this site because it matches how I want to publish:

• write in Markdown
• keep the stack simple
• keep the output portable and future-proof
• avoid dependencies I do not need

It is not trying to be everything for everyone. It is for people who want a straightforward, accessible default for writing-focused sites.

How it evolved

The README.md documents the core philosophy and practical setup, but the CHANGELOG.md shows how the theme grew in real usage.

Recent and notable changes include:

• language improvements for pages and posts
• feedback section support via email links
• OpenGraph image support
• custom 404 page, sitemap, robots.txt, and feed improvements

Most changes are small and incremental, which is intentional: keep backward compatibility and keep the theme lean.

What is next

The TODO.md reflects the current roadmap. The most relevant open items are:

• finish Projects and Links templates/pages
• improve search page JavaScript and taxonomy pages
• add JavaScript minification

So while the theme is stable for content-first sites today, it is still being refined step by step.

Links

• Theme repository: https://github.com/exiguus/zola-monoplain
• README: https://github.com/exiguus/zola-monoplain/blob/main/README.md
• Changelog: https://github.com/exiguus/zola-monoplain/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md
• TODO: https://github.com/exiguus/zola-monoplain/blob/main/TODO.md
• Theme documentation and demo: https://exiguus.github.io/zola-monoplain/
• Zola: https://www.getzola.org/