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Why I wrote zola-monoplain

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A screenshot of the zola-monoplain theme, showing a clean, readable layout with a focus on content. The design is minimalistic, with a monospace font and a neutral color scheme, emphasizing accessibility and user preferences.

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The philosophy and motivation behind the zola-monoplain theme for Zola static site generator

A screenshot of the zola-monoplain theme, showing a clean, readable layout with a focus on content. The design is minimalistic, with a monospace font and a neutral color scheme, emphasizing accessibility and user preferences.

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 uses 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.

Feedback

Have thoughts or experiences you'd like to share? I'd love to hear from you! Whether you agree, disagree, or have a different perspective, your feedback is always welcome. Drop me an email and let's start a conversation.

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