Ghost

407 installs128 stars

Summary

This one's built for Ghost theme developers who want modern tooling without fighting the CMS. It covers the full stack: Handlebars templating with Ghost-specific helpers, Tailwind integration that respects Ghost's accent color system, and Alpine.js for interactive components. The source includes practical patterns for membership paywalls, responsive image optimization with Ghost's image sizing API, and proper SEO setup. What's useful here is the focus on Ghost's quirks, like the @member context for gated content and the {{#get}} helper for custom queries. If you're building custom Ghost themes beyond basic blogs, this gives you working patterns for posts, pages, tags, authors, and the membership features that Ghost is actually good at.

Install to Claude Code

npx -y skills add mindrally/skills --skill ghost --agent claude-code

Installs into .claude/skills of the current project.

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Keep your Mac awake

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One time payment $9 →

Context.dev

Integrate web data into your AI product. One API to scrape website & brand data.

Get API Key Now →

Make your agent a DeFi expert

Agent, run crypto. Access onchain data & trade routes via 1inch.

Install now →

Make money from your Skills

On Capafy, your Skill runs online 24/7 as an agent product, and you get paid every time someone uses it.

Start earning →

AppSignal

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Files

SKILL.mdView on GitHub

Ghost CMS Theme Development

You are an expert in Ghost CMS theme development, Handlebars templating, and modern frontend technologies.

Core Principles

Write semantic, accessible HTML
Use Handlebars helpers effectively
Optimize for performance and SEO
Follow Ghost theme development best practices
Create responsive, mobile-first designs

Project Structure

theme/
├── assets/
│   ├── css/
│   │   └── screen.css
│   ├── js/
│   │   └── main.js
│   └── images/
├── partials/
│   ├── header.hbs
│   ├── footer.hbs
│   └── post-card.hbs
├── default.hbs
├── index.hbs
├── post.hbs
├── page.hbs
├── tag.hbs
├── author.hbs
├── error.hbs
└── package.json

Handlebars Templating

Basic Template Structure

{{!< default}}

<main class="site-content">
  {{#foreach posts}}
    {{> post-card}}
  {{/foreach}}

  {{pagination}}
</main>

Default Layout (default.hbs)

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="{{@site.locale}}">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <title>{{meta_title}}</title>

  {{ghost_head}}

  <link rel="stylesheet" href="{{asset "css/screen.css"}}">
</head>
<body class="{{body_class}}">

  {{> header}}

  {{{body}}}

  {{> footer}}

  {{ghost_foot}}

  <script src="{{asset "js/main.js"}}"></script>
</body>
</html>

Partials

{{!-- partials/post-card.hbs --}}
<article class="post-card {{post_class}}">
  {{#if feature_image}}
    <a href="{{url}}" class="post-card-image-link">
      <img
        class="post-card-image"
        src="{{img_url feature_image size="m"}}"
        alt="{{title}}"
        loading="lazy"
      >
    </a>
  {{/if}}

  <div class="post-card-content">
    <h2 class="post-card-title">
      <a href="{{url}}">{{title}}</a>
    </h2>

    {{#if excerpt}}
      <p class="post-card-excerpt">{{excerpt words="30"}}</p>
    {{/if}}

    <footer class="post-card-meta">
      <time datetime="{{date format="YYYY-MM-DD"}}">
        {{date format="D MMM YYYY"}}
      </time>
      <span class="reading-time">{{reading_time}}</span>
    </footer>
  </div>
</article>

Ghost Helpers

Content Helpers

{{!-- Post content --}}
{{content}}

{{!-- Excerpt with word limit --}}
{{excerpt words="50"}}

{{!-- Reading time --}}
{{reading_time}}

{{!-- Featured image with responsive sizes --}}
{{img_url feature_image size="l"}}

{{!-- Date formatting --}}
{{date format="MMMM D, YYYY"}}

Conditional Helpers

{{#is "home"}}
  {{!-- Home page content --}}
{{/is}}

{{#is "post"}}
  {{!-- Single post content --}}
{{/is}}

{{#has tag="featured"}}
  <span class="featured-badge">Featured</span>
{{/has}}

{{#if @member}}
  <p>Welcome, {{@member.name}}!</p>
{{/if}}

Loop Helpers

{{#foreach posts}}
  {{!-- Access loop variables --}}
  {{#if @first}}<div class="first-post">{{/if}}
  {{> post-card}}
  {{#if @first}}</div>{{/if}}
{{/foreach}}

{{!-- Get posts with specific tag --}}
{{#get "posts" filter="tag:featured" limit="3"}}
  {{#foreach posts}}
    {{> post-card}}
  {{/foreach}}
{{/get}}

Tailwind CSS Integration

Setup

// tailwind.config.js
module.exports = {
  content: ['./**/*.hbs'],
  theme: {
    extend: {
      colors: {
        ghost: {
          accent: 'var(--ghost-accent-color)',
        },
      },
    },
  },
};

Using Ghost Accent Color

:root {
  --ghost-accent-color: {{@site.accent_color}};
}

.accent-bg {
  background-color: var(--ghost-accent-color);
}

Alpine.js Integration

<div x-data="{ open: false }">
  <button @click="open = !open">Toggle Menu</button>

  <nav x-show="open" x-transition>
    {{navigation}}
  </nav>
</div>

Membership Integration

{{#if @member}}
  {{#if @member.paid}}
    {{!-- Premium content --}}
    {{content}}
  {{else}}
    {{!-- Free member content --}}
    <p>Upgrade to access premium content</p>
  {{/if}}
{{else}}
  {{!-- Public content --}}
  <a href="#/portal/signup">Subscribe</a>
{{/if}}

SEO and Performance

Meta Tags

<head>
  {{!-- Ghost handles meta via ghost_head --}}
  {{ghost_head}}

  {{!-- Custom structured data --}}
  <script type="application/ld+json">
  {
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@type": "Blog",
    "name": "{{@site.title}}",
    "url": "{{@site.url}}"
  }
  </script>
</head>

Image Optimization

{{!-- Responsive images --}}
<img
  srcset="
    {{img_url feature_image size="s"}} 300w,
    {{img_url feature_image size="m"}} 600w,
    {{img_url feature_image size="l"}} 1000w
  "
  sizes="(max-width: 600px) 300px, (max-width: 1000px) 600px, 1000px"
  src="{{img_url feature_image size="m"}}"
  alt="{{title}}"
  loading="lazy"
>

Package.json Configuration

{
  "name": "theme-name",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "engines": {
    "ghost": ">=5.0.0"
  },
  "config": {
    "posts_per_page": 10,
    "image_sizes": {
      "s": { "width": 300 },
      "m": { "width": 600 },
      "l": { "width": 1000 },
      "xl": { "width": 2000 }
    }
  }
}

Testing

Use gscan to validate theme
Test across different Ghost versions
Check responsive behavior
Validate membership features
Test with various content types

Featured

CodeRabbit

AI writes the code. CodeRabbit catches the slop.

Try For Free →

Keep your Mac awake

Keep your Mac awake while Claude Code and 40+ AI agents run. Sleeps when they're idle.

One time payment $9 →

Context.dev

Integrate web data into your AI product. One API to scrape website & brand data.

Get API Key Now →

Make your agent a DeFi expert

Agent, run crypto. Access onchain data & trade routes via 1inch.

Install now →

Make money from your Skills

On Capafy, your Skill runs online 24/7 as an agent product, and you get paid every time someone uses it.

Start earning →

AppSignal

Monitor with ease. Code with confidence.

Start Free Trial →

First SeenJun 3, 2026

View on GitHub

Ghost CMS Theme Development

You are an expert in Ghost CMS theme development, Handlebars templating, and modern frontend technologies.

Core Principles

Write semantic, accessible HTML
Use Handlebars helpers effectively
Optimize for performance and SEO
Follow Ghost theme development best practices
Create responsive, mobile-first designs

Project Structure

theme/
├── assets/
│   ├── css/
│   │   └── screen.css
│   ├── js/
│   │   └── main.js
│   └── images/
├── partials/
│   ├── header.hbs
│   ├── footer.hbs
│   └── post-card.hbs
├── default.hbs
├── index.hbs
├── post.hbs
├── page.hbs
├── tag.hbs
├── author.hbs
├── error.hbs
└── package.json

Handlebars Templating

Basic Template Structure

{{!< default}}

<main class="site-content">
  {{#foreach posts}}
    {{> post-card}}
  {{/foreach}}

  {{pagination}}
</main>

Default Layout (default.hbs)

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="{{@site.locale}}">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <title>{{meta_title}}</title>

  {{ghost_head}}

  <link rel="stylesheet" href="{{asset "css/screen.css"}}">
</head>
<body class="{{body_class}}">

  {{> header}}

  {{{body}}}

  {{> footer}}

  {{ghost_foot}}

  <script src="{{asset "js/main.js"}}"></script>
</body>
</html>

Partials

{{!-- partials/post-card.hbs --}}
<article class="post-card {{post_class}}">
  {{#if feature_image}}
    <a href="{{url}}" class="post-card-image-link">
      <img
        class="post-card-image"
        src="{{img_url feature_image size="m"}}"
        alt="{{title}}"
        loading="lazy"
      >
    </a>
  {{/if}}

  <div class="post-card-content">
    <h2 class="post-card-title">
      <a href="{{url}}">{{title}}</a>
    </h2>

    {{#if excerpt}}
      <p class="post-card-excerpt">{{excerpt words="30"}}</p>
    {{/if}}

    <footer class="post-card-meta">
      <time datetime="{{date format="YYYY-MM-DD"}}">
        {{date format="D MMM YYYY"}}
      </time>
      <span class="reading-time">{{reading_time}}</span>
    </footer>
  </div>
</article>

Ghost Helpers

Content Helpers

{{!-- Post content --}}
{{content}}

{{!-- Excerpt with word limit --}}
{{excerpt words="50"}}

{{!-- Reading time --}}
{{reading_time}}

{{!-- Featured image with responsive sizes --}}
{{img_url feature_image size="l"}}

{{!-- Date formatting --}}
{{date format="MMMM D, YYYY"}}

Conditional Helpers

{{#is "home"}}
  {{!-- Home page content --}}
{{/is}}

{{#is "post"}}
  {{!-- Single post content --}}
{{/is}}

{{#has tag="featured"}}
  <span class="featured-badge">Featured</span>
{{/has}}

{{#if @member}}
  <p>Welcome, {{@member.name}}!</p>
{{/if}}

Loop Helpers

{{#foreach posts}}
  {{!-- Access loop variables --}}
  {{#if @first}}<div class="first-post">{{/if}}
  {{> post-card}}
  {{#if @first}}</div>{{/if}}
{{/foreach}}

{{!-- Get posts with specific tag --}}
{{#get "posts" filter="tag:featured" limit="3"}}
  {{#foreach posts}}
    {{> post-card}}
  {{/foreach}}
{{/get}}

Tailwind CSS Integration

Setup

// tailwind.config.js
module.exports = {
  content: ['./**/*.hbs'],
  theme: {
    extend: {
      colors: {
        ghost: {
          accent: 'var(--ghost-accent-color)',
        },
      },
    },
  },
};

Using Ghost Accent Color

:root {
  --ghost-accent-color: {{@site.accent_color}};
}

.accent-bg {
  background-color: var(--ghost-accent-color);
}

Alpine.js Integration

<div x-data="{ open: false }">
  <button @click="open = !open">Toggle Menu</button>

  <nav x-show="open" x-transition>
    {{navigation}}
  </nav>
</div>

Membership Integration

{{#if @member}}
  {{#if @member.paid}}
    {{!-- Premium content --}}
    {{content}}
  {{else}}
    {{!-- Free member content --}}
    <p>Upgrade to access premium content</p>
  {{/if}}
{{else}}
  {{!-- Public content --}}
  <a href="#/portal/signup">Subscribe</a>
{{/if}}

SEO and Performance

Meta Tags

<head>
  {{!-- Ghost handles meta via ghost_head --}}
  {{ghost_head}}

  {{!-- Custom structured data --}}
  <script type="application/ld+json">
  {
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@type": "Blog",
    "name": "{{@site.title}}",
    "url": "{{@site.url}}"
  }
  </script>
</head>

Image Optimization

{{!-- Responsive images --}}
<img
  srcset="
    {{img_url feature_image size="s"}} 300w,
    {{img_url feature_image size="m"}} 600w,
    {{img_url feature_image size="l"}} 1000w
  "
  sizes="(max-width: 600px) 300px, (max-width: 1000px) 600px, 1000px"
  src="{{img_url feature_image size="m"}}"
  alt="{{title}}"
  loading="lazy"
>

Package.json Configuration

{
  "name": "theme-name",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "engines": {
    "ghost": ">=5.0.0"
  },
  "config": {
    "posts_per_page": 10,
    "image_sizes": {
      "s": { "width": 300 },
      "m": { "width": 600 },
      "l": { "width": 1000 },
      "xl": { "width": 2000 }
    }
  }
}

Testing

Use gscan to validate theme
Test across different Ghost versions
Check responsive behavior
Validate membership features
Test with various content types

Ghost

Install to Claude Code

Ghost CMS Theme Development

Core Principles

Project Structure

Handlebars Templating

Basic Template Structure

Default Layout (default.hbs)

Partials

Ghost Helpers

Content Helpers

Conditional Helpers

Loop Helpers

Tailwind CSS Integration

Setup

Using Ghost Accent Color

Alpine.js Integration

Membership Integration

SEO and Performance

Meta Tags

Image Optimization

Package.json Configuration

Testing

Ghost

Install to Claude Code

Ghost CMS Theme Development

Core Principles

Project Structure

Handlebars Templating

Basic Template Structure

Default Layout (default.hbs)

Partials

Ghost Helpers

Content Helpers

Conditional Helpers

Loop Helpers

Tailwind CSS Integration

Setup

Using Ghost Accent Color

Alpine.js Integration

Membership Integration

SEO and Performance

Meta Tags

Image Optimization

Package.json Configuration

Testing

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