How Do You Create a Multi-Part Blog Series in Jekyll

Why Would You Want a Multi-Part Blog Series in Jekyll?

You have a big idea to share—too big for one blog post. Maybe it’s a tutorial. A guide. A story in chapters. Instead of writing one overwhelming article, you want to break it into a series of related posts. That’s a smart move—for your readers and for SEO.

But how do you do that in Jekyll, especially as a beginner?

Good News: You Don’t Need to Code Anything Complex

In Jekyll, you can organize a blog series in a few simple ways. You don’t need plugins. You don’t even need JavaScript. Just clear planning, clean structure, and a bit of linking.

Two Beginner-Friendly Ways to Structure a Blog Series

Option 1: Use a Common Category or Tag

This is the easiest way. If all your posts share the same categories or tags, Jekyll (and most themes) will automatically group them.

---
title: "Part 1: Getting Started with Jekyll"
categories: [jekyll,starter-series]
---

Then continue with:

---
title: "Part 2: Customizing Your Jekyll Blog"
categories: [jekyll,starter-series]
---

Now all posts in starter-series will appear together on the same category page.

Option 2: Use Manual Links in Each Post

In each post, manually link to the previous and next parts:

<p><strong>Series Navigation:</strong></p>
<ul>
  <li><a href="/jekyll-series-part-1/">← Part 1: Introduction</a></li>
  <li><a href="/jekyll-series-part-3/">→ Part 3: Themes and Layouts</a></li>
</ul>

This gives readers a sense of direction and keeps them reading.

How to Plan Your Blog Series Before Writing

• Choose a clear main topic (e.g. “Beginner’s Guide to Jekyll”)

• Break it into logical parts (Setup, Writing, Design, Deployment)

• Use a consistent naming style (Part 1, Part 2, etc.)

Example Series Outline:

1. Part 1: Why Jekyll?
2. Part 2: Setting Up on GitHub Pages
3. Part 3: Writing Your First Post
4. Part 4: Styling Your Blog
5. Part 5: Going Live and Getting Found

Tips for Naming and Linking Posts in a Series

• Use consistent titles: Keep the format steady. (e.g. “Part 1: Title”)

• Use numbers in filenames: Helps sort in order.

2025-06-29-part-1-why-jekyll.md  
2025-06-30-part-2-setup-github.md  
2025-07-01-part-3-first-post.md

Jekyll will order them by date, and readers will stay on track.

How to Improve Navigation Across the Series

Add Previous and Next Links

You can include this at the bottom of each post manually:

<div class="series-nav">
  <a href="/jekyll-series-part-2/">← Previous: Customizing Layout</a>
  <a href="/jekyll-series-part-4/" style="float:right;">Next: Publishing Online →</a>
</div>

For beginners, static links like this are perfectly fine.

Add a Master Series Page

Create a page like /series/jekyll-beginners-guide.html that lists all parts:

## Jekyll Beginner’s Guide (5-Part Series)

1. <a href="/jekyll-series-part-1/">Why Jekyll?</a>
2. <a href="/jekyll-series-part-2/">Getting Started on GitHub Pages</a>
3. <a href="/jekyll-series-part-3/">First Blog Post</a>
...

Link to this page from every part of the series for easy access.

How This Helps Readers and SEO

• Readers stay longer, following each part

• Google sees strong internal linking and structured content

• Your site gains topical authority around the subject

Bonus: Add Estimated Reading Time for Each Part

In each post, show how long it will take. Use Liquid in the layout:

{% assign words = page.content | number_of_words %}
{% assign minutes = words | divided_by:200 %}
<span class="reading-time">Estimated: {{ minutes }} min read</span>

This sets reader expectations—important for multi-part content.

Conclusion: You Can Build a Blog Series in Jekyll Without Plugins

You don’t need JavaScript. You don’t need complicated logic. You just need to:

• Structure your content

• Link posts clearly

• Use categories or tags

The rest takes care of itself. And over time, you build a connected, professional blog experience—even as a beginner.

So if you have a big idea to share, start your series. One post at a time.