Can You Learn to Code by Blogging with Jekyll

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Is Jekyll a Good Way to Learn Basic Coding While Blogging?

You’re not a developer. You just want to write. But deep down, you’re curious—how does a website work? How can I tweak the design? Can I learn a bit of coding just by using a tool like Jekyll?

Good news: **you can.** Jekyll is one of the most beginner-friendly ways to ease into real-world coding concepts, without needing to "learn programming" in the traditional sense.

Why Jekyll Is Great for Code-Curious Beginners

Unlike platforms that hide the code (like Medium or WordPress.com), Jekyll gives you access to the core of your website. It encourages you to explore, edit, and learn. And the best part? You learn by doing.

You Don’t Have to Be a Developer to Understand HTML and CSS

Every website runs on HTML, CSS, and a bit of logic. Jekyll shows you how they connect:

  • HTML: the content and structure (headings, paragraphs, links)

  • CSS: the design and layout (fonts, colors, spacing)

  • Liquid: simple logic tags like {{ page.title }}

With Jekyll, you can learn all of these step by step—just by managing your blog.

Examples of Coding You’ll Learn Through Blogging on Jekyll

1. Editing Headings and Content in Markdown

You’ll get comfortable with Markdown and see how it converts to HTML. For example: 


## This becomes an <h2> heading
[Visit my site](https://example.com)

2. Customizing HTML Templates

Want to change the order of things on your post page? You’ll peek into files like post.html inside _layouts, and you’ll start to recognize: 


<article>
  <h2>{{ page.title }}</h2>
  <p>{{ content }}</p>
</article>

This is real HTML, and you're editing it!

3. Learning CSS the Practical Way

Want to change your font size? Color scheme? Button hover effect? You’ll find your way to main.scss or style.css, and start editing like: 


body {
  font-family: 'Helvetica', sans-serif;
  background: #fdfdfd;
  color: #222;
}

You’re not building a design system—but you’re learning what CSS does by changing how your blog looks.

Why This Coding Exposure Is Different (and Better)

Unlike tutorials that teach theory, Jekyll shows you results instantly. You tweak something, push to GitHub, reload—and you see your change. That feedback loop builds understanding and confidence.

No Setup Needed

You don’t need a local server or complicated dev environment. You edit your blog files directly on GitHub’s web interface. All you need is:

  • GitHub account

  • Browser

  • A Jekyll theme (like Mediumish)

Small Pieces of Code You Control

You won’t be writing JavaScript from scratch. You’ll start by recognizing patterns: 


{{ site.title }}
{% include footer.html %}

You’ll soon understand what these mean—and how they control your site.

What You Can Learn in Your First Month Blogging with Jekyll

  • How HTML wraps your content (tags like <p>, <h2>, <a>)

  • How CSS changes your layout and typography

  • How Liquid tags inject dynamic data into static templates

  • How metadata is used for SEO and site structure

Why Beginners Shouldn’t Be Afraid of Code in Jekyll

Because it’s not "code" in the scary sense. You’re not writing algorithms or fixing bugs. You’re editing templates, adjusting layout, and learning how content becomes a real page. You learn what really matters on the web.

Ready to Try? Here’s Where to Start

  1. Fork a Mediumish Jekyll theme on GitHub

  2. Write your first post using Markdown

  3. Edit your blog title in _config.yml

  4. Customize your header color in main.scss

  5. Preview changes live via GitHub Pages

Conclusion: Jekyll Lets You Blog and Learn Coding at the Same Time

You don’t have to choose between blogging and learning to code. With Jekyll, they come together. Every time you post, you’re learning how a real website works. Every time you tweak a layout, you're gaining HTML confidence. Every time you publish, you build both content and skill.

So if you want to write—and learn—Jekyll is the perfect playground.