Use this guide when your site is already published. For a first website, follow the browser tutorial instead.
Create the file
In your repository’s Code tab, choose Add file > Create new file.
Name it _posts/YYYY-MM-DD-my-first-post.md, replacing YYYY-MM-DD with today’s
date or an earlier date, such as 2026-10-13. A future date normally keeps the
post unpublished. Use a new filename so you do not replace an existing article.
Paste this complete example:
---
layout: default
header_type: post
title: "My first post"
show_date: true
---
Welcome to my blog!
## A place I visited
This is where my story begins. I can write **bold text** or add
[a link](https://example.org/).
Replace the title and article text. Keep both --- lines: they enclose the
page settings, also called front matter. Use ## for article sections;
the layout already displays the main title.
To edit a sample post instead, open its existing file and click the pencil. Preserve settings you are not changing. The Markdown cheatsheet covers lists, tables and code; Add an image covers photographs.
Publish and check
Save with Commit changes on your publishing branch. Wait for the latest run in Actions to succeed, then open your website from Settings > Pages. In the Chulapa 101 blog or personal-blog starter, follow the new article from the home-page post list. Check its title, date, sections and links.
Other site designs need a post index or a link to the published article. Post
addresses depend on your site’s permalink setting; the file path under _posts
is not its public address. Use your existing post index or generated site to
find that address, then add a menu link if needed.
If the article is missing, check its filename and date, then follow the publishing checks. For optional page settings, use the layout reference.