Troubleshooting Jekyll CSS Issues: Why Your Site Ignores CSS Rules

Описание: This guide explains why your Jekyll project may not display CSS rules when accessed directly from the file system. Learn how to properly deploy your site for optimal performance.
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This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/68616172/ asked by the user 'kludg' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/246408/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/68659528/ provided by the user 'Ross' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/5477561/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions.

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Troubleshooting Jekyll CSS Issues: Why Your Site Ignores CSS Rules

If you've recently revived an old Jekyll project and discovered that your CSS rules are being ignored when you open index.html directly from the _site folder, you're not alone. This is a common issue many developers face when switching versions or jumping back into their projects. In this post, we will break down the problem and explain the solution in a clear and structured manner.

Understanding the Issue

When you run your Jekyll site using the command:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

your site is hosted on a development web server. This mode allows your site to display correctly with all the styles applied because the server can correctly handle the file paths. However, if you manually open index.html from the _site folder in your web browser, you might notice that the CSS rules and other links do not load properly.

The Key Difference: URL Types

The main factor at play here is the difference in URL types:

When Using jekyll serve:

The URL looks like http://localhost:4000, allowing proper handling of assets and links.

When Opening index.html Directly:

The URL changes to file://, which uses file system references. This can break non-relative paths, causing CSS and other linked resources to fail.

The Solution

1. Serve Your Site Locally

It's essential to serve your site through the built-in Jekyll server when developing. This ensures that all links and CSS files are correctly resolved. To do this, simply run:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

This command not only runs your site but also allows you to view all files as they would appear when deployed.

2. Check Your Links

If you need to access your site or share it while it's in development, remember to use the proper server URL. This is especially important for links that might use absolute paths, like:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

A link like the above will not resolve properly when opened directly as a file.

3. Preparing for Deployment

When you're ready to deploy your Jekyll site to a production server, follow these steps:

Build the Site: Use the command jekyll build to generate the static files.

Backup Current Server Content: Before deploying, it's a good idea to back up any existing files on your server to avoid data loss.

Upload the Contents of _site: Ensure you are uploading only the contents of the _site folder to your server. This folder contains all the necessary files, including the CSS.

4. Test After Deployment

Once deployed, access your site using the appropriate HTTP URL (e.g., http://yourdomain.com). Verify that all CSS and links work correctly as intended.

Conclusion

In summary, the problem of Jekyll ignoring CSS rules stems from opening the HTML file directly instead of serving it through a web server. By following the outlined steps, you will ensure a smoother development experience and a successful deployment. If you've encountered this issue, remember to always utilize jekyll serve for testing and check your links accordingly!



With the right approach and a few precautions, you can smoothly navigate the potential pitfalls of working with Jekyll and enjoy a fully styled web experience.