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Chirpy Categories and Tags: How to Organize Your Jekyll Blog Like a Pro

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By Ranger
7 min read
Chirpy Categories and Tags: How to Organize Your Jekyll Blog Like a Pro

Why Organization Matters

When I started blogging, I just threw posts up without thinking about structure. Big mistake! As your blog grows, finding content becomes a nightmare - both for you and your readers.

Today I reorganized all my GitHub-related posts under a single GitHub category, and the difference is remarkable. Let me show you how categories and tags work in Chirpy and why they’re essential for a professional blog.

Categories vs. Tags: What’s the Difference?

graph TD
    A[Blog Post] --> B[Categories]
    A --> C[Tags]
    B --> D[Hierarchical<br/>2 levels max]
    C --> E[Flat<br/>Multiple allowed]
    D --> F[Primary: GitHub<br/>Secondary: Tools]
    E --> G[git, version-control,<br/>cheatsheet, commands]

    style B fill:#f9f,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px
    style C fill:#bbf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px

Categories

  • Hierarchical - Maximum 2 levels (Parent/Child)
  • Broad groupings - Think of them as folders
  • Limited - Each post has exactly one category pair
  • URL structure - Creates /categories/github/

Example:

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categories: [GitHub, Tools]
#             ↑        ↑
#          Primary  Secondary

Tags

  • Flat structure - No hierarchy
  • Descriptive keywords - What the post is about
  • Multiple allowed - As many as relevant (but don’t go crazy)
  • Discoverable - Helps readers find related content

Example:

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tags: [git, version-control, cheatsheet, github, commands]

Front Matter Basics

Every Chirpy post starts with front matter - YAML between triple dashes:

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---
title: "Your Post Title"
date: 2025-11-17 12:00:00 +0000
categories: [Primary, Secondary]
tags: [tag1, tag2, tag3]
pin: false
math: false
mermaid: false
---

Key Fields Explained

FieldPurposeExample
titlePost title (in quotes)"My Awesome Post"
datePublication date/time2025-11-17 01:00:00 +0000
categories2-level hierarchy[GitHub, Tools]
tagsKeywords (lowercase)[git, tutorial, beginner]
pinStick to top of homepagetrue or false
mathEnable math equationstrue or false
mermaidEnable diagramstrue or false

Important Time Tip: Always use 01:00:00 +0000 as your default time! Jekyll skips posts with future timestamps, so using 1:00 AM ensures your post is ALWAYS in the past and will display immediately.

Organizing with Categories

My Category Strategy

I organize by primary topic and content type:

PrimarySecondaryUse For
GitHubToolsGit cheatsheets, utilities
GitHubGuidesStep-by-step tutorials
GitHubTroubleshootingError fixes, common mistakes
GitHubDeploymentHosting, CI/CD
SecurityToolsPython scripts, automation
BloggingChirpyBlog setup, customization
HackTheBoxEasy/Medium/HardCTF writeups

Real Example: Reorganizing GitHub Posts

I had these posts scattered across categories:

Before:

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# Post 1
categories: [Development, Tools]

# Post 2
categories: [Development, Tools]

# Post 3
categories: [Blogging, Chirpy]

After:

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# Post 1: Git Commands Cheatsheet
categories: [GitHub, Tools]

# Post 2: Git Authentication Errors
categories: [GitHub, Troubleshooting]

# Post 3: GitHub Pages Deployment
categories: [GitHub, Deployment]

# Post 4: GitHub Releases Guide
categories: [GitHub, Guides]

Now all GitHub content lives under /categories/github/ - one click to see everything!

Tagging Best Practices

Do’s ✅

  1. Use lowercase - git not Git
  2. Be specific - python3 not just programming
  3. Be consistent - Pick one: github-pages or github_pages (stick with it)
  4. Use common terms - What would people search for?
  5. Limit to 5-8 tags - Focused, not exhaustive

Don’ts ❌

  1. Don’t duplicate category - If category is GitHub, don’t add tag github-category
  2. Don’t over-tag - 20 tags = noise, not signal
  3. Don’t be too broad - code is useless, python-automation is helpful
  4. Don’t use spaces - version-control not version control

Tag Examples by Post Type

Git Tutorial:

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tags: [git, version-control, cheatsheet, commands, beginner]

Python Tool:

1

tags: [python, automation, tkinter, pygame, cross-platform]

Error Fix:

1

tags: [git, github, authentication, troubleshooting, errors, ssh]

HTB Writeup:

1

tags: [htb, linux, privesc, web, enumeration, nmap]

How Chirpy Uses Categories & Tags

Auto-Generated Pages

Chirpy automatically creates:

  • /categories/ - Lists all categories
  • /categories/github/ - All posts in GitHub category
  • /tags/ - Lists all tags
  • /tags/git/ - All posts tagged with git

No configuration needed - just use consistent naming!

Your sidebar shows:

  • Categories (hierarchical tree)
  • Tags (cloud or list)
  • Archives (by date)

SEO Benefits

  • Clean URLs: /categories/github/guides/
  • Better indexing by search engines
  • Users find related content easily

Practical Example: Creating a New Category

Let’s say you want to create a GitHub category for all git-related content.

Step 1: Update Post Front Matter

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---
title: "Git Commands Cheatsheet"
date: 2025-11-17 05:00:00 +0000
categories: [GitHub, Tools]  # ← New category!
tags: [git, commands, cheatsheet]
---

Step 2: That’s It!

Seriously. Chirpy auto-generates the category page when you build. No additional files needed.

Step 3: Verify

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bundle exec jekyll serve
# Visit: http://127.0.0.1:4000/categories/
# Click on "GitHub" - see all your posts!

My Current Blog Structure

Here’s how I’ve organized my growing blog:

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Categories:
├── GitHub/
│   ├── Tools (cheatsheets, utilities)
│   ├── Guides (tutorials, how-tos)
│   ├── Troubleshooting (errors, fixes)
│   └── Deployment (CI/CD, hosting)
├── Security/
│   └── Tools (Python scripts, automation)
├── Blogging/
│   └── Chirpy (setup, customization)
└── HackTheBox/
    ├── Easy
    ├── Medium
    └── Hard

Each category groups related content, making navigation intuitive.

Tips for Beginners

1. Start Simple

Don’t overthink it. Begin with:

  • 3-4 main categories
  • 5-6 tags per post
  • Expand as needed

2. Be Consistent

Once you pick a naming scheme, stick with it:

  • GitHub not sometimes Git or Version-Control
  • python not sometimes Python or py

3. Think Like Your Reader

What would they search for? What makes sense to group together?

4. Review Periodically

As your blog grows, you might need to:

  • Split large categories
  • Merge small ones
  • Rename for clarity

I just did this with my GitHub posts - better late than never!

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Too Many Categories

❌ Bad:

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categories: [Programming, Development, Coding, Software, Tech]

✅ Good:

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categories: [Development, Tools]

2. Inconsistent Capitalization

❌ Bad:

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# Post 1
tags: [Git, GitHub, version-control]

# Post 2
tags: [git, github, Version-Control]

✅ Good:

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# Both posts
tags: [git, github, version-control]

3. Forgetting the Array Syntax

❌ Bad:

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categories: GitHub, Tools
tags: git, commands

✅ Good:

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categories: [GitHub, Tools]
tags: [git, commands]

Quick Reference

Front Matter Template

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---
title: "Your Post Title Here"
date: 2025-11-17 01:00:00 +0000  # Always use 01:00:00 - safe default!
categories: [Primary, Secondary]
tags: [tag1, tag2, tag3, lowercase, hyphenated]
pin: false
math: false
mermaid: false
---

Remember: Use 01:00:00 +0000 to avoid future-date issues!

Category Naming

  • Use Title Case: GitHub, Security, HackTheBox
  • Maximum 2 levels: [Primary, Secondary]
  • Be broad but meaningful

Tag Naming

  • Use lowercase: git, python, linux
  • Use hyphens: version-control, github-pages
  • Be specific and searchable

Conclusion

Organizing your blog with categories and tags isn’t just about looking professional - it’s about respecting your readers’ time. When someone lands on your blog, they should be able to find related content instantly.

Today I learned this firsthand by grouping all my GitHub posts under one category. Now readers interested in version control can find everything in one place.

Key takeaways:

  1. Categories = Broad folders (2 levels max)
  2. Tags = Specific keywords (5-8 per post)
  3. Be consistent with naming
  4. Chirpy auto-generates navigation pages
  5. Review and reorganize as your blog grows

Your future self (and your readers) will thank you!

Further Reading: GitHub Category Posts

Now that all my GitHub content is organized, check out these posts:

All of these posts now live under the GitHub category, demonstrating the power of good organization!

External Resources

Blogging, Chirpy
jekyll chirpy categories tags organization tutorial blogging
This post is licensed under CC BY 4.0 by the author.