Documentation › Introduction to Zeno

Introduction to Zeno

Guide Tutorial

Welcome to Zeno — the blazing fast, plugin-first Markdown blog framework that makes creating beautiful blogs effortless. Whether you're a developer looking for a simple blogging solution or someone who wants complete control over their blog's functionality, Zeno is designed to get out of your way and let you focus on what matters: writing great content.

What is Zeno?

Zeno is a lightweight, JavaScript-based static site generator specifically built for blogs. It transforms your Markdown files into beautiful, fast-loading websites with minimal configuration. Think of it as the perfect balance between simplicity and power.

# It's really this simple
npx zeno-blog init my-blog
cd my-blog
zeno build
zeno serve

Unlike heavyweight frameworks that come with everything you might never need, Zeno starts minimal and grows with your requirements through its powerful plugin system.

Why Choose Zeno?

🚀 Blazing Fast

  • Zero client-side JavaScript by default
  • Optimized build process with minimal overhead
  • Static file generation for maximum performance
  • CDN-ready output that scales globally

✨ Developer-First

  • Plugin architecture — extend functionality exactly how you need it
  • Simple CLI with intuitive commands
  • Hot reload development server
  • Theme system for complete design control

📝 Content-Focused

  • Write in Markdown with frontmatter support
  • Tags and categorization built-in
  • No database required — your content is version-controlled
  • Easy migration from other platforms

🛠 Hackable & Extensible

  • Hook-based plugins for maximum flexibility
  • Component-based themes for reusability
  • Simple configuration via JSON
  • Open source and community-driven

How Zeno Works

Zeno follows a simple, predictable workflow:`

  1. Write content in Markdown files with frontmatter metadata
  2. Configure your blog with a simple JSON file
  3. Choose a theme or create your own
  4. Add plugins for extra functionality
  5. Build your blog into optimized static files
  6. Deploy anywhere — GitHub Pages, Netlify, Vercel, or your own server

Core Philosophy

Zeno is built around several core principles:

Convention over Configuration

Sensible defaults mean you can get started immediately, but everything is customizable when you need it.

Plugin-First Architecture

The core is intentionally minimal. Features are added through plugins, keeping the framework lean and focused.

Developer Experience

Fast builds, hot reloading, clear error messages, and intuitive APIs make development enjoyable.

Performance by Default

Every decision is made with performance in mind — from the build process to the generated output.

What Makes Zeno Different?

Feature Zeno Gatsby Next.js Hugo
Learning Curve Minimal Steep Medium Medium
Build Speed ⚡ Fast Slow Medium ⚡ Very Fast
Plugin System Simple hooks GraphQL-heavy Complex Go templates
JavaScript Required No Yes Yes No
Customization Theme-based Component-heavy Full-stack Template-based
Best For Blogs Complex sites Full apps Documentation

Quick Example

Here's what a typical Zeno workflow looks like:

1. Create a new blog:

npx zeno-blog init my-awesome-blog
cd my-awesome-blog

2. Write your first post:

---
title: "Hello, Zeno!"
date: "2024-09-19"
tags: "first-post, introduction"
---

# My First Zeno Post

This is incredibly easy! I can write in **Markdown** and Zeno 
handles all the heavy lifting.

```javascript
// Even code blocks work perfectly
console.log("Hello, Zeno!");


**3. Build and serve:**
```bash
zeno build
zeno serve 3000

4. Your blog is live at http://localhost:3000!

Plugin Example

Want to add Google Analytics? Just create a simple plugin:

// plugins/analytics.js
export default function analyticsPlugin(options) {
  return {
    name: 'google-analytics',
    onRenderHTML(html) {
      const script = `
        <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=${options.trackingId}"></script>
        <script>
          window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
          function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);}
          gtag('js', new Date());
          gtag('config', '${options.trackingId}');
        </script>
      `;
      return html.replace('</head>', script + '</head>');
    }
  };
}

Add it to your config:

{
  "plugins": [
    { 
      "name": "analytics", 
      "options": { "trackingId": "GA_TRACKING_ID" } 
    }
  ]
}

That's it! Analytics is now added to every page.

Who Is Zeno For?

Perfect For:

  • Developers who want a simple, hackable blogging platform
  • Technical writers who prefer Markdown over WYSIWYG editors
  • Teams who want version-controlled content
  • Performance enthusiasts who demand fast-loading sites
  • Minimalists who don't need complex CMS features

Maybe Not For:

  • Non-technical users who prefer visual editors
  • Large teams needing advanced content workflows
  • E-commerce sites requiring dynamic functionality
  • Complex web applications beyond blogging

Getting Started

Ready to dive in? Here are your next steps:

  1. Installation — Set up Zeno on your machine
  2. Configuration — Learn about zeno.config.json
  3. Themes — Understand how theming works
  4. Plugins — Extend Zeno's functionality

Community & Support

Zeno is open source and community-driven:

What's Next?

In upcoming releases, we're working on:

  • Advanced theming system with component inheritance
  • Built-in SEO optimizations and meta tag generation
  • RSS feed generation plugin
  • Image optimization pipeline
  • Deployment helpers for popular platforms
  • Content collections for organizing large sites

Ready to build something amazing? Let's get you set up with Zeno and create your first blog!

Need Help?

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