Why does removing yaml front matter stop Jekyll from converting md file to html

Question

I've inherited a process that converts markdown content into html using jekyll.

If I remove the yaml front matter between ---, by client request to simplify the process for editors,

---
product: Product Name
capability: testing
infotype: Overview
audience:

---

# Testing file 2

This is another testing file.

The jekyll build doesn't convert the file.

# Testing file 2

This is another testing file.

When I have the front matter in the testing 2 file I see the following in the log when running build --verbose

Rendering: user-administration/testing-file-2.md
Pre-Render Hooks: user-administration/testing-file-2.md
Rendering Markup: user-administration/testing-file-2.md
Rendering Layout: user-administration/testing-file-2.md

but without the front matter there is no message in the log related to testing-file-2.md

This testing-file-2.md is part of a collection of other files that have metadata. They are render into an html website but not the testing-file-2.md when the metadata is removed.

Is there a way for jekyll to build and render files without front matter?

Arthur Arthur · Accepted Answer · 2018-12-18T12:36:37

Jekyll does not ignore any files. Rather, for each file, it decides whether the file is:

a static file, which can be copied as-is to the output folder (_site), or
a file to be processed first.

Markdown files (.md) are processed by kramdown and Liquid if they start with YAML frontmatter:

---
---

otherwise they are treated as static files, and copied to _site with no processing.

There is a workaround that might work for you using include_relative; but it may cause more trouble for your client's editors than it's worth, depending how they work.

You can include a static file inside a file to be processed. Your static file might be plain-text.md:

# Static text file

This is a file with no YAML frontmatter.

Then, separately, you create a markdown file with frontmatter that will include the plain-text file inside it. Say, processed-text.md:

---
---
{% include_relative plaintext.md %}

Then your plain text will be processed and appear on your site as /processed-text. Think of the file processed-text.md as a kind of template for holding plain-text.md.

You'll want to see the docs on include_relative, especially the fact that the file to be included can't be above the including file in the file system.

Why does removing yaml front matter stop Jekyll from converting md file to html

2 Answers