Question 1

What is YAML front matter?

Accepted Answer

YAML front matter is a block of metadata at the very top of a Markdown file, enclosed by triple-dash lines (---). It stores fields like title, date, tags and author that static site generators like Jekyll, Hugo, Eleventy and Astro read to build pages, archives and feeds.

Question 2

Which static site generators support front matter?

Accepted Answer

Jekyll, Hugo, Eleventy (11ty), Astro, Gatsby, Next.js (MDX), VuePress, Docusaurus, Hexo, MkDocs, Pelican and most modern static site generators all support YAML front matter. The fields each one reads vary, but the syntax is identical.

Question 3

How is YAML different from JSON for front matter?

Accepted Answer

YAML is more readable than JSON — no quotes needed for most strings, no braces, supports arrays with simple dashes, and allows comments. JSON front matter exists (enclosed in {{{ }}}) but YAML is the de-facto standard for Markdown files.

Question 4

Is this front matter generator free?

Accepted Answer

Yes, completely free with no signup. Everything is generated locally in your browser — no data is uploaded.