Publishing Workflow

Publishing Workflow

This repository uses a lightweight publishing workflow for Blackthorn Field Notes.

Branches

main = production / live GitHub Pages site
develop = staging / testing branch
feature/* = individual changes or experiments

Standard Flow

For larger site changes:

feature branch → develop → main

Examples of larger changes:

  • Layout changes
  • CSS changes
  • Navigation changes
  • Accessibility features
  • Read-aloud changes
  • Homepage redesigns
  • Category/template changes
  • JavaScript changes

Publishing Posts

For normal article publishing, posts may go through either:

post branch → main

or:

post branch → develop → main

Use develop when the post depends on new layout, category, accessibility, or styling behavior that needs testing first.

Pull Requests

Pull requests should pass the required build check before merging.

Required check:

build

Workflow name:

Jekyll build check

Main Branch Rules

The main branch is the live site. It should remain protected.

Recommended protections:

  • Block force pushes
  • Restrict deletions
  • Require the build status check
  • Use pull requests for substantial changes

Develop Branch Rules

The develop branch is for staging and testing.

Recommended protections:

  • Block force pushes
  • Restrict deletions
  • Require the build status check

QA Before Merging to Main

Before merging site changes to main, check:

  • Build passes
  • Homepage still loads
  • Post pages still load
  • Navigation works on mobile and desktop
  • Dark/light mode still works
  • Read-aloud controls still work on posts
  • Share and Save as PDF still work
  • Contact/support/subscribe links still work
  • No secrets or private information were added

Notes

GitHub Pages publishes from main. Treat anything merged to main as live production content.