Troubleshooting My Jekyll GitHub Pages Site with GitHub Copilot

Creating a personal website with Jekyll and GitHub Pages can be a rewarding experience, but it’s not always smooth sailing. In this post, I’ll summarize the journey of building my GitHub Pages site, with a special focus on how I used GitHub Copilot as my troubleshooting and problem-solving partner.

Getting Started: The Basics

The goal was to set up a Jekyll-powered blog hosted on GitHub Pages. I started by creating a new repository following the naming convention for GitHub Pages, learned about the necessary configuration (_config.yml), and set up the basic folder structure including _posts for blog entries.

Navigating Common Pitfalls

1. Homepage Display Issues

One of the first challenges I faced was with the homepage not displaying as expected. After some trial and error, I realized the problem was with the front matter in my pages. Copilot quickly pointed out the correct format for front matter and how it affects page rendering.

2. Broken Links (404 Errors)

After fixing the homepage, I noticed internal links were leading to 404 errors. Copilot helped me understand the difference between url and baseurl in _config.yml, and how these settings depend on whether the site is a user/organization site or a project site. With Copilot’s guidance, I adjusted my _config.yml and updated my links to use Jekyll’s relative_url filter, ensuring they worked regardless of site location.

3. Repository Naming and Site URL

I was confused about why my site was appearing at a subpath instead of the main GitHub Pages domain. Copilot explained the difference between user/organization sites and project sites, emphasizing the importance of naming the repository correctly (username.github.io for user/org sites), and clarified the expected site URL for each scenario.

4. Creating and Publishing Blog Posts

I wanted to add new blog posts, but sometimes they wouldn’t appear on the site. Copilot provided a thorough checklist: verifying the _posts folder name, the filename convention, correct front matter, and waiting for GitHub Pages to rebuild. This step-by-step troubleshooting made it easy to spot and fix mistakes.

5. Enhancing the Blog

Once the basics were working, I asked Copilot how to add features like a to-do list app, images in blog posts, and even a comments section. Copilot provided ready-to-use code snippets and layout templates, making it simple to extend the site’s functionality.

Problem Solving with GitHub Copilot

Throughout the project, GitHub Copilot was an invaluable assistant. Here’s how it helped:

• Instant Answers: Whenever I hit a roadblock, Copilot provided clear explanations, code samples, and configuration advice.
• Troubleshooting Checklists: For every issue, Copilot gave me actionable checklists to systematically diagnose and resolve problems.
• Customization Tips: From adding images to integrating third-party comments, Copilot offered practical examples tailored to my project.
• Learning as I Build: Instead of just solving problems, Copilot explained the reasoning behind each fix, helping me learn the “why” and not just the “how.”

Conclusion

Building a Jekyll site on GitHub Pages is a fantastic way to learn about web development and static site generation. With GitHub Copilot’s help, I was able to overcome common issues quickly, understand best practices, and expand my site with new features. If you’re working on a similar project, don’t hesitate to ask Copilot for troubleshooting advice—it’s like having an expert by your side, 24/7.