How to Create Your Own LinkTree with Python and GitHub Pages

I stumbled upon an article by Lucas Neves Pereira titled "Build your own LinkTree with Go and GitHub Pages". The article describes how to create a LinkTree-like page (Taplink) using Go. As a Python enthusiast, I decided to implement the project in Python. Here’s what I came up with.

Step 1: Preparing the Project File Structure

First, let's create the file structure for our project. We’ll organize it to be easily maintainable and deployable on GitHub Pages.

File Structure:

/ (root)
|-- /docs
|   |-- index.html
|   |-- /assets
|       |-- (styles, scripts, icons, etc.)
|-- config.yml
|-- generate_site.py
|-- /themes

/docs: This folder will hold the generated HTML files and all necessary assets (images, styles, scripts). This folder will be used for deployment on GitHub Pages.
config.yml: Configuration file containing all data for personalizing the site.
generate_site.py: Python script that will generate the site based on data from config.yml.
/themes: Folder containing themes for the site. In our case, it has a single custom theme that includes HTML templates, styles, scripts, and images.

Step 2: Configuring the Configuration File (`config.yml`)

The config.yml file contains user data and links that will be displayed on the site. Here’s its content:

name: "King Triton"
picture: "assets/img/picture.jpg"
bio: "Programmer python and php/laravel"
meta:
  lang: "en"
  description: "Programmer python and php/laravel"
  title: "King Triton"
  author: "King Triton"
  siteUrl: "https://king-tri-ton.github.io"
links:
  - name: "Github"
    url: "https://github.com/king-tri-ton"
  - name: "Dev.to"
    url: "https://dev.to/king_triton"
  - name: "Patreon"
    url: "https://www.patreon.com/king_triton"
  - name: "Telegram"
    url: "https://t.me/king_triton"
  - name: "Instagram"
    url: "https://www.instagram.com/king_tri_ton"
theme: "custom"

name: The user’s name that will be displayed on the site.
picture: Path to the user’s image.
bio: A brief biography of the user.
meta: Site metadata (language, description, title, author, site URL).
links: List of links to be displayed on the site. Each item includes a name and URL.
theme: The site theme to use.

Step 3: Developing the Python Script to Generate the Site (`generate_site.py`)

Next, we’ll write a Python script that will use the theme template, data from config.yml, and generate the HTML file.

import os
import shutil
from jinja2 import Environment, FileSystemLoader
import yaml

# Load configuration
with open('config.yml', 'r') as config_file:
    config = yaml.safe_load(config_file)

# Create output directory
output_dir = 'docs'
os.makedirs(output_dir, exist_ok=True)

# Set up Jinja2
env = Environment(loader=FileSystemLoader('themes/custom'))
template = env.get_template('index.html')

# Generate HTML file
output_html = template.render(config=config)
with open(os.path.join(output_dir, 'index.html'), 'w') as fh:
    fh.write(output_html)

# Copy assets folder to output directory
assets_source = os.path.join('themes', config['theme'], 'assets')
assets_dest = os.path.join(output_dir, 'assets')
if os.path.exists(assets_source):
    shutil.copytree(assets_source, assets_dest, dirs_exist_ok=True)

print("Site generated successfully.")

Loading configuration: The script loads data from config.yml.
Creating output directory: The docs folder is created automatically if it doesn’t exist.
Setting up Jinja2: Jinja2 is used to load the HTML template and render the content.
Generating HTML file: The script generates index.html using the configuration data and saves it in the docs folder.
Copying assets: All assets (CSS, images, scripts) are copied to the docs/assets folder.

Step 4: Creating the Theme and Assets

Now, create the theme that will be used for the site. In the themes/custom/ folder, there should be the following files:

`themes/custom/index.html`

This is the main HTML template for the site, using variables from the configuration file.

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="{{ config.meta.lang }}">
<head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
    <meta name="description" content="{{ config.meta.description }}">
    <title>{{ config.meta.title }}</title>
    <meta name="author" content="{{ config.meta.author }}">
    <link rel="canonical" href="{{ config.meta.siteUrl }}">
    <link rel="icon" type="image/x-icon" href="assets/icons/favicon.ico">
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="assets/css/styles.css">
    <meta property="og:title" content="{{ config.meta.title }}">
    <meta property="og:site_name" content="{{ config.meta.title }}">
    <meta property="og:description" content="{{ config.meta.description }}">
    <meta property="og:locale" content="{{ config.meta.lang }}">
    <meta name="twitter:title" content="{{ config.meta.title }}">
    <meta name="twitter:description" content="{{ config.meta.description }}">
</head>
<body>
    <header>
        <img src="{{ config.picture }}" alt="Picture" class="avatar">
        <h1>{{ config.name }}</h1>
        <small class="bio">{{ config.bio }}</small>
    </header>
    <main>
        <section class="links">
            {% for link in config.links %}
            <a class="link-item" href="{{ link.url }}" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">
                <p>{{ link.name }}</p>
            </a>
            {% endfor %}
        </section>
    </main>
    <footer>
        <small>© <span class="year"></span> {{ config.meta.author }}</small>
    </footer>
    <script src="assets/js/script.js"></script>
</body>
</html>

`themes/custom/assets/styles.css`

CSS file for styling the page.

/* CSS Reset */
* {
  margin: 0;
  padding: 0;
  box-sizing: border-box;
}

/* Variables */
:root {
  --max-width: 600px;
  --font-family: 'Inter', sans-serif;
  --padding: 1rem;
  --header-margin-bottom: 1rem;
  --line-height: 2;
  --font-size: 16px;

  --primary-color-light: #ffffff;
  --background-color-light: #f0f0f0;
  --text-color-light: #333;
  --link-color-light: #1a73e8;
  --bio-color-light: #666;

  --primary-color-dark: #1e1e1e;
  --background-color-dark: #121212;
  --text-color-dark: #e0e0e0;
  --link-color-dark: #8ab4f8;
  --bio-color-dark: #aaa;
}

/* Light Theme */
@media (prefers-color-scheme: light) {
  :root {
    --primary-color: var(--primary-color-light);
    --background-color: var(--background-color-light);
    --text-color: var(--text-color-light);
    --link-color: var(--link-color-light);
    --bio-color: var(--bio-color-light);
  }
}

/* Dark Theme */
@media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) {
  :root {
    --primary-color: var(--primary-color-dark);
    --background-color: var(--background-color-dark);
    --text-color: var(--text-color-dark);
    --link-color: var(--link-color-dark);
    --bio-color: var(--bio-color-dark);
  }
}

/* Global Styles */
html {
  font-family: var(--font-family);
  font-size: var(--font-size);
  line-height: var(--line-height);
}

body {
  max-width: var(--max-width);
  min-height: 100vh;
  margin: 0 auto;
  display: flex;
  flex-direction: column;
  align-items: center;
  background-color: var(--background-color);
  color: var(--text-color);
  padding: var(--padding);
}

/* Header Styles */
header {
  padding: var(--padding) 0;
  margin-bottom: var(--header-margin-bottom);
  width: 100%;
  display: flex;
  flex-direction: column;
  justify-content: center;
  align-items: center;
  text-align: center;
}

.avatar {
  width: 100px;
  height: 100px;
  border-radius: 50%;
  object-fit: cover;
  border: 2px solid var(--primary-color);
  box-shadow: 0 4px 8px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);
}

h1 {
  font-size: 24px;
  margin-bottom: 0.5rem;
}

.bio {
  font-size: 14px;
  color: var(--bio-color);
  margin-bottom: 1rem;
}

/* Main Content Styles */
main {
  width: 100%;
  flex: 1;
}

.links {
  display: flex;
  flex-direction: column;
  gap: 1rem;
  text-align: center;
  overflow-y: auto;
  max-height: 400px;
}

.link-item {
  display: block;
  padding: 16px 20px;
  text-decoration: none;
  color: var(--link-color);
  background: var(--primary-color);
  border-radius: 12px;
  border: 1px solid var(--link-color);
  transition: background-color 0.25s, color 0.25s;
}

.link-item:hover,
.link-item:focus {
  background-color: var(--link-color);
  color: var(--primary-color);
}

.link-item p {
  line-height: 1.5;
  font-weight: 500;
}

/* Footer Styles */
footer {
  width: 100%;
  text-align: center;
  padding: 1rem 0;
  font-size: 14px;
  gap: 1rem;
  display: flex;
  justify-content: center;
  align-items: center;
}

/* ScrollBar */
::-webkit-scrollbar {
  width: 5px;
}

::-webkit-scrollbar-track {
  background: transparent;
}

::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb {
  background: transparent;
}

::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb:hover {
  background: transparent;
}

`themes/custom/assets/js/script.js`

JavaScript file for basic functionalities.

console.log("scripts loaded");

const yearDate = new Date().getFullYear().toString();
document.querySelector(".year").innerText = yearDate;

`themes/custom/assets/img/picture.jpg`

The photo used as the avatar.

Step 5: Generating the Site

After creating all the files, run the generate_site.py script to generate the site:

python generate_site.py

The site will be generated in the docs folder.

Step 6: Deploying on GitHub Pages

Create a new repository on GitHub.
Upload all files, including the docs folder, to the repository.
Go to the repository’s Settings section.
In the Pages section, select the master branch and the /docs folder as the source.
Save changes and wait for GitHub Pages to deploy your site.

Your site will now be available at https://<username>.github.io/<repository-name>/.

And that’s it! You now have your own LinkTree-style site created with Python and deployed on GitHub Pages. You can check the final result at https://king-tri-ton.github.io/pythonpagelink/.

Build your own LinkTree (Taplink) with Python and GitHub Pages

How to Create Your Own LinkTree with Python and GitHub Pages

Step 1: Preparing the Project File Structure

Step 2: Configuring the Configuration File (config.yml)

Step 3: Developing the Python Script to Generate the Site (generate_site.py)

Step 4: Creating the Theme and Assets

themes/custom/index.html

themes/custom/assets/styles.css

themes/custom/assets/js/script.js

themes/custom/assets/img/picture.jpg