Edit page

Quick summary #

The edit-page shortcode renders a link that takes readers straight to the GitHub editor for the current page’s source file. It is the “Improve this page on GitHub” link that documentation sites commonly place at the foot of a page.

Because the link uses GitHub’s /edit/ URL, readers who do not have write access to the repository are automatically offered GitHub’s standard “fork this repository and propose changes” flow — no extra configuration is needed to support outside contributors.

The same behaviour is also available as the shared edit-page partial, which is what this documentation site uses to show the link automatically below every page (see How it works).

Syntax overview #

The shortcode takes no required arguments — it reads everything else from site configuration. You may optionally override the branch to edit.

Without arguments #

{{< edit-page >}}

Positional options #

{{< edit-page "development" >}}

Named options #

{{< edit-page branch="development" >}}

Do not mix positional and named options in the same call.

Parameter overview #

The repository URL, default branch, content directory, and link target are not shortcode arguments — they are set in site configuration (see Configuration notes).

Usage rules #

• Use either positional options or named options. Do not mix both styles in the same shortcode call.
• Set params.ananke.shortcodes.edit_page.repo_url. Without it the shortcode renders nothing and prints a build-time warning.
• Prefer configuring the branch site-wide; only pass the branch argument when a single page must point somewhere different.

How it works #

The link is built as {repo_url}/edit/{branch}/{content_dir}/{file path}, where the file path is the page’s source file relative to the content directory. For example, this page becomes:

https://github.com/gohugo-ananke/documentation/edit/development/content/shortcodes/edit-page.md

GitHub’s /edit/ URL does the rest:

• Readers with write access open the file directly in GitHub’s editor.
• Readers without write access are prompted to create a fork; when they save, GitHub commits to their fork and opens a pull request for them. This is GitHub’s built-in behaviour, so contributors never have to fork manually first.

When repo_url is not configured, nothing is rendered and a build-time warning names the page so the missing setting is easy to find.

Showing the link automatically #

The link logic lives in a shared edit-page partial. Besides calling it through the shortcode, you can render it automatically below the content of every page by adding a content-after hook to your project:

{{/* layouts/_partials/hooks/content-after.html */}}
{{- with .File -}}
  <footer class="mt4 pt3 bt b--moon-gray">
    {{- partials.Include "edit-page.html" $ -}}
  </footer>
{{- end -}}

This documentation site uses exactly this approach, which is why every page shows the link without anyone adding the shortcode by hand.

Intended use #

Use this shortcode (or the partial) when:

• you host your content on GitHub and want to invite contributions
• you want a consistent “improve this page” affordance at the foot of pages
• you want outside contributors to be able to propose changes without manual forking

Avoid it when:

• your content is not stored in a public GitHub repository
• the page has no source file (for example a fully generated page)

Basic examples #

Use the configured branch #

{{< edit-page >}}

Renders a link to edit this page on the branch configured in params.ananke.shortcodes.edit_page.branch.

Override the branch for one page #

{{< edit-page branch="main" >}}

Renders a link that targets the main branch instead of the configured default.

Example catalogue #

Minimal usage #

{{< edit-page >}}

Result:

A badge-styled “Improve this page on GitHub” link to the page’s source file on the configured branch.

Override the branch for one page #

{{< edit-page branch="main" >}}

Result:

The same link, but targeting the main branch instead of the configured default.

Show the link automatically below every page #

Instead of placing the shortcode in content, render the shared partial from a content-after hook:

{{/* layouts/_partials/hooks/content-after.html */}}
{{- with .File -}}
  <footer class="mt4 pt3 bt b--moon-gray">
    {{- partials.Include "edit-page.html" $ -}}
  </footer>
{{- end -}}

Result:

Every single page shows the link below its content, with no per-page shortcode. This is how this documentation site renders the link.

Common mistake: mixing positional and named options #

Do not use this:

{{< edit-page "main" branch="main" >}}

Use positional options:

{{< edit-page "main" >}}

Or use named options:

{{< edit-page branch="main" >}}

Output explanation #

This shortcode renders a single anchor styled as a badge, with the translatable label editPage (“Improve this page on GitHub” by default). The link opens in a new tab (target="_blank", with rel="noopener") unless you change params.ananke.shortcodes.edit_page.target.

Accessibility notes #

• The link is a real anchor with descriptive text, so it is announced meaningfully by assistive technology.
• By default the link opens in a new tab; the visible text makes its destination clear. Set target = false if you prefer to keep readers in the same window.

Configuration notes #

The label (“Improve this page on GitHub”) is a translatable interface string (editPage). Override it in your project’s i18n/<language>.toml rather than editing the theme — see Overriding theme interface strings.

i18n strings #

Related shortcodes #

Troubleshooting #