How to Create a Personal Blog with Hugo and PaperMod 🚀

Setting up a fast, minimalist blog with Hugo and PaperMod is easier than you think. Whether you’re writing tutorials, sharing your journey, or just want a place to think in public—this guide will help you spin up your site in no time.

🛠 Prerequisites

  • Install Hugo (version ≥ v0.112.4)
  • Git installed on your system

1. Create a New Hugo Site

Open your terminal and run:

hugo new site MyFreshWebsite --format yaml
# Replace 'MyFreshWebsite' with your preferred site name
cd MyFreshWebsite

2. Install PaperMod Theme

Add PaperMod as a Git submodule:

git submodule add --depth=1 https://github.com/adityatelange/hugo-PaperMod.git themes/PaperMod
git submodule update --init --recursive
git submodule update --remote --merge

3. Set the Theme

Open your hugo.yml file and set the theme:

theme: ["PaperMod"]

To get started with a working structure, copy the exampleSite:

cp -r themes/PaperMod/exampleSite/* .

Then customize your content, settings, and config to suit your style.

5. Run Your Site Locally 🧪

hugo server -D

Navigate to http://localhost:1313 to see your blog in action.

✅ You’re Done

You now have a clean, blazing-fast blog powered by Hugo and styled with the elegant PaperMod theme.

Source & credits: PaperMod Wiki – Installation