scalable knowledge base design with jekyll

Why Scalability Matters in Knowledge Base Architecture

When building a knowledge base with Jekyll, it’s tempting to focus solely on content and design. However, long-term success depends heavily on how scalable the architecture is. As the volume of articles increases, a poorly structured setup becomes unmanageable—both for users trying to find information and for contributors maintaining it.

This article explores how to create a modular, structured, and future-proof content architecture using Jekyll collections, data files, and Liquid logic, specifically tailored for deployment on GitHub Pages.

The Pitfalls of a Flat Structure

Many beginner Jekyll setups use a flat folder system with all posts or pages dumped into one or two directories. While this may work for a dozen entries, scaling to hundreds or thousands of entries results in:

• Slow build times
• Messy navigation
• Hard-to-manage categories or tags
• Poor UX due to lack of organization

The solution lies in embracing a more sophisticated file organization model, and Jekyll Collections are the backbone of that approach.

Organizing Content with Jekyll Collections

Collections allow you to group related content outside of the regular post and page structures. For example, you might have collections for:

• tutorials/
• faqs/
• api-guides/
• troubleshooting/

To enable a collection in Jekyll, define it in _config.yml like this:

collections:
  tutorials:
    output: true
  faqs:
    output: true

This allows you to create markdown files inside folders like _tutorials or _faqs, and Jekyll will treat them as content objects. You gain powerful control over sorting, filtering, and layout.

Example: Structuring a Modular Jekyll Knowledge Base

Consider the following structure:

/_tutorials/
  install-jekyll.md
  customize-theme.md

_faqs/
  setup-errors.md
  deployment-issues.md

_data/
  navigation.yml
  categories.yml

This pattern makes it easy to:

• Generate menus dynamically
• Implement tag filtering
• Maintain each section independently

Configuring Front Matter for Discoverability

Each document inside a collection should include structured front matter. A consistent schema improves filtering and search accuracy. Example front matter:

---
title: "How to Install Jekyll"
tags: [setup, installation]
category: "tutorials"
level: beginner
---

Tags and categories help group content thematically. Additional fields like level or audience can be introduced to serve specialized navigation needs.

Use Case: Multiple Audiences, One Base

Suppose you have users at different technical levels. You could use metadata to segment content:

• level: beginner
• level: intermediate
• level: advanced

Then, build filtering tools using JavaScript or Liquid to display only relevant documents.

Leveraging Layouts and Includes for Maintainability

Each collection can have its own layout template. This keeps your design DRY and maintainable. For example:

layouts/
  tutorial.html
  faq.html

Then specify the layout in the document's front matter:

layout: tutorial

Inside each layout, you can use includes like:

{% include breadcrumbs.html %}

This approach makes it easy to update the design across hundreds of articles without editing them individually.

Use Case: Updating Global Design

Let’s say you decide to move from a single-column layout to a grid-based layout. Instead of editing 200+ pages, you simply modify a layout file. This is the power of modular architecture.

Integrating Liquid Filters for Content Grouping

Liquid filters can be used to dynamically generate lists of documents based on tags, categories, or other front matter fields. For instance:

{% assign tutorials = site.tutorials | where: "level", "beginner" %}

{% for doc in tutorials %}
  
{{ doc.title }}
{% endfor %}

This logic can be used on sidebar panels, related posts, and tag navigation systems.

Building for Future Growth

Scalability means building with tomorrow in mind. Here are core principles to follow:

Principle 1: One File, One Purpose

Don’t mix multiple topics in one markdown file. Break content into small, focused pages to enhance reusability.

Principle 2: Abstract Configuration

Move all static content (menus, categories, config) into YAML files in _data. This makes them editable without touching your templates or logic.

Principle 3: Document Relationships

If articles reference each other, use front matter fields like related: ["id1", "id2"] and load them dynamically using Liquid.

Conclusion

Designing a scalable knowledge base using Jekyll collections is both an art and a science. By leveraging modular collections, structured front matter, and smart layouts, you set yourself up for a content hub that’s not only manageable today, but adaptable for years to come.

In the next article, we’ll dive deeper into how to structure documentation using Jekyll Collections—including version control, content chunking, and hierarchical flows.