Hugo's Lookup Order

Hugo searches for the layout to use for a given page in a well defined order, starting from the most specific.

Hugo Layouts Lookup Rules

Hugo takes the parameters listed below into consideration when choosing a layout for a given page. They are listed in a priority order. This should feel natural, but look at the table below for concrete examples of the different parameter variations.

Kind: The page Kind (the home page is one). See the example tables below per kind. This also determines if it is a single page (i.e. a regular content page. We then look for a template in _default/single.html for HTML) or a list page (section listings, home page, taxonomy lists, taxonomy terms. We then look for a template in _default/list.html for HTML).
Layout: Can be set in page front matter.
Output Format: See Custom Output Formats. An output format has both a name (e.g. rss, amp, html) and a suffix (e.g. xml, html). We prefer matches with both (e.g. index.amp.html, but look for less specific templates.
Language: We will consider a language code in the template name. If the site language is fr, index.fr.amp.html will win over index.amp.html, but index.amp.html will be chosen before index.fr.html.
Type: Is value of type if set in front matter, else it is the name of the root section (e.g. “blog”). It will always have a value, so if not set, the value is “page”.
Section: Is relevant for section, taxonomy and term types.

Tip: The examples below looks long and complex. That is the flexibility talking. Most Hugo sites contain just a handful of templates:

├── _default
│   ├── baseof.html
│   ├── list.html
│   └── single.html
└── index.html

Hugo Layouts Lookup Rules With Theme

In Hugo, layouts can live in either the project’s or the themes’ layout folders, and the most specific layout will be chosen. Hugo will interleave the lookups listed below, finding the most specific one either in the project or themes.

Examples: Layout Lookup for Regular Pages

Example	OutputFormat	Suffix	Template Lookup Order
Single page in "posts" section	HTML	html	[layouts/posts/single.html.html layouts/posts/single.html layouts/_default/single.html.html layouts/_default/single.html]
Base template for single page in "posts" section	HTML	html	[layouts/posts/single-baseof.html.html layouts/posts/baseof.html.html layouts/posts/single-baseof.html layouts/posts/baseof.html layouts/_default/single-baseof.html.html layouts/_default/baseof.html.html layouts/_default/single-baseof.html layouts/_default/baseof.html]
Single page in "posts" section with layout set	HTML	html	[layouts/posts/demolayout.html.html layouts/posts/single.html.html layouts/posts/demolayout.html layouts/posts/single.html layouts/_default/demolayout.html.html layouts/_default/single.html.html layouts/_default/demolayout.html layouts/_default/single.html]
Base template for single page in "posts" section with layout set	HTML	html	[layouts/posts/demolayout-baseof.html.html layouts/posts/single-baseof.html.html layouts/posts/baseof.html.html layouts/posts/demolayout-baseof.html layouts/posts/single-baseof.html layouts/posts/baseof.html layouts/_default/demolayout-baseof.html.html layouts/_default/single-baseof.html.html layouts/_default/baseof.html.html layouts/_default/demolayout-baseof.html layouts/_default/single-baseof.html layouts/_default/baseof.html]
AMP single page	AMP	html	[layouts/posts/single.amp.html layouts/posts/single.html layouts/_default/single.amp.html layouts/_default/single.html]
AMP single page, French language	AMP	html	[layouts/posts/single.fr.amp.html layouts/posts/single.amp.html layouts/posts/single.fr.html layouts/posts/single.html layouts/_default/single.fr.amp.html layouts/_default/single.amp.html layouts/_default/single.fr.html layouts/_default/single.html]

Examples: Layout Lookup for Home Page

Example	OutputFormat	Suffix	Template Lookup Order
Home page	HTML	html	[layouts/index.html.html layouts/home.html.html layouts/list.html.html layouts/index.html layouts/home.html layouts/list.html layouts/_default/index.html.html layouts/_default/home.html.html layouts/_default/list.html.html layouts/_default/index.html layouts/_default/home.html layouts/_default/list.html]
Base template for home page	HTML	html	[layouts/index-baseof.html.html layouts/home-baseof.html.html layouts/list-baseof.html.html layouts/baseof.html.html layouts/index-baseof.html layouts/home-baseof.html layouts/list-baseof.html layouts/baseof.html layouts/_default/index-baseof.html.html layouts/_default/home-baseof.html.html layouts/_default/list-baseof.html.html layouts/_default/baseof.html.html layouts/_default/index-baseof.html layouts/_default/home-baseof.html layouts/_default/list-baseof.html layouts/_default/baseof.html]
Home page with type set	HTML	html	[layouts/demotype/index.html.html layouts/demotype/home.html.html layouts/demotype/list.html.html layouts/demotype/index.html layouts/demotype/home.html layouts/demotype/list.html layouts/index.html.html layouts/home.html.html layouts/list.html.html layouts/index.html layouts/home.html layouts/list.html layouts/_default/index.html.html layouts/_default/home.html.html layouts/_default/list.html.html layouts/_default/index.html layouts/_default/home.html layouts/_default/list.html]
Base template for home page with type set	HTML	html	[layouts/demotype/index-baseof.html.html layouts/demotype/home-baseof.html.html layouts/demotype/list-baseof.html.html layouts/demotype/baseof.html.html layouts/demotype/index-baseof.html layouts/demotype/home-baseof.html layouts/demotype/list-baseof.html layouts/demotype/baseof.html layouts/index-baseof.html.html layouts/home-baseof.html.html layouts/list-baseof.html.html layouts/baseof.html.html layouts/index-baseof.html layouts/home-baseof.html layouts/list-baseof.html layouts/baseof.html layouts/_default/index-baseof.html.html layouts/_default/home-baseof.html.html layouts/_default/list-baseof.html.html layouts/_default/baseof.html.html layouts/_default/index-baseof.html layouts/_default/home-baseof.html layouts/_default/list-baseof.html layouts/_default/baseof.html]
Home page with layout set	HTML	html	[layouts/demolayout.html.html layouts/index.html.html layouts/home.html.html layouts/list.html.html layouts/demolayout.html layouts/index.html layouts/home.html layouts/list.html layouts/_default/demolayout.html.html layouts/_default/index.html.html layouts/_default/home.html.html layouts/_default/list.html.html layouts/_default/demolayout.html layouts/_default/index.html layouts/_default/home.html layouts/_default/list.html]
AMP home, French language	AMP	html	[layouts/index.fr.amp.html layouts/home.fr.amp.html layouts/list.fr.amp.html layouts/index.amp.html layouts/home.amp.html layouts/list.amp.html layouts/index.fr.html layouts/home.fr.html layouts/list.fr.html layouts/index.html layouts/home.html layouts/list.html layouts/_default/index.fr.amp.html layouts/_default/home.fr.amp.html layouts/_default/list.fr.amp.html layouts/_default/index.amp.html layouts/_default/home.amp.html layouts/_default/list.amp.html layouts/_default/index.fr.html layouts/_default/home.fr.html layouts/_default/list.fr.html layouts/_default/index.html layouts/_default/home.html layouts/_default/list.html]
JSON home	JSON	json	[layouts/index.json.json layouts/home.json.json layouts/list.json.json layouts/index.json layouts/home.json layouts/list.json layouts/_default/index.json.json layouts/_default/home.json.json layouts/_default/list.json.json layouts/_default/index.json layouts/_default/home.json layouts/_default/list.json]
RSS home	RSS	xml	[layouts/index.rss.xml layouts/home.rss.xml layouts/rss.xml layouts/list.rss.xml layouts/index.xml layouts/home.xml layouts/list.xml layouts/_default/index.rss.xml layouts/_default/home.rss.xml layouts/_default/rss.xml layouts/_default/list.rss.xml layouts/_default/index.xml layouts/_default/home.xml layouts/_default/list.xml layouts/_internal/_default/rss.xml]

Examples: Layout Lookup for Section Pages

Example	OutputFormat	Suffix	Template Lookup Order
RSS section posts	RSS	xml	[layouts/posts/section.rss.xml layouts/posts/rss.xml layouts/posts/list.rss.xml layouts/posts/section.xml layouts/posts/list.xml layouts/section/section.rss.xml layouts/section/rss.xml layouts/section/list.rss.xml layouts/section/section.xml layouts/section/list.xml layouts/_default/section.rss.xml layouts/_default/rss.xml layouts/_default/list.rss.xml layouts/_default/section.xml layouts/_default/list.xml layouts/_internal/_default/rss.xml]
Section list for "posts" section	HTML	html	[layouts/posts/posts.html.html layouts/posts/section.html.html layouts/posts/list.html.html layouts/posts/posts.html layouts/posts/section.html layouts/posts/list.html layouts/section/posts.html.html layouts/section/section.html.html layouts/section/list.html.html layouts/section/posts.html layouts/section/section.html layouts/section/list.html layouts/_default/posts.html.html layouts/_default/section.html.html layouts/_default/list.html.html layouts/_default/posts.html layouts/_default/section.html layouts/_default/list.html]
Section list for "posts" section with type set to "blog"	HTML	html	[layouts/blog/posts.html.html layouts/blog/section.html.html layouts/blog/list.html.html layouts/blog/posts.html layouts/blog/section.html layouts/blog/list.html layouts/posts/posts.html.html layouts/posts/section.html.html layouts/posts/list.html.html layouts/posts/posts.html layouts/posts/section.html layouts/posts/list.html layouts/section/posts.html.html layouts/section/section.html.html layouts/section/list.html.html layouts/section/posts.html layouts/section/section.html layouts/section/list.html layouts/_default/posts.html.html layouts/_default/section.html.html layouts/_default/list.html.html layouts/_default/posts.html layouts/_default/section.html layouts/_default/list.html]
Section list for "posts" section with layout set to "demoLayout"	HTML	html	[layouts/posts/demolayout.html.html layouts/posts/posts.html.html layouts/posts/section.html.html layouts/posts/list.html.html layouts/posts/demolayout.html layouts/posts/posts.html layouts/posts/section.html layouts/posts/list.html layouts/section/demolayout.html.html layouts/section/posts.html.html layouts/section/section.html.html layouts/section/list.html.html layouts/section/demolayout.html layouts/section/posts.html layouts/section/section.html layouts/section/list.html layouts/_default/demolayout.html.html layouts/_default/posts.html.html layouts/_default/section.html.html layouts/_default/list.html.html layouts/_default/demolayout.html layouts/_default/posts.html layouts/_default/section.html layouts/_default/list.html]

Examples: Layout Lookup for Taxonomy Pages

Example	OutputFormat	Suffix	Template Lookup Order
Taxonomy in categories	RSS	xml	[layouts/categories/category.terms.rss.xml layouts/categories/terms.rss.xml layouts/categories/taxonomy.rss.xml layouts/categories/rss.xml layouts/categories/list.rss.xml layouts/categories/category.terms.xml layouts/categories/terms.xml layouts/categories/taxonomy.xml layouts/categories/list.xml layouts/category/category.terms.rss.xml layouts/category/terms.rss.xml layouts/category/taxonomy.rss.xml layouts/category/rss.xml layouts/category/list.rss.xml layouts/category/category.terms.xml layouts/category/terms.xml layouts/category/taxonomy.xml layouts/category/list.xml layouts/taxonomy/category.terms.rss.xml layouts/taxonomy/terms.rss.xml layouts/taxonomy/taxonomy.rss.xml layouts/taxonomy/rss.xml layouts/taxonomy/list.rss.xml layouts/taxonomy/category.terms.xml layouts/taxonomy/terms.xml layouts/taxonomy/taxonomy.xml layouts/taxonomy/list.xml layouts/_default/category.terms.rss.xml layouts/_default/terms.rss.xml layouts/_default/taxonomy.rss.xml layouts/_default/rss.xml layouts/_default/list.rss.xml layouts/_default/category.terms.xml layouts/_default/terms.xml layouts/_default/taxonomy.xml layouts/_default/list.xml layouts/_internal/_default/rss.xml]
Taxonomy list in categories	HTML	html	[layouts/categories/category.terms.html.html layouts/categories/terms.html.html layouts/categories/taxonomy.html.html layouts/categories/list.html.html layouts/categories/category.terms.html layouts/categories/terms.html layouts/categories/taxonomy.html layouts/categories/list.html layouts/category/category.terms.html.html layouts/category/terms.html.html layouts/category/taxonomy.html.html layouts/category/list.html.html layouts/category/category.terms.html layouts/category/terms.html layouts/category/taxonomy.html layouts/category/list.html layouts/taxonomy/category.terms.html.html layouts/taxonomy/terms.html.html layouts/taxonomy/taxonomy.html.html layouts/taxonomy/list.html.html layouts/taxonomy/category.terms.html layouts/taxonomy/terms.html layouts/taxonomy/taxonomy.html layouts/taxonomy/list.html layouts/_default/category.terms.html.html layouts/_default/terms.html.html layouts/_default/taxonomy.html.html layouts/_default/list.html.html layouts/_default/category.terms.html layouts/_default/terms.html layouts/_default/taxonomy.html layouts/_default/list.html]

Examples: Layout Lookup for Term Pages

Example	OutputFormat	Suffix	Template Lookup Order
Term in categories	RSS	xml	[layouts/categories/term.rss.xml layouts/categories/category.rss.xml layouts/categories/taxonomy.rss.xml layouts/categories/rss.xml layouts/categories/list.rss.xml layouts/categories/term.xml layouts/categories/category.xml layouts/categories/taxonomy.xml layouts/categories/list.xml layouts/term/term.rss.xml layouts/term/category.rss.xml layouts/term/taxonomy.rss.xml layouts/term/rss.xml layouts/term/list.rss.xml layouts/term/term.xml layouts/term/category.xml layouts/term/taxonomy.xml layouts/term/list.xml layouts/taxonomy/term.rss.xml layouts/taxonomy/category.rss.xml layouts/taxonomy/taxonomy.rss.xml layouts/taxonomy/rss.xml layouts/taxonomy/list.rss.xml layouts/taxonomy/term.xml layouts/taxonomy/category.xml layouts/taxonomy/taxonomy.xml layouts/taxonomy/list.xml layouts/category/term.rss.xml layouts/category/category.rss.xml layouts/category/taxonomy.rss.xml layouts/category/rss.xml layouts/category/list.rss.xml layouts/category/term.xml layouts/category/category.xml layouts/category/taxonomy.xml layouts/category/list.xml layouts/_default/term.rss.xml layouts/_default/category.rss.xml layouts/_default/taxonomy.rss.xml layouts/_default/rss.xml layouts/_default/list.rss.xml layouts/_default/term.xml layouts/_default/category.xml layouts/_default/taxonomy.xml layouts/_default/list.xml layouts/_internal/_default/rss.xml]
Taxonomy term in categories	HTML	html	[layouts/categories/term.html.html layouts/categories/category.html.html layouts/categories/taxonomy.html.html layouts/categories/list.html.html layouts/categories/term.html layouts/categories/category.html layouts/categories/taxonomy.html layouts/categories/list.html layouts/term/term.html.html layouts/term/category.html.html layouts/term/taxonomy.html.html layouts/term/list.html.html layouts/term/term.html layouts/term/category.html layouts/term/taxonomy.html layouts/term/list.html layouts/taxonomy/term.html.html layouts/taxonomy/category.html.html layouts/taxonomy/taxonomy.html.html layouts/taxonomy/list.html.html layouts/taxonomy/term.html layouts/taxonomy/category.html layouts/taxonomy/taxonomy.html layouts/taxonomy/list.html layouts/category/term.html.html layouts/category/category.html.html layouts/category/taxonomy.html.html layouts/category/list.html.html layouts/category/term.html layouts/category/category.html layouts/category/taxonomy.html layouts/category/list.html layouts/_default/term.html.html layouts/_default/category.html.html layouts/_default/taxonomy.html.html layouts/_default/list.html.html layouts/_default/term.html layouts/_default/category.html layouts/_default/taxonomy.html layouts/_default/list.html]

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Last updated: July 5, 2017