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Headless CMS Without a PC on GitHub Pages

·520 words·3 mins
Development Blog GitHub Pages Sveltia CMS Cloudflare Workers Mobile CMS
Chris Ayers
Author
Chris Ayers
I am a father, nerd, gamer, and speaker.
Table of Contents

Headless CMS Without a PC on GitHub Pages

I’ve been running my site on GitHub Pages - no server, just git and GitHub Actions. But I still want a CMS that works on mobile, without dragging around a laptop or doing a Git clone. Enter Sveltia CMS + Sveltia CMS Auth on Cloudflare Workers. Here’s how to glue it together.

Why This Setup?
#

  • No paid services like Netlify.
  • I edit blog posts from my phone-even waiting in line for coffee.
  • No git install, no desktop.

A solution exists: Sveltia’s Cloudflare Workers-based authenticator makes GitHub-backed CMS possible on GitHub Pages.

🎯 Step 1: Add Sveltia CMS to Your Site
#

In your /admin/index.html, include Sveltia, a lightweight, modern CMS:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>

<head>
    <meta charset="utf-8" />
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" />
    <meta name="robots" content="noindex" />
    <title>Content Manager</title>
</head>

<body>
    <script src="https://unpkg.com/@sveltia/cms/dist/sveltia-cms.js"></script>
</body>

</html>

No heavy JS, no React-just Svelte. Touch support, dark mode, fast. It handles GitHub directly via your browser or the auth worker.

🔐 Step 2: Deploy the Sveltia-CMS-Auth Worker
#

  1. Fork or import sveltia-cms-auth into Cloudflare Workers.
  2. Deploy it; grab the Worker URL.
  3. Register a GitHub OAuth App, using the Worker URL plus /callback for the redirect.
  4. Add client credentials and your domain to Workers environment variables. Deploy again.

Now your site has its own auth client-it communicates with GitHub when you click Login.

🛠 Step 3: Wire It All Up in Your Config
#

In your Sveltia admin/config.yml, under backend:

backend:
  name: github
  repo: <OWNER>/<REPO> # Path to your GitHub repository
  # optional, defaults to master
  branch: main
  base_url: https://<WORKER>.workers.dev
# This line should *not* be indented
media_folder: "assets/uploads" # Media files will be stored in the repo under images/uploads

That base_url points Sveltia’s OAuth to your Worker. Push the change, and your /admin/ loads Sveltia. Clicking “Login” redirects to GitHub via your Worker, and you’re ready to edit.

📱 Step 4: Edit From Your Phone
#

Visit yourgithubpages.com/admin/ on your mobile device. The UI is responsive and built for touch. I’ve easily edited blog posts without needing VS Code or Terminal. Sveltia handles commit and push transparently.

Quick FAQ
#

Q: Why not Decap CMS or Netlify CMS?
A: They typically rely on external OAuth providers. Sveltia + Cloudflare Workers solves that neatly.

Q: Does it require a PC?
A: Only initial setup needs a desktop. Afterward, your CMS runs entirely in-browser, even mobile.

Q: Self-hosted?
A: GitHub Pages hosts the static site. The CMS runs client-side, and auth is on Cloudflare’s free tier.

TL;DR
#

GoalTool
GitHub-only hostingGitHub Pages (no server)
Modern, touch-ready UISveltia CMS
OAuth via GitHubSveltia-CMS-Auth Worker
Zero laptop editsFully mobile browser-compatible

This combo gives me a mobile-friendly CMS experience without extra hassle. If you’re editing your Jekyll-based GitHub Pages blog without a PC, this setup hits the mark.

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