How to host Hugo site from private repository

Background

Usually, in order to utilize GitHub Pages for free hosting my Hugo site, I have to make the repository public. However, this also implies that even my draft posts will become visible in the public site repository. That is definitely not the way I prefer to do this.

Solution

After some searching, I found out that I can hide my draft posts and publish only the static site to the public repository by using GitHub Actions:

Prerequisites

• A private repository(Just turn the present public repository of Hugo site into private repository)
• A newly created public repository to publish Hugo site
• GitHub Personal token

Create a GitHub personal token

1. Click on your GitHub avatar in top-right and open Settings page.

   

2. Click on Developer settings(at the bottom of the page).

   

3. Click on Personal access tokens -> Tokens(classic) -> Generate new token -> Generate new token(classic).

   

   Use personal token

   Personal token is required because we need the permission to access to a external repository.

4. Add a note for token. Select expiration.

5. Select scopes:

   • ✅ workflow
   • ✅ write:packages

   

6. Click on Generate toke.

7. Copy the token start with ghp_

Add GitHub personal token to private repository

1. Open the Settings of private repository.

2. Click on Secrets and variables -> Actions

   

3. Click on New repository secret

4. Add name then paste the token to the Secret area.

   

5. Click on Add secret

GitHug workflow configurations

Here is the workflow configuration file I made for my Hugo site:

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# Workflow for building and deploying a Hugo site to GitHub Pages
name: Build & Deploy Hugo site From private repository to public repository

on:
  push:
    branches:
      - main  # Set a branch to deploy
  pull_request:

jobs:
  deploy:
    runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
    permissions:
      contents: write
    concurrency:
      group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
        with:
          submodules: true  # Fetch Hugo themes (true OR recursive)
          fetch-depth: 0    # Fetch all history for .GitInfo and .Lastmod

      - name: Setup Hugo
        uses: peaceiris/actions-hugo@v2
        with:
          hugo-version: '0.115.3'  # Hugo version I'm using. Or use latest version by set value to 'latest'.
          extended: true

      - name: Build
        run: hugo --minify  # Minify build result

      - name: Deploy to public repository
        uses: peaceiris/actions-gh-pages@v3
        if: github.ref == 'refs/heads/main'
        with:
          personal_token: ${{ secrets.PERSONAL_TOKEN }}
          external_repository: kevinzch/KEDIGA_Public  # Public repository to deploy
          publish_branch: main
          publish_dir: ./public
          cname: kediga.com  # Domain of site

Replace the configuration file under .github/workflows with it. Then push the changes to private repository and check whether the workflow runs successfully.

Conclusion

This way, I can push all the content, including draft posts, drawio files, and other files related to my site, to my private repository without worrying about they being made public.

References

• Using GitHub Actions to Publish Hugo Site From Private to Public Repo.

• Deploy Hugo From Private Repository to GitHub Pages

• actions-gh-pages

• GitHub Actions documentation

If you have any questions or advice, leave me a comment below and I will try my best to respond!