ref: ecf5e081b5540e69f4af330233f39a07baf53846
dir: /content/templates/single-page-templates.md/
---
title: Single Page Templates
linktitle:
description: The primary view of content in Hugo is the single view. Hugo will render every Markdown file provided with a corresponding single template.
date: 2017-02-01
publishdate: 2017-02-01
lastmod: 2017-04-06
categories: [templates]
keywords: [page]
menu:
docs:
parent: "templates"
weight: 60
weight: 60
sections_weight: 60
draft: false
aliases: [/layout/content/]
toc: true
---
## Single Page Template Lookup Order
You can specify a [content's `type`][content type] and `layout` in a single content file's [front matter][]. However, you cannot specify `section` because this is determined based on file location (see [content section][section]).
Hugo assumes your content section and content type are the same unless you tell Hugo otherwise by providing a `type` directly in the front matter of a content file. This is why #1 and #3 come before #2 and #4, respectively, in the following lookup order. Values in angle brackets (`<>`) are variable.
1. `/layouts/<TYPE>/<LAYOUT>.html`
2. `/layouts/<SECTION>/<LAYOUT>.html`
3. `/layouts/<TYPE>/single.html`
4. `/layouts/<SECTION>/single.html`
5. `/layouts/_default/single.html`
6. `/themes/<THEME>/layouts/<TYPE>/<LAYOUT>.html`
7. `/themes/<THEME>/layouts/<SECTION>/<LAYOUT>.html`
8. `/themes/<THEME>/layouts/<TYPE>/single.html`
9. `/themes/<THEME>/layouts/<SECTION>/single.html`
10. `/themes/<THEME>/layouts/_default/single.html`
{{< youtube ZYQ5k0RQzmo >}}
## Example Single Page Templates
Content pages are of the type `page` and will therefore have all the [page variables][pagevars] and [site variables][] available to use in their templates.
### `post/single.html`
This single page template makes use of Hugo [base templates][], the [`.Format` function][] for dates, the [`.WordCount` page variable][pagevars], and ranges through the single content's specific [taxonomies][pagetaxonomy]. [`with`][] is also used to check whether the taxonomies are set in the front matter.
{{< code file="layouts/post/single.html" download="single.html" >}}
{{ define "main" }}
<section id="main">
<h1 id="title">{{ .Title }}</h1>
<div>
<article id="content">
{{ .Content }}
</article>
</div>
</section>
<aside id="meta">
<div>
<section>
<h4 id="date"> {{ .Date.Format "Mon Jan 2, 2006" }} </h4>
<h5 id="wordcount"> {{ .WordCount }} Words </h5>
</section>
{{ with .Params.topics }}
<ul id="topics">
{{ range . }}
<li><a href="{{ "topics" | absURL}}{{ . | urlize }}">{{ . }}</a> </li>
{{ end }}
</ul>
{{ end }}
{{ with .Params.tags }}
<ul id="tags">
{{ range . }}
<li> <a href="{{ "tags" | absURL }}{{ . | urlize }}">{{ . }}</a> </li>
{{ end }}
</ul>
{{ end }}
</div>
<div>
{{ with .PrevInSection }}
<a class="previous" href="{{.Permalink}}"> {{.Title}}</a>
{{ end }}
{{ with .NextInSection }}
<a class="next" href="{{.Permalink}}"> {{.Title}}</a>
{{ end }}
</div>
</aside>
{{ end }}
{{< /code >}}
To easily generate new instances of a content type (e.g., new `.md` files in a section like `project/`) with preconfigured front matter, use [content archetypes][archetypes].
[archetypes]: /content-management/archetypes/
[base templates]: /templates/base/
[config]: /getting-started/configuration/
[content type]: /content-management/types/
[directory structure]: /getting-started/directory-structure/
[dry]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don%27t_repeat_yourself
[`.Format` function]: /functions/format/
[front matter]: /content-management/front-matter/
[pagetaxonomy]: /templates/taxonomy-templates/#displaying-a-single-piece-of-content-s-taxonomies
[pagevars]: /variables/page/
[partials]: /templates/partials/
[section]: /content-management/sections/
[site variables]: /variables/site/
[spf13]: http://spf13.com/
[`with`]: /functions/with/