--- title: Base templates description: The base and block construct allows you to define the outer shell of your master templates (i.e., the chrome of the page). categories: [] keywords: [] weight: 40 aliases: [/templates/blocks/,/templates/base-templates-and-blocks/] --- The `block` keyword allows you to define the outer shell of your pages' one or more master template(s) and then fill in or override portions as necessary. {{< youtube QVOMCYitLEc >}} ## Base template lookup order The base template lookup order closely follows that of the template it applies to (e.g. `_default/list.html`). See [Template Lookup Order](/templates/lookup-order/) for details and examples. ## Define the base template The following defines a simple base template at `_default/baseof.html`. As a default template, it is the shell from which all your pages will be rendered unless you specify another `*baseof.html` closer to the beginning of the lookup order. ```go-html-template {file="layouts/_default/baseof.html"} {{ block "title" . }} <!-- Blocks may include default content. --> {{ .Site.Title }} {{ end }} {{ block "main" . }} {{ end }} {{ block "footer" . }} {{ end }} ``` ## Override the base template The default list template will inherit all of the code defined above and can then implement its own `"main"` block from: ```go-html-template {file="layouts/_default/list.html"} {{ define "main" }}

Posts

{{ range .Pages }}

{{ .Title }}

{{ .Content }}
{{ end }} {{ end }} ``` This replaces the contents of our (basically empty) `main` block with something useful for the list template. In this case, we didn't define a `title` block, so the contents from our base template remain unchanged in lists. > [!warning] > Only [template comments] are allowed outside a block's `define` and `end` statements. Avoid placing any other text, including HTML comments, outside these boundaries. Doing so will cause rendering issues, potentially resulting in a blank page. See the example below. ```go-html-template {file="layouts/_default/do-not-do-this.html"}
This div element broke your template.
{{ define "main" }}

{{ .Title }}

{{ .Content }} {{ end }} ``` The following shows how you can override both the `main` and `title` block areas from the base template with code unique to your default [single template]: ```go-html-template {file="layouts/_default/single.html"} {{ define "title" }} {{ .Title }} – {{ .Site.Title }} {{ end }} {{ define "main" }}

{{ .Title }}

{{ .Content }} {{ end }} ``` [single template]: /templates/types/#single [template comments]: /templates/introduction/#comments