Choose a Template
Xanthan offers four starting points, each designed for a different kind of project. Pick the one closest to what you’re building—you can always add features later.
Browse the options below. See a live example, explore the clean starting template, then click “Use this template” on GitHub to make it your own.
Portfolio
A personal or professional site for presenting your work, interests, and credentials. Comes with an about page, a CV, and sample project pages—the kind of structure that helps you own your professional identity rather than renting it from LinkedIn. This is the most common starting point for individual projects: a handful of pages with a clear top navigation bar connecting them.
Class Project
This template shows how many individual ScrollStories or pages can belong together as a shared collection. Card-based directory pages organize contributions automatically, so the site grows as people add to it. The instructor sets up the structure; students follow clear directions to fill it in. Because the pages are plain text files, students can learn from each other’s work and the project remains editable after the semester ends.
ScrollStory
If you’ve used StoryMaps, the shape will feel familiar: text, images, maps, and media unfolding as the reader scrolls. The ScrollStory template puts that form at the center of the site, with a main scrolling narrative ready to edit and extend.
Every Xanthan template can publish ScrollStories. Choose this one when the immersive narrative is the main event rather than one page inside a broader portfolio or class project. The work still happens in plain text files, so you can revise by hand or ask AI to help build sections without giving up editorial control.
Not sure?
The difference between the templates is usually a few files and some starting examples. All the core component functionality comes with each template, including ScrollStories. Pick the closest starting shape, then add or remove pages as your project clarifies.