Hugo Content Cheat Sheet

This post is a living reference of every content feature available on knutlabs. Use it as a guide when writing new posts.

1. Markdown Basics

Headings

Use # for headings. Here are the levels available inside a post (H2–H4 are most common):

Heading 2

Heading 3

Heading 4

Text Formatting

You can also combine them: bold italic, bold strikethrough.

Unordered Lists

• First item
• Second item
  • Nested item
  • Another nested item
• Third item

Ordered Lists

1. First step
2. Second step
3. Third step
   1. Sub-step A
   2. Sub-step B

Blockquotes

This is a blockquote. Use it to call out important quotes or to highlight a key idea from someone else’s work.

Blockquotes can also be nested:

Like this inner quote.

Horizontal Rule

Use --- to create a horizontal divider:

Links

Standard markdown links:

• External link — opens a URL
• Link with title — has hover text

Images

Standard markdown image syntax:

![Alt text description](/images/example.png)

Tables

Tables support left, center, and right alignment:

2. Code Blocks

Inline Code

Use backticks for inline code like variable names or commands.

Fenced Code Blocks

Use triple backticks with a language name for syntax highlighting:

#!/bin/bash
echo "Hello from knutlabs"
systemctl status nginx

def greet(name: str) -> str:
    return f"Hello, {name}!"

print(greet("knutlabs"))

apiVersion: v1
kind: Service
metadata:
  name: knutlabs-web
spec:
  selector:
    app: web
  ports:
    - port: 80
      targetPort: 8080

package main

import "fmt"

func main() {
    fmt.Println("hello world")
}

Syntax Highlighting Shortcode

Hugo’s built-in highlight shortcode gives you extra control like line numbers:

1
2
3
4

import os

SECRET = os.environ["API_KEY"]  # highlighted line
print(f"Key length: {len(SECRET)}")

3. Code Dropdown

Use the custom code-dropdown shortcode to hide long code blocks behind a collapsible toggle:

4. Hint / Callout Blocks

Three severity levels to draw attention to important information:

Info

Warning

Danger

5. Tabs

Use tabs when you want to show the same concept in multiple languages or contexts:

print("hello from Python")

fmt.Println("hello from Go")

echo "hello from Bash"

Another example — OS-specific install instructions:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install nginx

sudo yum install nginx

brew install nginx

6. Collapsible Sections (Details)

For content that’s useful but not essential — hide it behind a click:

2026-02-14 10:32:01 ERROR [nginx] upstream timed out
  (110: Connection timed out) while connecting to upstream
  client: 192.168.1.50
  server: app.knutlabs.com
  request: "GET /api/health HTTP/1.1"
  upstream: "http://127.0.0.1:3000/api/health"

7. Buttons

Link buttons for calls to action:

8. Download Button

Provide a file download link styled as a button. Place files in the static/ directory and reference them:

{{< download file="/files/example-config.yaml" name="Download example-config.yaml" >}}

Parameters:

9. Figure (Image with Caption)

The figure shortcode adds a caption below an image:

{{< figure src="/images/diagram.png" title="Network topology diagram" >}}

This renders an <img> inside a <figure> element with a <figcaption>.

10. Mermaid Diagrams

Render flowcharts, sequence diagrams, and more using Mermaid syntax:

Flowchart

Sequence Diagram

11. Math (LaTeX)

Render mathematical formulas with KaTeX. Use $$ for display (block) math and $ for inline math.

Display Math

$$ E = mc^2 $$

$$ \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^2 - 4ac}}{2a} $$

Inline Math

The formula for bandwidth-delay product is $BDP = bandwidth \times RTT$, measured in bits.

12. Emoji

Hugo supports emoji when enableEmoji = true in the config. Use standard shortcodes:

• 🚀 :rocket:
• ✅ :white_check_mark:
• ⚠️ :warning:
• 🔥 :fire:
• 🔧 :wrench:
• 📖 :book:
• 🌐 :globe_with_meridians:

13. Front Matter Reference

Every post starts with YAML front matter between --- delimiters:

Available Fields

Standard Labels

The following labels are used across knutlabs:

Solution · Feature · Test · Protocol · RFC · Automation · Migration · NOC · Security

Quick Reference