> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/github/docs/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Content model > How GitHub Docs is organized — content types, index pages, and the frontmatter that drives site navigation. The GitHub Docs site is built from Markdown files in the `/content` directory. Every page, category, and product follows a strict content model. Understanding that model lets you place new content correctly, wire up navigation, and choose the right layout from the start. ## Content types Every article has a `contentType` frontmatter field that declares what kind of content it is. The site uses this value to filter articles on product guides pages (when using `layout: product-guides`) and to apply the right structural expectations during linting. One of `get-started`, `concepts`, `how-tos`, `reference`, `tutorials`, `rai`, `landing`, `homepage`, or `other`. Introductory content for people who are new to a feature. Orientates the reader and links to next steps. Explains background knowledge — what something is and why it works the way it does. No step-by-step procedures. Task-based articles that walk the reader through completing a specific goal. Structured factual content: API parameters, configuration options, syntax tables. Designed to be scanned, not read linearly. End-to-end learning exercises with a concrete outcome. Longer than how-tos and include explanatory context. Responsible AI content. Only used for files that live in directories with `responsible-use` in the name. Product landing pages — only applies to `content//index.md` files. ## Index pages Every product, category, and map topic has an `index.md` file that acts as the landing page for that section. The `index.md` must declare a `children` array that lists every page directly nested under it. The site **only** knows about paths that appear in a `children` array. If a file exists in the `/content` directory but is not listed in a parent `index.md`, its URL returns 404. A typical category `index.md` looks like this: ```yaml theme={null} --- title: Managing your account and profile intro: You can manage information about yourself and your GitHub account. versions: fpt: '*' ghes: '*' ghec: '*' children: - /customizing-your-profile - /managing-your-personal-account-settings - /managing-subscription-and-notifications-on-github --- ``` The paths in `children` are relative to the current `index.md`. They point to either a subdirectory (which must itself have an `index.md`) or a `.md` file (written without the extension). ## Product landing pages A product landing page (`layout: product-landing`) is the main entry point for a top-level GitHub product such as Actions or Codespaces. In addition to `children`, these pages support `featuredLinks` to highlight key articles, and optionally `changelog` to pull recent entries from the GitHub Changelog. ```yaml theme={null} --- title: GitHub Actions shortTitle: GitHub Actions intro: Automate, customize, and execute your software development workflows right in your repository. layout: product-landing versions: fpt: '*' ghes: '*' ghec: '*' children: - /quickstart - /learn-github-actions - /using-workflows featuredLinks: gettingStarted: - /actions/quickstart startHere: - /actions/learn-github-actions/understanding-github-actions popular: - /actions/using-workflows/workflow-syntax-for-github-actions - /actions/using-workflows/events-that-trigger-workflows popularHeading: Most-used reference pages changelog: label: actions prefix: 'GitHub Actions: ' --- ``` ### featuredLinks sections | Key | Purpose | | ---------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `gettingStarted` | Links shown in the "Get started" column | | `startHere` | Links shown in the "Start here" column | | `guideCards` | Links displayed as guide cards | | `popular` | Links shown under the "Popular" heading (or a custom `popularHeading`) | | `videos` | Array of `{ title, href }` objects for a video section | ## The homepage The homepage (`content/index.md`) is the only file that uses `childGroups`. Where a normal index page lists children as a flat array, the homepage groups them into named sections displayed in the main content area. ```yaml theme={null} --- title: GitHub Docs versions: fpt: '*' ghes: '*' ghec: '*' children: - /get-started - /account-and-profile - /actions - /codespaces childGroups: - name: Get started icon: rocket children: - /get-started - name: CI/CD and DevOps icon: gear children: - /actions - /codespaces --- ``` Every path in a `childGroups.children` array must also appear in the top-level `children` array. ## Product guides pages A product guides page (for example, the [Actions guides page](https://docs.github.com/en/actions/guides)) uses `layout: product-guides` and renders a filterable list of articles. You can populate it two ways: * **`learningTracks`** — references named learning tracks defined in `data/learning-tracks/*.yml`. The featured track is configured in that YAML file. * **`includeGuides`** — an explicit list of article paths. Each article must have a `contentType` in its frontmatter for the filter UI to work. ```yaml theme={null} --- title: Guides layout: product-guides versions: fpt: '*' ghes: '*' ghec: '*' learningTracks: actions includeGuides: - /actions/guides/about-continuous-integration - /actions/guides/setting-up-continuous-integration-using-workflow-templates - /actions/guides/building-and-testing-nodejs --- ``` ## Journey pages Journey landing pages (`layout: journey-landing`) present a set of sequential learning paths. Each path is a `journeyTracks` entry with an `id`, a `title`, an optional `description`, and an ordered `guides` array. ```yaml theme={null} --- title: Learn GitHub Actions layout: journey-landing versions: fpt: '*' ghes: '*' ghec: '*' journeyTracks: - id: getting_started title: 'Getting started with {% data variables.product.prodname_actions %}' description: 'Learn the basics of GitHub Actions.' guides: - href: /actions/quickstart - href: /actions/learn-github-actions alternativeNextStep: 'Want to skip ahead? See [AUTOTITLE](/actions/using-workflows).' - href: /actions/using-workflows - id: advanced title: 'Advanced {% data variables.product.prodname_actions %}' guides: - href: /actions/using-workflows/workflow-syntax-for-github-actions - href: /actions/deployment/deploying-with-github-actions --- ``` The `alternativeNextStep` field renders a branch prompt beneath a step — useful when readers might want to skip ahead or take a different path through the material. It supports Liquid variables and `[AUTOTITLE]` links. ## How the site discovers pages The site build does not crawl the filesystem. It walks the `children` graph starting from `content/index.md`. Every reachable path becomes a valid URL; everything else does not exist from the site's perspective. This means: * Adding a new article requires both creating the `.md` file **and** listing it in the parent `index.md`. * Renaming or moving a file requires updating the `children` entry and adding a `redirect_from` entry on the new page. * Deleting a file requires removing it from `children` (and adding a redirect if the URL should remain accessible).