Alpine provides extensive customization options to create a unique, professional site that matches your style. This guide covers all configurable aspects of the theme, from basic settings to advanced customization.
Getting Started
Navigate to your theme customization panel:
- Log in to your Ghost Admin at
yoursite.com/ghost/ - Go to Settings → Theme (
yoursite.com/ghost/#/settings/design/) - Click Customize to access design settings
- Select Theme in the top right corner for Alpine-specific options
Theme Settings
Header Styles
Alpine offers three header layouts, each optimized for different content strategies and visual preferences.
Available Layouts
Minimal
A streamlined header that prioritizes content visibility. The site title and navigation are compactly arranged, creating maximum space for your articles. Perfect for blogs focused on long-form writing.
Default
A balanced approach that provides clear visual hierarchy between a combination of site title and description, as well as your navigation elements. This layout offers great readability while maintaining a professional appearance.
Centered
A symmetrical, magazine-inspired layout with centrally aligned branding and navigation. Ideal for publications seeking a traditional editorial aesthetic.
Dark Mode Configuration
Control the visibility and placement of the dark mode toggle to match your site's user experience strategy.
Toggle Positions
Header Position (Default)
- Places the toggle in the main navigation area
- Provides immediate visibility for users
- Recommended for sites prioritizing accessibility
Footer Position
- Positions the toggle in the site footer
- Creates a cleaner header design
- Suitable for minimalist layouts
Featured Images Display
Control whether featured images appear in your content feed, allowing you to optimize for either visual impact or reading efficiency.
Configuration Options
- Enabled: Displays featured images in post cards throughout your site
- Disabled: Shows only titles and excerpts for a text-focused experience
This setting affects all collection pages including the homepage, tag archives, and author pages.
Member Conversion Tools
Alpine includes intelligent Call-To-Action (CTA) components that automatically adapt based on visitor membership status. These tools are designed to maximize conversions while respecting user experience.
CTA System Overview
The CTA system uses dynamic content targeting:
- Non-members see subscription prompts
- Free members receive upgrade encouragement
- Paid members get appreciation messages
All CTAs are disabled by default, giving you complete control over activation and messaging.
Available CTA Components
Subscribe Footer
Target audience: Non-members
A persistent newsletter signup form in your site footer that appears across all pages. Configure with custom heading and description text to match your brand voice.
Post Subscribe CTA
Target audience: Non-members
An email capture prompt strategically placed at the end of articles. This CTA targets engaged readers who have demonstrated interest by reading complete posts.
Upgrade CTA
Target audience: Free members
Encourages free subscribers to upgrade to paid membership. Fully customizable with:
- Custom heading text
- Persuasive description
- Call-to-action button text
Thank You Message
Target audience: Paid members
Replaces all conversion prompts with gratitude messaging for paying supporters. This maintains engagement without redundant sales messaging.
Activating CTAs
To enable any CTA component:
- Navigate to Settings → Design → Customize
- Open the Member CTAs section
- Toggle the desired CTA to ON
- Configure the messaging:
- Heading text
- Description copy
- Button text (where applicable)
- Click Save to activate
For detailed configuration strategies, refer to the Member CTAs Configuration documentation.
Advanced Customization
Code Injection
For customizations beyond theme settings, use Ghost's code injection features:
Custom CSS
Add styles in Settings → Code Injection → Site Header:
<style>
/* Your custom styles */
</style>
Custom JavaScript
Insert scripts in Settings → Code Injection → Site Footer:
<script>
// Your custom scripts
</script>
Navigation Structure
Build custom menu hierarchies in Settings → Navigation. Alpine supports both a primary navigation in the header, as well as a secondary navigation in the footer.
Theme Updates
If your Ghost site is hosted on Magic Pages, you can update Alpine directly in the theme gallery. If you've bought Alpine directly, you'll be notified via email if there are updates available. You can then download a new zip file, and upload it to your Ghost site.
When updating Alpine, your customizations are preserved through Ghost's settings system. Custom code in code injection areas remains intact during theme updates.