Vienna provides powerful customization options to create a unique magazine-style site that reflects your brand. This guide covers all configurable aspects of the theme, from homepage 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 → Design (
yoursite.com/ghost/#/settings/design/) - Click Customize to access design settings
- Select Homepage in the sidebar for Vienna-specific options
Theme Settings
The following settings control the various sections of the Vienna theme, allowing you to create a unique experience for your visitors.
Hero Section
The hero section is the first thing visitors see when they land on your homepage. It features a bold headline and optional newsletter signup form.
Hero Title
Default: This is the start of something truly magical. Something that will change the way you think about websites.
The main headline displayed prominently at the top of your homepage. This should capture your site's mission or value proposition in one compelling sentence.
Best Practices:
- Keep it under 20 words for maximum impact
- Focus on benefits rather than features
- Make it conversational and engaging
- Use active voice when possible
Hero Button
- Hero Button Label (Default:
Subscribe) - Hero Button URL ( Default:
/#/portal/signup)
The call-to-action button appears both in the hero section and in the navigation bar (on desktop). This button should drive your primary conversion goal.
Newsletter Form
The newsletter form provides an elegant email capture experience right on your homepage, making it easy for visitors to subscribe to your content.
Newsletter Form Toggle
Default: Enabled
Controls whether the newsletter signup form appears in the hero section. When enabled, visitors see an email input field with a submit button directly below your hero title.
Newsletter Button Label
Default: Subscribe to my newsletter
The text displayed on the newsletter form's submit button.
Newsletter Disclaimer
Default: I won't send you spam. Promise. Unsubscribe at any time.
Featured Tag Section
Showcase a specific category of content with its own dedicated section on the homepage. This is perfect for highlighting recurring features like "News", "Tutorials", "Interviews", or seasonal content.
Featured Tag Slug
Default: news
Enter the slug of the tag you want to feature. Vienna will automatically display the tag's name, description, and latest posts in an elegant card layout.
About Author Section
Highlight a specific author (usually the site owner or primary writer) with a dedicated profile section on your homepage. This helps build connection and trust with your audience.
About Author Slug
Enter the slug of the author you want to feature. Vienna automatically pulls their profile image, bio, location, website, and social links from Ghost's author settings.
Call-to-Action Footer
Every Vienna homepage ends with a bold, full-width CTA section designed to drive your most important conversion goal. This section appears above your site footer and is highly customizable.
CTA Title
Default: Get started
The main headline for your footer CTA section. This should be bold and action-oriented.
CTA Paragraph
Default: Empty
Supporting text that appears below your CTA title. Use this to add context, benefits, or persuasive copy.
Custom Routes
Vienna works with custom routes configured in Settings → Labs → Routes.
The theme includes a routes.yaml file that should be uploaded for optimal functionality.
This file defines:
- Homepage template assignment
- Blog collection routing
- Post and page URL structures
To upload custom routes:
- Go to Settings → Labs
- Scroll to Routes
- Click Upload routes YAML
- Select the
routes.yamlfile from the theme package
Important: Routes are separate from theme settings and persist even when changing themes.
Theme Updates
Since Vienna is a Magic Pages exclusive theme, you can update it directly in the theme gallery.
When updating Vienna, your customizations are preserved through Ghost's settings system. Custom code in code injection areas remains intact during theme updates.