How to Customize Resume Templates in resume.github.com: A Complete Guide

You can customize resume templates in resume.github.com by editing the Mustache HTML templates in views/, extending the view model in js/githubresume.js, and modifying styles in css/resume.css—all without touching backend code.

The open-source project resume.github.com generates professional résumés directly from GitHub profile data. If you need to customize how these resume templates display your information, the repository provides a flexible three-layer architecture that allows full client-side customization.

Understanding the Resume Template Architecture

The Three-Layer System

The resume templates consist of three integrated components working together in the browser:

1. Template (HTML + Mustache) – Static markup with {{…}} placeholders that are filled at runtime
2. Styling (CSS) – Visual appearance including print-friendly layouts
3. Data Injection (JavaScript) – Fetches GitHub API data, builds the view model, and renders the Mustache template

Key Source Files

File	Role
js/githubresume.js	Fetches GitHub data, assembles the view object, and renders templates
views/resume.html	Mustache template for individual developer résumés
views/resumeOrgs.html	Mustache template for GitHub organization résumés
css/resume.css	All styling for screen and print media
views/job.html	Partial template for repository entries
views/contrib.html	Partial template for contribution entries
views/org.html	Partial template for organization entries

How to Customize Resume Templates

Modifying the Mustache Template Structure

The HTML structure lives in views/resume.html (for users) and views/resumeOrgs.html (for organizations). These files contain Mustache syntax where {{variable}} outputs escaped text and {{{variable}}} outputs raw HTML (used for repository descriptions that may contain emoji images).

To customize the layout:

1. Edit the HTML structure in views/resume.html
2. Add new {{variable}} placeholders where you want dynamic data to appear
3. The template is loaded via AJAX at lines 298-304 in js/githubresume.js

Extending the View Model with Custom Data

The view object is assembled starting at line 222 in js/githubresume.js. This object is passed to Mustache.to_html at line 298 to populate the template.

To add custom data:

1. Locate the view model construction around line 222 in githubresume.js
2. Add new properties to the view object
3. Reference these properties in the Mustache template using {{newProperty}}

Styling Customizations with CSS

All visual styling is controlled by css/resume.css. The stylesheet includes both screen and print media queries, making it ideal for creating print-friendly résumés.

Key selectors to modify:

• .yui-gf h2 and .yui-gf h3 – Section headings
• header – Header background and spacing
• @media print – Print-specific layout adjustments

Practical Customization Examples

Adding a Personal Tagline Field

This example adds a tagline using the GitHub bio field.

Step 1: Extend the view model in js/githubresume.js

// After line 222 where the view object is built
view.tagline = data.bio ? data.bio : '';

Step 2: Update the template in views/resume.html

<!-- Insert after the <h2>{{userStatus}}</h2> line -->
{{#tagline}}<p class="enlarge">{{tagline}}</p>{{/tagline}}

Result: The résumé displays the GitHub bio as a tagline under the user status.

Changing the Header Background Color

Edit css/resume.css:

/* Header background */
header {
    background-color: #f0f8ff;   /* light azure */
    margin: 2.5em 0 3em 0;
    padding-bottom: 1.5em;
    border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc;
}

Adding a Static Skills List from JSON

Step 1: Create data/skills.json

{
  "skills": ["JavaScript", "Node.js", "HTML5", "CSS3", "Git"]
}

Step 2: Load the JSON in js/githubresume.js

$.getJSON('data/skills.json', function(skillData) {
    view.skills = skillData.skills;
    // Continue with rendering after skills are loaded
    renderResume(view);
});

Step 3: Add the Mustache block to views/resume.html

{{#skills}}
<div class="yui-gf">
  <div class="yui-u first"><h2>Skills</h2></div>
  <div class="yui-u">
    <ul>
      {{#skills}}<li>{{.}}</li>{{/skills}}
    </ul>
  </div>
</div>
{{/skills}}

Step 4: Style the list in css/resume.css

/* Skills list */
ul { list-style: disc inside; margin-left: 1em; }
li { line-height: 1.5em; }

Summary

• resume.github.com uses a three-layer architecture: Mustache templates (views/), CSS styling (css/resume.css), and JavaScript data injection (js/githubresume.js).
• Customize resume templates by editing the HTML structure in views/resume.html or views/resumeOrgs.html and adding new {{variable}} placeholders.
• Extend the view object in js/githubresume.js (starting at line 222) to add custom data fields that populate your template placeholders.
• Modify css/resume.css to change fonts, colors, spacing, and print layouts without affecting the data structure.
• All customization happens client-side; no backend changes are required.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Mustache.js and why does resume.github.com use it?

Mustache.js is a logic-less template syntax that uses {{variable}} tags to insert data into HTML. The resume.github.com project uses Mustache because it allows clean separation between the HTML structure (in views/resume.html) and the data model (assembled in js/githubresume.js). This separation makes it easy to customize resume templates without writing complex JavaScript logic.

Can I customize resume templates without modifying JavaScript?

Yes, you can make visual and structural changes without touching JavaScript. You can edit the HTML structure in views/resume.html to rearrange sections, and modify css/resume.css to change colors, fonts, and layouts. However, if you want to display data that isn't already provided by the GitHub API (such as a custom skills list), you will need to extend the view model in js/githubresume.js.

How do I add new sections to the resume template?

To add new sections, first extend the view object in js/githubresume.js (around line 222) to include your new data property. Then add a Mustache block to views/resume.html using the syntax {{#propertyName}}...{{/propertyName}} to conditionally render the section. Finally, add corresponding CSS rules to css/resume.css to style your new section appropriately.

Will my customizations persist when the repository updates?

Customizations you make to a forked or cloned repository will persist in your own copy, but they may conflict with upstream changes if you pull updates from the original resume.github.com repository. To maintain your customizations through updates, consider creating a separate branch for your changes, or store custom data (like skills JSON) in separate files that won't be overwritten by core template updates.

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