Revision history
Connect your publication to its GitHub repository so readers can see the full edit history of any article, linked directly to GitHub commits.
When a GitHub repository is configured, each article in Project Broadsheet shows a "Revision history" link in the article footer. Clicking it opens the GitHub commit history for that file, showing every change since the article was first published — who made it, when, and what the commit message said.
This is a transparency feature: it shows readers that the article has been updated, what changed, and when. It pairs naturally with the corrections system, which logs what changed and why in human-readable prose.
Configure the repository
In src/_data/site.json (or meta.js), add a repo block:
"repo": {
"owner": "jonajinga",
"name": "the-freethinking-times",
"branch": "main",
"contentPath": "src/content"
}
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
owner | Yes | GitHub username or organization that owns the repo |
name | Yes | Repository name |
branch | Yes | The branch that production content is published from (usually main) |
contentPath | Yes | The path within the repo where article files live. Used to construct the file URL. |
On the next build, the window.__repo object is injected into each page, and revision-history.js constructs the GitHub history URL for the current article.
What the link looks like
Each article footer shows:
The link goes directly to the GitHub commits page for that file. Readers do not need a GitHub account to view commit history on a public repository.
Requiring a public repository
The revision history link points to github.com. If the repository is private, the link will return a 404 for readers who are not authenticated with GitHub and authorized on the repo. Only use this feature with a public repository.
If your repository contains drafts, editorial notes, or other content you do not want public, keep unpublished files in a separate private branch or repository and only merge to the public branch when ready to publish.
Disabling for specific articles
To hide the revision history link on a specific article, add to its front matter:
noRevisionHistory: true
This is useful for articles that were migrated from another platform and have a noisy import commit history that would be confusing to readers.
Disabling globally
Remove the repo block from site.json. Without it, window.__repo is not set and no revision history links are rendered anywhere.
What to do next
- Corrections for the human-readable correction log that pairs with revision history.
- Responses and backlinks for connecting articles that update or respond to earlier pieces.
- GitHub repository setup for connecting your site's build pipeline to GitHub Actions.
Browse Support for community channels and paid support options, or book a call if you'd like me to set it up for you.