Layout & Region
Structural runes that define page layout. {% layout %} wraps the entire layout file. {% region %} defines named content areas (header, nav, sidebar, footer) that render in specific positions within the theme's layout component.
Defining regions
A _layout.md file uses regions to place content into theme slots.
{% layout %}
{% region name="header" %}
# Site Title
{% /region %}
{% region name="nav" %}
{% nav %}
- page-one
- page-two
{% /nav %}
{% /region %}
{% /layout %}
Layouts are inherited from parent directories. A _layout.md in a subdirectory can override or extend regions from the parent layout using the mode attribute.
Region attributes
| Attribute | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
name | string | required | Region identifier (e.g., header, nav, sidebar, footer) |
mode | string | "replace" | Merge mode: replace, prepend, or append |
Layout attributes
| Attribute | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
extends | string | "parent" | Which layout to extend |
Attributes
| Attribute | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
extends | string | — | Layout inheritance: parent or none |
Universal attributes
bg
The background layer (SPEC-088): image, video, gradient, flat overlay wash and legibility scrim, in a single injected layer behind the rune's content.
| Attribute | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
bg | string | — | Background preset applied to this block |
bg-from | string | — | Gradient start colour — a semantic token name (→ var(--rf-color-*)) |
bg-gradient | "to-t" | "to-b" | "to-l" | "to-r" | "to-tr" | "to-br" | "to-bl" | "to-tl" | — | Gradient direction (bounded named set) |
bg-gradient-type | "linear" | "radial" | "conic" | — | Gradient type |
bg-to | string | — | Gradient end colour — a semantic token name |
bg-via | string | — | Optional middle gradient stop — a semantic token name |
scrim | "top" | "bottom" | "left" | "right" | "none" | — | Scrim direction (heaviest edge); presence turns the scrim on, "none" opts out of the default cover scrim |
scrim-blur | "none" | "sm" | "md" | "lg" | — | Frost scrim blur amount |
scrim-strength | "sm" | "md" | "lg" | — | Gradient scrim strength |
scrim-tone | "dark" | "light" | — | Whether the scrim darkens (for light text) or lightens (for dark text) |
scrim-type | "gradient" | "frost" | — | Scrim treatment: gradient (default) or frost (backdrop blur) |
elevation
The chrome/depth ladder (SPEC-107). The skin maps each rung to a chrome bundle by attribute, so there is no BEM class.
| Attribute | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
elevation | "sunken" | "flush" | "flat" | "raised" | "floating" | "overlay" | "none" | "sm" | "md" | "lg" | — | Surface depth on the SPEC-107 ladder (sunken→overlay); none/sm/md/lg are deprecated aliases |
inset
Internal padding override.
| Attribute | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
inset | "flush" | "tight" | "default" | "loose" | "breathe" | — | Inner padding of this block |
motion
Scroll-reveal entrance (SPEC-105). The author declares the character, the theme owns the choreography, a behaviour owns the timing.
| Attribute | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
reveal | "none" | "fade" | "slide" | "scale" | "blur" | — | Scroll-reveal entrance character (none|fade|slide|scale|blur); the theme owns the choreography |
stagger | boolean | — | Cascade this block's items in as it reveals (no-op on single-child runes) |
spacing
Block-level rhythm override.
| Attribute | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
spacing | "flush" | "tight" | "default" | "loose" | "breathe" | — | Vertical spacing above and below this block |
substrate
Generated pattern fills (SPEC-087). Markers only — the engine sets the attributes and cell/opacity custom properties, CSS draws the pattern.
| Attribute | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
substrate | "dots" | "grid" | "lines" | "cross" | "checker" | "none" | — | Generated surface pattern |
substrate-fill | "inherit" | "inset" | — | Surface fill the pattern sits on (full colour stays with tint) |
substrate-opacity | "sm" | "md" | "lg" | — | Pattern ink strength |
substrate-size | "sm" | "md" | "lg" | — | Pattern cell size |
substrate-target | "self" | "media" | — | Which surface the pattern fills (overrides the rune/theme default) |
tint
Per-rune colour override (SPEC-053): a named tint from the theme registry, with inline per-token overrides layered on top.
| Attribute | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
tint | string | — | Color tint preset applied to this block |
tint-mode | "auto" | "dark" | "light" | — | Whether the tint adapts to auto, dark, or light mode |
width
The track a block rune occupies.
| Attribute | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
width | "compact" | "narrow" | "content" | "wide" | "full" | — | Maximum width constraint for this block |
| Not available | Why |
|---|---|
| dropcap, reading | this rune declares no prose body |
| frame | this rune declares neither a `frameTarget` nor a media section |
| prominence | this rune has no page-section header |