Default usage is a quick and easy way to install any of the Kit’s starter. You install the starter as any other Gatsby starter, using the gatsby new command.

gatsby new [NEW_DIRECTORY_FOR_YOUR_SITE] https://github.com/greglobinski/gatsby-starter-kit.git

The command is equivalent to the one below.

gatsby new [NEW_DIRECTORY_FOR_YOUR_SITE] https://github.com/greglobinski/gatsby-starter-kit.git#blog-with-content

Note the #blog-with-content flag at the end of the repository url. The flag informs Gatsby CLI the installation should be based on the blog-with-content branch of the repository.

If you omit the flag, like in the first example, Gatsby CLI will use the master branch to built your site.

The master branch of the Gatsby Starter Kit repository contains code of the blog-with-content branch plus some, irrelevant from this point of view, stuff e.g README.md.

Do you want to install different starter? Use different flag.

gatsby new [NEW_DIRECTORY_FOR_YOUR_SITE] https://github.com/greglobinski/gatsby-starter-kit.git#website-with-content

With or without content?

For every Kit’s starter, there are three git branches in the repo. Let’s take a closer look at the Website starter. Three following branches relates to the starter:

• website
• website-with-content
• content-for-website

With Default usage always install chosen [starter]-with-content branch. Like below.

gatsby new [NEW_DIRECTORY_FOR_YOUR_SITE] https://github.com/greglobinski/gatsby-starter-kit.git#website-with-content

Website installed with command …

gatsby new [NEW_DIRECTORY_FOR_YOUR_SITE] https://github.com/greglobinski/gatsby-starter-kit.git#website

… will throw errors when you will try to start dev server. So remember, always choose [starter]-with-content branch.

You may ask, for what are all these other branches? And that’s the subject of Advanced usage :)