How to install Hugo on Windows 10

So Hugo is one of those things that I've dabbled with, struggled with, cursed at, and celebrated. I am once again diving into the realm of trying to make Hugo create a nice looking website for me once again. So I've had to install it on my system.

I wanted to share this quick tutorial of installing Hugo on my Windows 10 machine to start the journey with ya'll. 😊

Download the Hugo latest version

First thing to do is go and download the latest release of Hugo from their official download area - Hugo GitHub Releases. You are looking for the Source Code Zip file format.

With that file now on your machine you need to get Hugo installed...

Install Hugo

Take the zip file that you've just downloaded and extract it, I always extract to C:\Hugo\bin

Environmental Variables

We now need to set an environment variable. If you hit the Windows key on your keyboard and then search for environmental variables, the first results should be how to edit your environmental variables.

Click on Environmental Variables at the bottom of the dialog box that is open. Click on Path in the top half of the next dialog box and edit that.

Now enter the path you extracted Hugo to. In my case this will be C:\Hugo\bin.

Test Install

To test the install open up a PowerShell command shell or a Command Prompt and type in hugo version

You should get back information on the version that has been installed!

You can now go off and use Hugo to build some funky websites! 😉

Comments

[Sarah Lean 🏴󠁧󠁢]

Thanks Dariusz, there are tons of ways to do the install. I walked people through ONE way.

I prefer WinGet to Chocolatey, it's built into Windows to help you manage software installs. 😉

[Deef]

I also stopped using Chocolatey a while back in favor of winget.

If winget supported powershell script for install like choco does, we would have hugo via winget. But winget needs actual installers it seems:

From the docs (docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/p...
The winget tool supports the following types of installers:
EXE
INNO
NULLSOFT
MSI
APPX
MSIX
BURN

[Sarah Lean 🏴󠁧󠁢]

Thanks @Deef, I used to work at Microsoft and worked closing with the Winget team... ;-)

[Deef]

And now you work at Octopus Deploy!
I've set that up in 2014 and we are still actively using that today! Love the product.

[Javier]

I have installed hugo with winget but my terminal doesn't recognize the keyword hugo when 'hugo server' any tips?