Introducing WebholeInk

Today I’m officially announcing WebholeInk — a new, open-source blogging platform built for people who want to publish on their own terms.

WebholeInk is not trying to be “the next social network.” It’s not trying to replace WordPress for everyone. And it’s definitely not trying to turn your website into a funnel.

It’s being built for a different kind of creator:

  • the builder who self-hosts because they care how things work
  • the writer who wants speed, clarity, and ownership
  • the indie publisher who wants a site that stays readable and stable for years

If that sounds like you… welcome to the ink-stained corner of the Webhole.

The WebholeInk origin story

WebholeInk grew out of a simple frustration: modern publishing has become heavier, noisier, and more fragile than it needs to be.

Over the years, I’ve spent a lot of time building and running my own web properties (including dev labs, self-hosted automation, and content sites). The pattern kept repeating:

  • publishing stacks were getting bloated
  • “simple” content workflows required too many plugins and too much glue
  • updates often introduced new breakage, new tracking, or new lock-in
  • creators were pushed toward platforms that own the audience, the algorithm, and the rules

WebholeInk started as a response to that reality:
a platform focused on straightforward publishing, creator ownership, and long-term stability.

What WebholeInk is

WebholeInk is an open-source blogging platform designed to be:

  • Markdown-friendly
  • self-hostable
  • fast
  • clean by default
  • opinionated about privacy and simplicity

At its core, WebholeInk is meant to help you do one job extremely well:

Write. Publish. Maintain your archive. Own your website.

What WebholeInk is not

Let’s be direct. WebholeInk is not built to be everything for everyone.

It is not:

  • a page-builder ecosystem
  • a “plugin marketplace” that requires 40 add-ons to feel complete
  • a social platform with followers and algorithmic feeds
  • an all-in-one LMS, e-commerce suite, or membership engine
  • a heavy “enterprise CMS” optimized for teams of editors

If you need those things, WebholeInk probably isn’t your best fit — and that’s okay.

A complete rundown of the platform

Because WebholeInk is being developed openly, the exact feature set will evolve. But the platform is designed around a clear set of core capabilities and non-negotiable principles.

1) Publishing workflow (the heart of it)

WebholeInk is built for writers who want a sane workflow:

  • Create posts with a distraction-free editor (Markdown-first)
  • Keep content organized with tags and categories
  • Publish with clean URLs and readable formatting
  • Maintain an archive that stays consistent over time

Goal: You should be able to publish great content without fighting the tool.

2) Content structure that stays sane

WebholeInk aims to treat your content like an asset — not a hostage.

Expect an emphasis on:

  • readable content formats (Markdown / simple structured content)
  • predictable organization
  • exports and portability
  • minimal “magic” database gymnastics

Goal: Your work should be easy to back up, migrate, and preserve.

3) Performance and simplicity

WebholeInk is designed to load fast and run lean:

  • lightweight pages
  • minimal runtime overhead
  • clean templates
  • sane defaults instead of endless configuration

Goal: A blog that feels snappy on day one — and still feels snappy years later.

4) SEO without SEO-bloat

You shouldn’t need a stack of plugins just to avoid publishing broken metadata.

WebholeInk focuses on:

  • clean meta titles/descriptions
  • structured content that search engines understand
  • canonical URLs
  • sensible indexing defaults

Goal: Solid SEO foundations without turning your admin into a cockpit.

5) Themes without the circus

WebholeInk supports theming — but with a strong bias toward:

  • clarity
  • accessibility
  • readability
  • long-term maintainability

Goal: Your theme should feel like a design choice, not a dependency ecosystem.

6) Privacy by default

The modern web is drowning in surveillance.

WebholeInk’s philosophy is:

  • no creepy defaults
  • no forced tracking
  • analytics as an opt-in decision
  • no “data broker” behavior

Goal: The platform should respect visitors and creators by default.

7) Self-hosting and control

WebholeInk is meant for people who value owning their infrastructure:

  • deploy it where you want
  • keep your own backups
  • run it behind your own reverse proxy
  • integrate it with your own workflow (automation, Git, CI/CD, etc.)

Goal: You run the platform. The platform doesn’t run you.

Who WebholeInk is for

WebholeInk will benefit you most if you are:

✅ Indie publishers & writers

You want a clean writing experience and a site that doesn’t become “maintenance debt.”

✅ Self-hosters and tinkerers

You like Docker, VPS setups, reverse proxies, and having full control.

✅ Developers who want a content platform that behaves

You want something composable, versionable, and predictable.

✅ Long-term archivists

You care about your content surviving platform trends, plugin churn, and corporate pivots.

✅ People building a personal “home on the web”

Not a profile. Not a feed. A website.

Who WebholeInk is not for

You probably won’t enjoy WebholeInk if you need:

❌ A massive plugin ecosystem

If your workflow depends on dozens of specialized plugins, WebholeInk may feel too minimal.

❌ Drag-and-drop everything

If you want to design every pixel in a visual builder, this isn’t targeting that use case.

❌ Complex marketing funnels baked in

If you want CRM pipelines, ad retargeting, and conversion optimization as the default posture — not here.

❌ Enterprise editorial workflows

Large teams, approvals, granular permissions, and newsroom-style management may be outside the scope.

❌ A social platform with a built-in audience

WebholeInk is about owning your platform — not renting attention.

Where WebholeInk is headed

WebholeInk is being built with a long-view mindset. The goal is not “ship everything fast.”
The goal is “ship the right foundation, then grow without breaking trust.”

As the project progresses, you can expect:

  • clearer docs and install paths
  • a more polished editor experience
  • a stable core release line
  • a roadmap that stays honest about what’s in-scope vs out-of-scope

How you can support or get involved

If WebholeInk aligns with your values, here are a few ways to help:

  • test it, break it, and report what you find
  • suggest features — especially ones that improve simplicity, not complexity
  • contribute code, docs, or design improvements
  • share it with other indie web folks who want a calmer publishing stack

Final word

WebholeInk exists for one reason:

The web is better when people own their websites.

If you’ve been looking for a publishing platform that’s fast, clean, and built around creator control — WebholeInk is for you.

This is the start of the journey. More updates soon.

Welcome to WebholeInk.