Publishing a website or software documentation with GitHub Pages has been simplified to a three-step process: creating a repository, committing a Markdown file, and activating GitHub Pages. These improvements streamline the publishing experience by rendering all Markdown files without requiring YAML front matter, using a README as the default index, and applying a minimal theme if none is specified. Pages automatically receive a layout and titles are extracted from the first header if not explicitly set. Users can still customize appearance through their own layouts or styles, and potential issues for advanced Jekyll users are addressed with options to exclude certain files or disable features with a .nojekyll file. These enhancements are implemented as open-source Jekyll plugins, making the process transparent and customizable.