GitHub Pages Jekyll plugin whitelist limits custom plugins

Problem Overview

Local Jekyll builds can load any plugin declared in _config.yml. When the same repository is enabled for GitHub Pages, the build fails if a plugin is not on the official whitelist (e.g., jekyll-redirect-from). The build log reports the plugin as disallowed and the site ends up serving a 404 page.

Unresolved Decision

GitHub has not announced a public mechanism for expanding the whitelist or for providing a built‑in alternative that supports arbitrary plugins. Users can bypass the restriction by configuring a GitHub Actions workflow to build and deploy the site, but this adds CI complexity.

Key Questions

• What is the current process, if any, for requesting the addition of a custom Jekyll plugin to the GitHub Pages whitelist?
• Will GitHub consider a future release that allows users to specify a custom plugin list for Pages builds?
• Are there any documented best‑practice patterns for maintaining a Jekyll site that relies on non‑whitelisted plugins while still using GitHub Pages?