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**Category:** support\
**Created:** [September 6, 2022, 4:10am UTC](https://discourse.gohugo.io/t/how-to-render-html-content-file-as-template/40392 "2022-09-06T04:10:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1
**Author:**  [@makoven](https://discourse.gohugo.io/u/makoven)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 4:10am UTC](https://discourse.gohugo.io/t/how-to-render-html-content-file-as-template/40392/1 "2022-09-06T04:10:02Z")
đź‘‹ I have home page layout file `layout/home.html` which contains:
{{ define “main” }} {{ .Content }} {{ end }}
It normally displays the contents of file `content/_index.html`, but I would very much like it to not just display, but first render file `content/_index.html` as a template. Is it possible?
(inb: yes, there are shortcodes, but templates are more powerful)
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**Author:**  [@ju52](https://discourse.gohugo.io/u/ju52)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 1:04pm UTC](https://discourse.gohugo.io/t/how-to-render-html-content-file-as-template/40392/2 "2022-09-06T13:04:51Z")
use a partial
> **[Partial Templates](https://gohugo.io/templates/partials/#readout)**
>
> Partials are smaller, context-aware components in your list and page templates that can be used economically to keep your templating DRY.
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**Author:**  [@makoven](https://discourse.gohugo.io/u/makoven)\
**Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 12:12pm UTC](https://discourse.gohugo.io/t/how-to-render-html-content-file-as-template/40392/3 "2022-09-07T12:12:32Z")
Partials don’t work in a content files
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**Author:**  [@ju52](https://discourse.gohugo.io/u/ju52)\
**Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 12:29pm UTC](https://discourse.gohugo.io/t/how-to-render-html-content-file-as-template/40392/4 "2022-09-07T12:29:58Z")
rename content/\_index.html to content/\_index.md
PS: you can set a specifier layout in frontmatter
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**Author:**  [@jmooring](https://discourse.gohugo.io/u/jmooring)\
**Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 3:55pm UTC](https://discourse.gohugo.io/t/how-to-render-html-content-file-as-template/40392/5 "2022-09-07T15:55:17Z")
> [@makoven](#):
>
> render file `content/_index.html` as a template. Is it possible?
No, it is not.
> [@makoven](#):
>
> yes, there are shortcodes, but templates are more powerful
I’m not sure what you mean by “templates are more powerful.” What do you want to do that cannot be accomplished with a shortcode?
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**Author:**  [@makoven](https://discourse.gohugo.io/u/makoven)\
**Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 9:12pm UTC](https://discourse.gohugo.io/t/how-to-render-html-content-file-as-template/40392/6 "2022-09-07T21:12:50Z")
> [@jmooring](#):
>
> No, it is not.
it is sad
> [@jmooring](#):
>
> What do you want to do that cannot be accomplished with a shortcode?
at least I wouldn’t have to wrap all template/partial calls in inline shortcodes…