Blogger Magic - Export From A Blogger Blog

One of the most useful skills, when maintaining and publishing a blog, is backing up the content.

As you publish a blog, it's a very good idea to periodically backup the content - comments, pages, and posts. Sometimes, backed up content may save you hours of anguish.

Backed up content is not a waste of time or resources.

Backing up content - comments, pages (static pages), and posts (dynamic pages) is a very quick task - that consumes a minimal amount of resources.

Many people will benefit from a daily routine of backup. Backed up content can be used, in a variety of ways - if it is available.

Periodic backup of content is simple - and may save you much inconvenience.

Start from Settings - Other.

Click on "Back up Content".

Click on "Save to your computer".

Some operating systems may leave the browser, to save your content.

Click on "Leave".

Now, you use the file manager provided by your operating system, to select a file / folder, and actually save the file.



"Back up Content" is useful, in several tasks.

You'll find that daily backups uses a minimal amount of time, and computer resources. And even if you don't ever use the backed up content, you will be better off having it.

• Exporting content, to a different publishing system.
• Moving content, to another blog.
• Recovering from a corrupted template.
• Saving updated content.

All of these tasks use the "Back up Content" wizard. Do this regularly - and you won't regret it. Just remember where you save the content. Setup one or more standard folders, on your local computer.

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Using the "Back up Content" #Blogger dashboard wizard is a good task to do frequently - and regularly. It will save you a lot of time and trouble, if ever needed.

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Recovering From A Corrupt Template - The Next Step

There are three possible dashboard wizards, used to recover a blog with a corrupt template aka "500 Internal Server Error".

1. The Template Designer page.
2. The Template page.
3. The Template Editor ("Edit HTML") page.

With most blogs, one of the three can eventually be used, to install a clean, new template - and recover a blog that's offline because of the broken template.

Some blogs, unfortunately, cannot be recovered this way.

Some blogs have templates so badly broken, that no dashboard template wizard can be accessed - and used to restore the blog to operational status.

If there's no way to recover a broken blog by replacing the template, the next possibility is to recover the URL - and install a new blog at that URL.

1. Create a new blog - with a clean, working, Blogger supplied template.
2. Swap URLs between the old and new blogs.
3. Export content from the broken blog - and Import to the new blog.
4. Transfer / update Followers.
5. Rebuild the template, and add gadgets.
6. Provide notice to your Followers, readers, subscribers, and other viewers.

Create a new blog - with a clean, working template.

Use the dashboard "New Blog" button, and create a new blog. You'll only create the new blog, in this case, to recover the URL of the broken blog - so just use a random, non valued URL.

Choose a template similar to the one on the broken blog, from the dashboard Template page - and get your new blog online. Use a Blogger standard template, until you are satisfied that the problem won't continue.

Swap URLs between the old and new blogs.

Hoping that you can access the Settings - Basic ("basicsettings") page - first rename the URL Of the broken blog, to a second random, non valued URL. Then you can rename your new blog - created above - to the URL previously used by the broken blog.



Just Edit "Blog Address", twice, to swap URLs.

First, for the broken blog, to free up the current URL - then, for the new blog, to recover the current URL.


Now, your broken URL is back online, with a clean template - though without content.

Export content from the broken blog - and Import to the new blog.

Use the "Import & back up" wizard at the Settings - Basic ("othersettings") page for the broken blog, and export comments, pages, and posts. Then use the wizard for the new blog, and import the content just exported.

Transfer / update Followers.

If the broken blog uses Blogger Followers for community building, and you had a significant Followers community, the community will remain on the old, broken blog. This is the one down side of recovering a broken template using this technique.

Fortunately, the only specific problem is the effect upon the Followers community. The other half of Following - the blog feed - will be re established with the new blog, which will now have the desired URL being recovered. And the sooner you get the blog back online, the sooner you can rebuild / recover your Followers.

Rebuild the template, and add gadgets.

If you periodically back up the template, as you tweak it, this will be the easiest step in the recovery. Of course, since you are here because the template is broken, maybe you should rebuild the template, one step at a time. Try to not repeat the previous mistake.

Then add gadgets back, one at a time - and test carefully.

Provide notice to your Followers, readers, and viewers.

If you care about your community - Followers, readers, subscribers, and other viewers - a new post, briefly admitting to your mistake might be a good idea. You can even display your new post, as a Featured Post.

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Sometimes, it's not possible to recover a broken #Blogger blog, using any of the Template dashboard pages, with a blog sidelined by a "500 Internal Server Error" broken template. If the URL has any value to you - or your viewers - you can recover it, using a new blog.

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Blogger Magic - Backup The Template

It's always wise to backup the blog contents - and the template.

If you are publishing a blog, you may occasionally make a mistake. Being able to recover from a mistake, using backed up content, is always a good idea.

Blogger provides a dashboard wizard to backup the blog template - and a complementary wizard, to backup blog content - comments, pages, and posts.

Backing up a Blogger blog template is reasonably simple.

The template backup wizard is on the dashboard Template page.

Start from the dashboard Template page.

And click on "Backup / Restore".

Then click on "Download full template".

This will give you a standard file save wizard, that is used by your computer.



The file save wizard will depend upon the operating system.

On my computer, the file save window is "Save file as". Your computer operating system might have a similar wizard - or it may be different.

Other than choosing file and folder (your choice, on your computer) for backing up the template content, you just sit back and let the backup work. Don't wait too long though - a few seconds is all that it should take.

Understand how and why to backup.

Just don't backup blindly - or for the wrong reasons. To be useful, a backup needs to consider how to restore - and why you might restore.

Any backup is more useful, if you plan how and why you might need to restore.

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As you develop a #Blogger blog, making regular backups of the template is always a good idea. Everybody makes mistakes - and recovering from a template coding mistake is a lot easier, if you're able to restore a previous template copy.

https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!category-topic/blogger/-7808eOAZ7c

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"Export / Import" Is Now "Import & back up"

Blog owners who need to export blog content are reporting confusion, in Blogger Help Forum: Get Help with an Issue.

I'm trying to export my blog, but when I click "Settings > Other", there is no "Export" option!

Not all blog owners realise that the "Export" wizard is now "Back up".

Changes in functionality may perplex blog owners, too.

There are various ways to use "export" and "import" features, that may involve Blogger, and non Blogger content hosts.

Not all content will transfer, equally well - whether a Blogger or non Blogger host is involved, as either the source or target. The Blogger blog owner, using "Import & back up", will be responsible for resolving any differences.

"Import & back up" is now used to export and import Content (pages, posts & comments).

"Import Content" is used, as previously.

"Back up Content" is the former Export wizard.



"Import Content" is used, as previously.

When you import content, consider the multiple possibilities of XML files.

• Archive / Backup comments, pages, and posts.
• Archive / backup templates.
• Publish newsfeeds in Atom and RSS.

Observe the nature and source of any XML file, whenever importing. "Import Content" will work best, with comments, pages, and posts backed up from Blogger.

• It may, or may not, work with content Backed up ("Exported") from other content hosting services.
• It may, or may not, work with templates, Backed up from Blogger or from a third party source.
• It won't work, with newsfeed content - or other XML data files.

And, as always, be careful when using the "Automatically publish ..." option, any time you import content.

"Back up Content" is the former Export wizard.

"Backup Content" will be most useful, when used to Import content to another Blogger blog. It may, or may not, work to Import content to another content hosting service.

"Backup Content" is most useful, when you plan how to use the content being backed up. And you will benefit, from regular use.

When moving content from, or into, another hosting service, note limitations.

Every content hosting service - Blogger, Tumblr, WordPress, and many many others - will have their own data management policies. A backup / export file, created under any one service may, or may not, work under another service.

If you experience problems, you'll be arbitrating diagnostics provided by the source and target tech support groups - whatever you can find. You will be the point person, in dealing with any problems that involve multiple hosts.

Moving content between services is not a project for the beginning Blogger blog owner. It's similar in complexity to using a Blogger custom domain outside Blogger.

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The recent redesign of the #Blogger dashboard "Export / Import" wizard, at Settings - Other, has perplexed some blog owners.

Not everybody knows that "Backup" is the same task as "Export". And few blog owners understand the complexities of using XML type files, with different sources and targets.

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Recovering From The Corrupt Template / "Error 500"

We're seeing a few reports, this week, in Blogger Help Forum: Get Help with an Issue, about blogs with broken templates.

I tried to log on to my blog, and it shows up an error message. I've done it several times on different browsers, but no change: the error code is bX-uukqqu.

It appears that the "bX-uukqqu" is from the owner attempting dashboard access. Trying to view the same blog, I see the ubiquitous "bX-v2vqfh".

Both codes reference blogs which show up, in an HTTP trace, with the monolithic message "500 Internal Server Error" - and tells us that this is one more blog with a broken template.

If you, the owner of a blog with a broken template, can access the Template dashboard page, you may be able to recover the template.

Some blog owners report that adding a Template Backup / Restore has helped to resolve their own bX code / "Error 500".

1. Backup the template ("Download full template").
2. Get a clean Blogger standard template.
3. Restore the template ("Upload" the template that you just downloaded).

If you're lucky, your version of the "bX-uukqqu" (dashboard) / "bX-v2vqfh" (public) can be resolved, by a quick template download then upload.



You may need direct access to the Template page, bypassing the dashboard menu - though if you can view the blog, the "Design" navbar link will provide you that ability. If you can't access the Template page at all, you may be able to clear some bX codes, by using the Template Editor aka "Edit HTML".

If any of this works, your blog will be back in service. If not, you will at least have a backup copy of the template.

If the template is still broken, you now have three choices.

1. Leave the blog as it is now, broken - until Blogger Engineering finishes diagnosing and fixing the actual cause of the template corruption.
2. Get a fresh new template. When Blogger Engineering finishes diagnosing and fixing the actual cause of the template corruption, you can try restoring the template copy that you just backed up.
3. Try a persistent solution.

And whether this works - or not - or even if you can't use it, right now, you can have a template backup. And one day, this backup may be useful.

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A few Blogger blog owners, reporting bX codes when trying to access their dashboards, have found that accessing the Template page directly, then doing a quick back / restore, may clear the bX codes. This suggests that Blogger Engineering is beginning to test solutions to the ubiquitous "Error 500" broken template problem, that have been afflicting blog owners for some time.

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Recovering A Broken Template, Using "Edit HTML"

I have, for a long time, recommended regular template backups, for those who like to tweak the template.

Normal backup uses the "Backup" wizard, on the dashboard Template page. When backed up, an XML file, containing the template code, is extracted and saved locally. To restore, the "Restore" wizard is used and a previous Backup XML file selected.

That's how Backup / Restore should work - but it isn't always that easy.

With the current wave of bX codes, being used to diagnose the "Error 500", the Template dashboard page may not be accessible.

This is the case even attempting direct access, using the navbar "Design" link, or a hand generated equivalent.

With some blogs, the Template Editor may be OK - with the Template page broken.

For some blog owners who cannot use the dashboard Template page, the Template Editor aka Template "Edit HTML" may be accessible. This will require using a hand generated URL - since there is no direct link to the Template Editor.

If the Template Editor can be accessed directly, the blog owner may be able to continue.

1. Access the Template Editor for the broken blog, in one browser window.
2. Setup a new blog, using a clean template, in a second browser window.
3. Access the Template Editor for the new blog.
4. Copy the new blog template, to the broken blog.
5. Save the now recovered current blog template.
6. Refresh the post template.
7. Clear cache, cookies, and sessions, restart the browser, and try again.

The blog owner has a possible solution, in this case.



Access the Template Editor for the broken blog, in one browser window.

Use a hand generated URL, to access the Template Editor. If you can do this much, you are well on the way to getting your blog back.

If you truly feel the need, you can backup what's there, before you paste over what you have. Ctrl - A then Ctrl - C to copy - then Ctrl - V, into a new text document - that you can save, at your convenience.

Setup a new blog, using a clean template, in a second browser window.

Blogs are free, so make a new one. Select the "Simple" template, for best results.

Access the Template Editor for the new blog.

For the new blog, you can use the dashboard menu, and Template - "Edit HTML".

Copy the new blog template, to the broken blog.

With the Template Editor window for the new blog, containing a valid template, copy its contents (Ctrl - A then Ctrl - C) - into the Template Editor window for the broken blog (Ctrl - A then Ctrl - V).

Save the now recovered current blog template.

Hit "Save template". And say a brief prayer.

Refresh the post template.

This may not be necessary - but you should consider it. It has saved a few blogs.

Clear cache, cookies, and sessions, restart the browser, and try again.

This is always a good idea, when clearing bX codes.

It's a workaround - not perfect, but it may get the blog going again.

This is not a perfect solution. If you are tired of the bX codes, and if this will get your blog operational, you may find it useful, however. It's also possible that this error is part of a larger problem - and you need a persistent solution.

If you have a template back up, you can apply that after the blog is back in service. And your readers have stopped emailing you with angry complaints. Just use a clean backup.

And test your tweaks, going forward, more carefully.

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Some bX codes, being used to diagnose the "Error 500" condition in #Blogger blogs with broken templates, affect the dashboard Template page. Blogs which have broken Template pages cannot be recovered by getting a new template.

In some cases, with the Template page unusable, it may be possible to directly access the Template Editor - then paste a separately developed clean template into the "Edit HTML" window, and correct the problem.

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How You Should Backup Your Blog Will Depend Upon How You Plan To Restore It

We see signs of naivete, in Blogger Help Forum: How Do I?, from blog owners concerned with malware / spam deletions, and with other unexplained disasters in Blogger.

How do I backup my blog, to protect the contents against unfair spam deletions?

Not many concerned blog owners realise the first principle of backups, known by any experienced network administrator.

• Never plan a backup, without first planning the restore.

How you backup your blog depends upon several details.

• What problem do you expect, to require a backup?
• How do you plan to recover, from a problem?

One of the simplest solutions for a backup, which some Blogger experts will suggest, is to use the Export / Import wizard, in Settings - Other.

• Before disaster strikes, Export your posts and comments.
• After disaster strikes, simply Import your posts and comments, from a convenient backup.

Besides backing up comments and posts, backup the template.

Similarly, some experts may suggest backing up the template.

• Before disaster strikes, use the dashboard Template "Backup / Restore" wizard, to backup the template.
• After disaster strikes, use the wizard to restore the template.

But consider other components, too.

There are many components of a Blogger blog - not just the comments, posts, and template.

• Accessories.
• Comments.
• Decorations.
• Gadgets.
• Posts.
• Layout.
• URL.

Before you plan how to backup your blog, you need to decide which of these features is most important to you, and what problem from which you wish to recover.

Backing up accessories right now is not so easily done.

The accessories (decorations, gadgets) is one component of the blog which is most frequently missed, after a deleted blog is recreated / restored using a "comments / posts / template backup" restore strategy. Both graphic decorations, and XML based gadgets, may not be easily backed up, and may present a challenge when the blog is restored, or recreated.

XML gadgets, such as bloglists and linklists, may contain a lot of detail, which is installed into the blog one entry at a time - and there is no known way to automate a backup or restore of these gadgets.

The URL cannot be recovered, by creating or restoring.

Recovering the URL is one of the most subtle details, that may not always be considered by many blog owners. The URL is relevant in two ways. Most blogs which are important enough, for the owner to want to backup, have acquired reputation - both with people (readers, subscribers, and viewers), and with search engines.

Some blogs will link the various posts to each other - as I do with this blog. In either case, the recovered blog is not as useful, unless the URL is also recovered.

If the blog is deleted, the URL may not be recoverable.

If the blog is deleted by Blogger - or by the owner - the URL may not be available, for blog recovery. When Blogger deletes a blog as a suspected abusive content host, the URL is locked to the blog. The only way to recover the URL is to have the blog reviewed, and restored to availability.

When a blog is deleted by the owner, the blog must be restored by the owner - within 90 days after deletion. In either case, a backup is useless.

If you have a personal blog, containing just posts (and maybe comments from known family or friends), backing up the comments and posts makes sense. For a publicly known blog, containing various accessories, and having a known URL, you'll want to plan your backup / restore strategy using a bit more effort.

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