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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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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bX Codes, Diagnosing "Error 500", Being Reported

We're seeing a few reports from blog owners, in Blogger Help Forum: Get Help with an Issue, with blogs being inaccessible.

My blog can't be seen at all, it just says error when I'm trying to open my blog. I also can't edit anything, like HTML or Template.

When the blog is viewed, it will issue one of several bX codes. So far, I've identified bX-3o92c2, bX-ppgc07, bX-tqn3zr, bX-v2vqfh, bX-vg1g6a. When the blog is viewed, using an HTTP trace, the trace will terminate, showing an old friend.

Error 500 Internal Server Error

What we appear to be seeing is multiple bX codes, being used to diagnose the various causes of the "Error 500", which has long plagued Blogger blog owners.

The "bX-v2vqfh" and other errors appear to be "500 Internal Server Error".

Here, we see a "bX-vg1g6a".

And an HTTP trace, for the same blog, shows the ubiquitous "Error 500 Internal Server Error".



So, the blog owner should get a new template - or restore from backup.

The simplest solution, to the "Error 500" has been to restore the template, from a recent backup - hoping that you have a usable backup. If a backup is not available - or if the blog, with the backup applied, also returns a bX code - you must get a new template.

The fortunate blog owner, able to login to Blogger with the right account, will have a relatively simple task.

1. Click on the "Design" link in the navbar.
2. Choose a new template - or restore from a previous backup.
3. Use "Edit HTML", and reset the post template.

If the blog has a custom template, that cannot (should not) be trashed, and the Template page can be accessed, a backup before getting a new Blogger template - and a restore after - may provide relief.

In either case, you will need to use the dashboard Template page - then reset the post template, using Template "Edit HTML".

In some cases, the dashboard can't be accessed. In this case, we must (with some effort) access the Template page, directly.

Possibly a little effort may be required.

1. Extract the BlogID, from the navbar "Design" or "New Post" link.
2. Build a Template page access URL.
3. Access the Template page, using the direct URL.
4. Choose a new template - or restore from a previous backup.
5. Use "Edit HTML", and reset the post template.

If the navbar link can't be used, a little more work is involved.

1. Find a cached copy of the blog, before the template broke.
2. Extract the BlogID, from the cache source code.
3. Build a Template page access URL.
4. Access the Template page, using the direct URL.
5. Choose a new template - or restore from a previous backup.
6. Use "Edit HTML", and reset the post template.

Finally, if possible, recall what changes you made, immediately before the problem was observed - and avoid repeating those changes.

Note that some blogs absolutely won't provide access to the Template page - but they may, to the Template Editor aka "Edit HTML".

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It appears that #Blogger Engineering, in an effort to diagnose the annoying "Error 500 Internal Server Error", has recently activated or added a series of bX codes - which are being reported by various blog owners.

We were some time ago advised to have the owner get a new template, when encountering the "Error 500".

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