Changing a Blogger Blogspot.com Template

If you read this blog now and than you might notice things look a little different this morning... That's because the template I was using wasn't working for me! I believe I did something at some time and cause a little glitch which resulted in a graphic refusing to allow itself to be replaced.

After messing around with my HTML template code it's very possible I just put something in a spot and caused a problem. Not sure and it became clear that as a blog publisher I had a few choices.

I could hunt and peck looking for whatever had caused the graphic to be stuck in the header and I might or might not figure it out?

or

I could go through the relatively painless-but, time consuming process of an extreme blog make-over.

Truthfully, it really isn't that difficult to change template for a blog. The trick with changing a Blogger Blogspot template is transferring the various page elements (or as they are now called Gadgets). And, even transferring the blog gadgets isn't that technical but, rather time consuming more then anything else.

I simply take a few steps to make it just a little easier. I just use my computer system NOTEPAD and open up each blogger gadget I would like to keep and copy the code inside to the notepad. Once the new template or theme is uploaded I will be able to retrieve the gadget code and just drop in into the new layout.

I save the Notepad documents and then before doing anything else back up the existing template or theme. There are two ways to change how your blog appears when using the Blogger Blogspot tools. The first is by selecting one of the themes offered and just picking that theme. Often this choice is simple and many of the gadgets will transfer.

The other choice is to find a theme you like either free or paid for by a blog template designer. If this is a choice then the change is made under the HTML editing under the Layout area. Once you have a template you like, downloaded and unzipped it can be uploaded right at the top of the HTML editing area. These kinds of changes usually make it necessary to save all the code for the gadgets and often deletes the gadgets in the existing code. If it's been saved it's only a matter of going back and putting all the gadget code back into the right spots in the page element area. A step that isn't very difficult but takes time, selecting all, copy and paste...

I always suggest starting a private Test Blog before messing around with a template change on an existing blog. As wonderful as it is to have some many options created by talented people--not every template is perfect and depending on the possible problems a blogger may find a template just doesn't work for their needs.

The other major thing to keep in mind if you have a well developed blog or using tracking code inside of the HTML is that some of that code placed directly in the HTML will be lost with a template change as well. It there is code from Feedburner for the FeedFlurl or and paid blogger or tracking code directly placed inside of your blog HTML it would be a good idea to also copy that code on the Notepad before uploading a new template.

The place I find most of my template is from another woman who is making her blog something special. I really love Amanda's Blog Templates offered at Blogger Buster. I selected this template Grid Focus which is one of Amanda's newest XML Templates and so far I love it!