We spend so much time and effort working on our blogs, why not go the extra mile and ensure your blog is there…even when your host may not be? Today, we’re giving you the tools you need to understand how to backup a Blogger blog.
Backing Up Your Blogger Blog
If you blog on the Blogger platform (aka bloodspot), you may not realize that Google owns your blog. You are using their service for free and they have total control over the storage of your posts and comments. You might be thinking, “Hey, it’s GOOGLE. They are huge and awesome and they’re not going anywhere!” Perhaps. But even huge and awesome companies can have technological mishaps and hacker attacks.
Why Backing Up Blogger Matters
I have read about several cases where a blogger’s blog has simply disappeared. Google couldn’t explain it or get it back. I’ve also read about situations where Google decided to block a blog (not allow you to access or post) for policy violations, even when the blogger did not really (or intentionally) violate any policy. And it can be a long wait battling Google for control of your blog again.
The key to controlling your blog content is to back it up.
There is a very simple way to do this and we’ve laid out the process step-by-step below.
- Log into your Blogger dashboard.
- Click on “Settings“.
- Find the tab entitled, “Basic“. Here you’ll see an option to “Export Blog“. This will allow you to save an xml file directly to your desktop that includes all of your posts and comments.
- From the Export Blog option, click on “Download Blog”.
Back up your blog on a regular basis and you’ll never find yourself at the mercy of Google.
Keep in mind that the above instructions only allow you to backup your content. To backup a customized blog design, you’ll next the take a few extra steps.
- Log into your Blogger dashboard.
- Click on “Design“.
- Find the tab entitled, “Edit HTML” and be sure to click on the box that says, “Expand Widget Template“.
- Finish the process by clicking on the option to “Download Full Template“.
Interested in more blogging tips like this one? Then be sure you do not miss these posts:
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Great post! I had no idea! Thank you!
My post for comment
http://www.adayinmotherhood.com/2011/01/mommy-plays-games-my-guest-post-on.html
Thanks for the tip. I had no idea.
Adventures as a Small Town Mom recently posted..The Triathlon Challenge Bike Search
Twitter: mommyonlyhs2hds
says:
Thanks! I actually went ahead and backed it up after reading this!! Didn’t even know I could do that on blogger!
Heather recently posted..J Mysters First Hair Cut!
MANY thanks!!! I’ve been Googling for 40 minutes in an attempt to figure out how to back up my blog and this is the clearest set of instructions that I have come across. Thank you for making it easy!
Adult Awkwardness recently posted..The vanishing
Thank you so much for this info! I had been wondering, and coincidentally, several of my friends have had their blogs hacked lately. I wish Blogger had the option to do this backup automatically for you. Great advice!
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I always saw the “Export Blog” link in the settings and had no idea that was how to back up everything. So easy… thanks again!
this is SO needed. Thank You! And to Kristen for sending me this way
Im glad I found this out because I had no clue this could happen. Thanks!
Thanks a mil for this! I’ve been getting some strange messages popping up in Blogger lately, so having the ability to back-up my blog quickly, is a godsend!
Jenn
Jenn Erickson/Rook No. 17 recently posted..Snow Cone Cupcakes!
Just finding this now after a little bit of Goggle-fu. Thanks so much. Just what I needed, in easy to understand format.
Twitter: marcytootimid
says:
I am not on Blogger anymore, but your article motivated me to figure out how to back up my blog through my hosting service. Phew, that’s a relief. Here’s my post for comment:
http://www.tootimidandsqueamish.com/2011/07/got-sugar-remove-flavored-milk-from-school-cafeterias/
Marcy recently posted..New Haven Apizza: Pepe’s vs. Sally’s
Thank you thank you for that information. I really have been wanting to know! Here is one of my posts. http://www.camoandbows.com/2011/07/things-i-never-thought-i-would-say-as.html now to check out someone else’s
Thanks again!
Mercedes Hayes recently posted..If only my laundry was this cute all the time!
Thanks for the instructions, I will definitely be backing my blog up now. Does Google still own your blog if you use the blogger platform but have your own domain? thanks, amber
amber recently posted..recycling in the garbage breaks my heart
I have this in my calendar to do on a monthly basis. I don’t blog a LOT so it would be fairly easy for me to recreate my posts if need be (I just changed it to a bi-weekly basis! ha!) I was traveling when the last reminder came through so THANK YOU for your reminder!
Take a look around my blog… comment on whichever post (or posts if you’re so inclined) you’d like. I look forward to hearing (reading) your comments!
http://toquascrafts.blogspot.com/
Toqua’s Crafts recently posted..How much netting goes into a scrubber?
Great post! So glad I have these easy instructions now! Here is a recent favorite post from my blog:
http://www.blog.modmemento.com/2011/07/washed-by-water.html
Twitter: anoptimisticmom
says:
I found many sites about backing up blog but immediately selected this one because I trust SITS!
Optimistic Mom recently posted..Wives! FOOTBALL is POWER
Thank you so much for this post! I’ve got my blog all backed up and safely tucked away on my hard drive. So glad to have done this.
Really GREAT tips..millions thanks to the owner of this pinky & beautiful website..
alkhattabbatik recently posted..FIRST TIME in Malaysia! – NEW YEAR PROMOTIONS
Hi! I just stumble upon your blog after reading some info about google deleting blogs because of dmca conflicts. I don’t want to loose my precious blog ( http://filepool.blogspot.com ) so better back it up. Thanks!
If you really want to be sure, consider switching to wordpress, self-hosted. Then, the site is owned by YOU.
Tiffany
Twitter: GlamKitten88
says:
I am SO glad that you shared this with everyone. I had been simply copying and pasting, but this is way easier.
http://www.glamkittenslitterbox.com/
Twitter: @GlamKitten88
Bonnie recently posted..Social Butterfly – Photo Shoot
Twitter: godsreminders
says:
GREAT info! I actually use Live Writer, so I do have copies saved on my hard drive; but this is still valuable information!
Tristine recently posted..A Heart Overwhelmed
Thanks so much for the tip. I exported then downloaded as per the instructions above. Stupid question I know, but where do I find it on my hard drive?
Thanks again for posting!
Twitter: whisktangofox
says:
Thanks so much for the heads up!
Twitter: TheMommyMess
says:
I so needed this a couple of weeks ago! I just posted about my recent struggle with Google. Many of the pictures from blog are long gone.
Maybe had I backed up it wouldn’t have been a bad thing. WP is looking better by the minute. Great advice, and looks so simple!
Adrienne recently posted..An Open Letter to Google.
Thanks so much for the information…I kept meaning to do this..DONE.
Tricia recently posted..My Favorite Day of the Year…They’re HERE!
Thanks so much. I just backed up my blog for the first time ever.
Grams recently posted..Thank Heaven for Little Girls
Great tip, and easy instructions. Thanks very much! I’ve seen a few blogs hit by this recently so it’s good to know how easy it is to back up.
Emily recently posted..Accepting a friend’s generous offer could save my life – and someone else’s
Twitter: breezy_living
says:
Thanks for the reminder. I had my blog backed up previously, but I need to do it more often for new posts and changes!
Brianna Storch recently posted..Feathers
Twitter: Leslie_Limon
says:
I’m still on Blogger and try to back up both of my blogs once a month. Didn’t do it this month, so thanks for the reminder.
Leslie @ La Cocina de Leslie recently posted..Horchata de Coco {Coconut Horchata}
Twitter: jamieywrites
says:
thank you for the tip!
jamie recently posted..The Fruit of Peace
Thanks for the tip! Super easy but I had no idea!
Mayor Gia recently posted..Dear Boyfriend, Sorry ‘Bout the Crazy.
I just attempted to back up my blogger blog and when I pressed “export blog” it simply gave me all my posts and comments in a feed version of my blog VS a file. Any ideas? Help? Thanks!
Morgan recently posted..Snapshots of the Heart ~ Responsibility
Twitter: gerberrutt
says:
Am I the only one not able to back up my blog this way? After clicking on “settings”, I then had to click on “other”. Then I found an “export blog” link. Clicked on that and the comment “Safari could not update this feed because the source file is no longer available.” Any idea what that means? How to get around it?
Kooki recently posted..Doha Tweetup
Twitter: jamericanspice
says:
I’ve been doing this ever so often too. I like being reminded.
JamericanSpice recently posted..Men Are Scooping It Up Like Candy!
Thanks for making this clear and easy. I have been worried about this for some time and nto sure what to do. I tried other approaches and never seemed to get it done. I did as you said. The content looks odd, but I hope if it ever needs to get imported somewhere it will all make sense.
Thanks for this! Much appreciated!
Kathy Ngo recently posted..magnet overload
Wow, these are amazing tips I’ll definitely be using and just shared it on twitter so others can back up their blog
~Dake
Thanks for this! Just did it after receiving a possibly bogus phishing email from Google. Made me really think about all the work that would be lost if someone hacked my account. Even though your screen captures show the old blogger interface, I was still able to very easily find the export tool. With the new interface it is now under Settings>Other instead of Settings>Basic.
Thanks again!
Larissa recently posted..more floral cards
Thank you! I can’t believe I’ve never done this and it’s so simple.
Janet recently posted..My Memories Suite: Free Photobox Kit
Thanks… did it
Moran recently posted..Solitaire+
Great article thanks! I lost almost all my blog photo thru a smartphone gallery deletion. OMG, I cried. Am now backing up, and to an external drive. Don’t back up JUST to your desktop. Computers crash too
Been down that road…
nancy recently posted..El Nino Predicted This Winter, Blog Photos Gone- Smart Phone Warning
I do accept as true with all the ideas you have offered for your post. They are really convincing and can definitely work. Nonetheless, the posts are very short for newbies. Could you please prolong them a bit from next time? Thanks for the post.