If you are building a blog, it’s important to back it up and not just rely on Blogger or some other platform (like WordPress) to keep it archived and safe.
I’ll show you how, and what, to back up on Blogger, since that is the platform most of our readers are using.
Back up your template…
Backing up your template does not save the CONTENTS of your blog posts, but does save all the settings for your blog like columns, widgets, theme and other design elements. It’s important to back up your template BEFORE making any changes to it, just in case you hose it up.
To back up your template:
- Log in
- Go to the Layout tab
- Go to “Edit HTML”
- Click on “download full template”
- Save this file
You may not know what it means, or what to do with it now, but you’ll be glad you have the backup template if you really mess yours up or lose it.
Back up the contents of your widgets…
It’s important to know, and most people find out that hard way, that backing up your template does NOT back up all the contents and settings of your widgets. It just backs up the presence the widget. So when you restore your template you then get to wonder “where are all the nice links I put in that widget”?
The only way to restore those links is to re-enter them manually. That’s a pain, but it’s even a WORSE pain if you don’t have a copy of those links.
The way to make a back up copy of them is to open your blog in a browser. Under the file menu, choose SAVE AS (or something similar depending on the browser) and save a complete copy of your blog page. This will at least give you a list of whatever is contained in your widgets in case you have to restore your blog for some reason.
Back up your posts…
You don’t want to spend weeks, months or years writing posts and putting up pics only to have them deleted, corrupted or lost for some reason. While you may not know how to use the download export file (it’s in a certain technical format), the content of your blog IS saved and at least you’ll have it. It can then be imported back into a new blog if needed or a web savvy dude can work with it.
- Log in
- Go to Settings
- Click on “Export blog”
- Save the file to your hard drive
One drawback is that only LINKS are saved to images, not the images themselves. Which brings me to my next point…
Create a “book” copy of your blog….
I’m experimenting with a piece of software I’ve created called “Blogger to Book”. It sucks everything out of your Blogger blog, and puts it into a Word file, including all the images. It puts the content and pics exactly as you have them formatted on your blog.
I made this software because I wanted to periodically create “books” from our blogs to archive them, and have them as keepsakes.
Again, the content looks exactly like it was on your blog (the content, not the theme, sidebars or other columns). In Word, it can then be polished up, or left as is.
My question is this… if I created a service for the public that would take your Blogger Blog and archive it all into Word file, it would probably cost $49-$69 or more for larger blogs with hundreds of posts. It’s not a free thing because it involves me having to actually do the work using my software*. In other words, you would get the Word file with the contents of all your blog posts, pics and all, for that price.
*I’m not going to sell the software because I then have to get into technical support, patches, customer service, etc which is not something I want to do.
Is this capability/service something anyone is interested in?
There is one other service out there that does something similar, but it is a tedious page by page creation and costs alot more. And you do not get a Word file that can be formatted as you see fit. You are stuck using their software, their templates, their features. Having a Word file means you can do with it whatever you want (I would also offer format and design for those who want ME to polish up their book for them).
My service would be straightforward and inexpensive: suck the contents of your Blogger blog posts into a Word file as is… send you the Word file.
Thoughts?
And quit putting off backing up your blog template, widgets and content. Go do it right now and stop procrastinating.
~ Brent
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{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
I’d love for you to look at my blog and give me an estimate about the cost of making it into a book-I think you have an amazing gift and am thankful you share new information and tips so freely. Thank you!!
Brent,
I would be VERY interested in this and I think I have a load of friends who would be too. I have been spending too much time on Blurb trying to reformat my blog book because it put all my words together at the beginning of each post and all the pictures together at the end of each post. I want my captions to remain in between each picture. Are you already doing this? If so, I would like to have some books made… please contact me when you can. Thanks!
Yes! Blogger to Book is a great concept; thanks for taking your time and brains to think it up and make it “do-able.”
And thanks too, for sharing your backing up the blog stuff; good info!
I think this is a great idea. The thought of needing to back up my blog has been nagging me, but I’ve had no idea how do it. Thanks for being so generous with your knowledge. I’m going to try exporting my blog right now.
Hi: I would be interested. I think I would like to do this once a year. Maybe I can contact you in January and pay you to do it for me? Thanks for all your information. Martha
Brent,
I would be very interested!! My MIL has been begging me to back up my blog, and I dunno how to do it, nor do I have the time to learn! Anyway, I would love to do this once every six months. Someone mentioned doing it once a year. A year is a lot of content to lose though.
At any rate, I'm very interested, and I'm interested in you posting more about this! Am really enjoying this blog. Thanks so much for putting it together!
~Brenda
I would be interested since my blogging is for memories and keepsakes.
The Blogger to Book concept is fabulous!!
I just downloaded my blog! Thank you so much!
And I am VERY interested in having your services to get my blog into a book. Would you be willing to do individual books as well, for example of label searches? So I can make a preschool book for my 4 year old, or a Tot School book for my 2 year old, etc? I can already think of 3 or 4 books I would like!
Oh, can it be put on a pdf or Pages file? I live on my Mac.
I look forward to hearing more!
THANK YOU for these tips!!! I've been thinking we should be finding out how to do this.
Lucy
Wow, thanks for this info. Brent, I am looking into publishing my blog for my 1yr blogoversary. I am using the service from TCBOTB.com
I'm really not that computer literate, so I'm not sure if I'm gonna like it or not. I haven't quite figured out how to delete posts & pics etc that I don't want. Just and FYI!
Brent, I might be interested in a blog to book service.
thanks for this tip! Will do this on the weekend!
Yes! I would love to be able to blog to book. Especially for a low price! That's pretty much why I am blogging instead of the old school handwriting journaling w/out pics. I hope to do this at least once a year. It will be good to be able to edit with my own familiar Word as well.
Thanks for the info on how to back up. I would hate to be at the "end of the year" and not have anything to show for it!
Thanks again!
I think this is a great idea! Creating a book using Blurb's Booksmart, which is what I'm assuming you are referring too, isn't always an option for everyone.
As a blog book designer I am always intrigued by how others make hard copies of their blogs. It is incredibly time consuming to do what I do and even though I love my job, I would have no problem referring people to you when a person's request fits more in line with what you do!
Keep us posted on your progress on this project!