Google Blogger FAQ

Expandable Post Summary FAQ

2008-10-30T04:11:00.000-07:00

What is expandable post summary

Expandable post summary is a favorite Blogger hack especially with those that writes very long posts that takes forever to scroll down, and they would like to have just a short summary ending with a READ MORE or READ THE REST OF THE POST link which one can click to see the whole post.

Expandable Post Summary hacks

The latest hack is the jQuery expandable post summary (method 1) which only requires 2 steps in editing the template. However, according to jQuery expandable post summary test, jQuery expandable post summary test 2 and jQuery expandable post summary test 3, this hack will work well for those who don't have many gadgets to slow down the downloading. If you have lots of gadgets slowing down the blog, you will initially see the whole post, and the post will be summarized only when the blog is fully downloaded.

If you don't like that, you should try older expandable post summary hack (method 2).

Examples of blogs with expandable post summary

Good Health Information (method 2)
Holidays and festivals (Method 1)
Investment and money (Method 1, wait until blog fully downloaded to see the post summary)
Career and you (Method 1, wait until blog fully downloaded to see the post summary)

bx Error code troubleshooting

2008-09-26T22:28:00.000-07:00

What should one do when we get one of those infamous bx error codes when trying to do something?

Well, one of the thing you can do is to report the problem to report bx error

In the meantime, you can try using a different browser. I have many browsers in my computer as I find that very useful. You can also try to clear cache and cookies.

Recently I had problem changing to a 4 column Minima template getting error code bx-jdokxi in the process.

This was how I solved the problem. My first attempt was to first temporally changed to the standard Blogger 2 column Minima template available via Blogger LAYOUT ("Pick new template") to try to clear whatever is in the template that is causing the problem, and then try to change to the 4 column Minima template. This didn't work because somehow, some gadgets (Page Elements) were not deleted as expected. What I then did was to delete all the gadgets (Page Elements) via the LAYOUT, then uploaded the 4 column Minima template. This time I succeeded - no bx error code.

bX-jdokxi

Scroll box FAQ

2008-08-22T02:34:00.000-07:00

Here are links to various posts related to scroll boxes:

How to make a scroll box
Scroll box for long URLs, long unbroken lines, etc.
Scroll box for images
Scroll box for labels
Display HTML tags in scroll box

AdSense in Blogger FAQ

2008-08-16T00:12:00.000-07:00

Below are posts related to AdSense and Blogger:

AdSense in New Blogger template

Incorporate AdSense ads in New Blogger post
Incorporate AdSense ads in Blogger post and wrap text around ad
AdSense ad or search box at top of every page in New Blogger

Below is an old post. Ignore the bit about AdSense having problems That was was when Blogger Beta was first introduced. The problems have been solved. Describe how to add AdSense Ad (good for link unit) and search box:
Search box and AdSense ad in blog Header
If above not clear, read the post below:
Additional "Add a Page Element"s

AdSense ad or search box in blog Header and above every page

AdSense in Old classic Blogger templates

How to add AdSense to your blog (also applicable for New Blogger)
Where in old Blogger classic template to paste AdSense script
Adsense ad below blog post
AdSense ad after each post

A good guide as to where to paste various things in old Blogger classic template so as to display in desired positions:
Old classic Blogger template tutorial Part 1
Old classic Blogger template tutorial Part 2

Blogger Video FAQ

2008-07-06T23:05:00.000-07:00

embed Youtube in blog post
Music and video for your blog
Video chat for your blog
Embed Live Video into your blog
Youtube video downloader

testing embedding Youtube video part 4
testing uploading video to Google Video
testing embedding video Part 3
testing embedding Live Video
testing embedding video in blog
testing uploading video direct from Blogger

Blogger video uploading is now out of beta

Graphics in blog Header

2008-06-05T09:02:00.000-07:00

Here are all the post I have related to graphics in the blog Header:

Clickable graphic in post header

Adding a graphic to your blog header

Adding graphic background to your blog header

How to put an image or a logo on the side of the Header

Another way to add graphic to your header

Special fonts for your clickable image Header without removing the text title without removing the important blog text title

Add graphic to blog Header the easy way

Migrating, editing, changing, backing up Blogger templates

2008-04-17T15:10:00.000-07:00

Here are posts related to migrating, editing and changing Blogger templates, both old Blogger classic templates as well as New Blogger (xml) templates. In the case of old classic Blogger templates, once you save the backup template, putting it back again will put back everything you had before. Not so for the New Blogger xml template. Whenever you change a template, very often, you will get a warning messages about some Page Elements which will be deleted. Thus in addition to backing up xml templates, it is also important to backup any Page Elements that can be backed up, mainly HTML/Javascript and List and Text Page Elements. Not sure about other Page Elements like Picture Page Elements as I hardly use them. Will appreciate your feedback about your experience. Some Page Elements cannot be backup, like Link List, Profile, Labels and Blog Archives. The last 3 need not be backed up as you can add them back again from the LAYOUT, but you will lose the Link List or what bloggers call the blog roll. Once you lose this, you will have to redo from scratch. That is why I prefer to use HTML hyperlink tags for creating Link List as they can be backed up and you can easily make the links open in new tabs or windows if you want. Plan to publish 2 posts about this, and if I am late and you need it, do remind me by leaving a comment.

Here are the lists of posts related to migrating, editing, changing and backing up templates, including Page Elements. If you find anything missing, leave a comment to alert me:

How to migrate a classic template to a New Blogger template

Changing template

Backing up and changing New Blogger Template

How to backup New Blogger template and edit the template

Backup Page Elements

Expandable post summary

2008-04-09T08:18:00.000-07:00

This (expandable post summary) is a popular request although often not asked for in name. There is also a section on expandable post summary and search engines at the bottom of the post.

Expandable post summary for blogs using New Blogger (xml) templates

Please refer to

Expandable post summary for New Blogger

This post has received many favorable comments including many saying they got frustrated with the one in Google Blogger Help pages itself and found the above easy to follow and understand. One in fact said he tried using the instructions there a few times, and failed. He followed the above and was successful the first time. Hope your path will be as smooth.

Expandable post summary for blogs using old classic Blogger template

While the real old classic Blogger is dead, buried, but is not forgotten. Some may be very attached to their old classic Blogger template. Some may like certain themes like for example, Furniture and stuff for the home, which uses an old classic template. Some may have chose to host the blog on their own in which case they will be forced to use the old classic template.

For those still using the old classic template for their blog and want the expandable post summary, please refer to

Expandable post summary for old classic Blogger.

Expandable post summary and search engines

I have done some tests on how search engines see posts with expandable post summaries and the result is at

Expandable post summary and search engines

Blogger and AdSense

2008-04-07T06:20:00.000-07:00

Signing up for a Google AdSense account

Please refer to All about AdSense.

Generating scripts for Google AdSense products

Please refer to
Generating scripts for AdSense for Content ad units

Generating scripts for AdSense products

Blending colors of ads with colors of the blog or website

Please refer to
Blending colors of your ads with the colors of the web page

Blending colors of your ads to the colors of the house

Get blog indexed by search engines, increase link popularity, PageRank, search engine visibility

2008-03-19T23:39:00.000-07:00

Questions about why a newly created blog or website cannot be found by search engines are very common. Before your blog or website can be found, they must first be indexed by the search engines. Nowadays, nearly all blogs and websites, given time, will eventually be indexed by search engines if you are patient, but you may want to try to hurry it up. However, even after it had been indexed, it should also be ranked highly by the search engines, otherwise, even though your blog or website is in the SERP (search engine result page, it may be in the 800th page, and you will have to click on "Next" 799 times to get to see your blog or website.

The way to increase search engine visibility is to get more inbound links (links pointing to your blog or website) from other blogs or websites, especially those with high PageRank, leave relevant comments (DON'T SPAM) in blogs which has the "nofollow" attribute for comments deleted, submit your blog or website to directories, especially DMOZ (Open Directory Project) which Google uses to make its own identical Google Directory. (Hint: the "nofollow" attribute had been deleted from my major blogs)

Here are posts on how to find out if your blog or website had indexed by search engines, how to submit your blog or website to search engines, how to improve link popularity and PageRank and increase search engine visibility, etc.:

Is my blog indexed. If not, how to get it indexed quickly

How to get indexed by Google and other search engines

Fastest way to get indexed by search engines

How to get high PageRank

DMOZ or Google Directory, the most important directory

There are lots of directories and also directories focused on specific areas such as blog directories, and if you have the time, you should submit your blog to blog directories. I plan to make a post on how to submit blogs to blog directories and a listing of blog directories, and if you are in a hurry, bug me to do it quickly. However, one very easy way to get your blog into a blog directory is described in a post in the link below where not only can you get your blog listed in MyBlogDirectory without any difficulty, you can even have your own blog directory to put in your blog:

How to make a blog directory for you blog

Somewhere above, mention had been made about leaving comments with link to your blog or individual post page (permalink) in blogs in which the "nofollow" attribute had been deleted. You can also do the same for your own blog and leave relevant comments with active (clickable) links to your own individual post page (permalink).

Improve link popularity and PageRank by removing "nofollow" attribute for comments

The post below may not improve the PageRank of your blog, only that of your Profile, but if you make the links to your blogs, it will help bring more traffic to your blogs if you have made them visible in the Profile (I think it is also a good idea to make visible as a Profile is another website, and any active (clickable) links in that website (Profile) add more links to your blogs for search engines to count and follow:

Profile directory - increase traffic

Questions about why a newly created blog or website cannot be found by search engines are very common. Before your blog or website can be found, they must first be indexed by the search engines. Nowadays, nearly all blogs and websites, given time, will eventually be indexed by search engines if you are patient, but you may want to try to hurry it up. However, even after it had been indexed, it should also be ranked highly by the search engines, otherwise, even though your blog or website is in the SERP (search engine result page, it may be in the 800th page, and you will have to click on "Next" 799 times to get to see your blog or website.

The way to increase search engine visibility is to get more inbound links (links pointing to your blog or website) from other blogs or websites, especially those with high PageRank, leave relevant comments (DON'T SPAM) in blogs which has the "nofollow" attribute for comments deleted, submit your blog or website to directories, especially DMOZ (Open Directory Project) which Google uses to make its own identical Google Directory. (Hint: the "nofollow" attribute had been deleted from my major blogs)

Here are posts on how to find out if your blog or website had indexed by search engines, how to submit your blog or website to search engines, how to improve link popularity and PageRank and increase search engine visibility, etc.:

Is my blog indexed. If not, how to get it indexed quickly

How to get indexed by Google and other search engines

Fastest way to get indexed by search engines

How to get high PageRank

DMOZ or Google Directory, the most important directory

There are lots of directories and also directories focused on specific areas such as blog directories, and if you have the time, you should submit your blog to blog directories. I plan to make a post on how to submit blogs to blog directories and a listing of blog directories, and if you are in a hurry, bug me to do it quickly. However, one very easy way to get your blog into a blog directory is described in a post in the link below where not only can you get your blog listed in MyBlogDirectory without any difficulty, you can even have your own blog directory to put in your blog:

How to make a blog directory for you blog

Somewhere above, mention had been made about leaving comments with link to your blog or individual post page (permalink) in blogs in which the "nofollow" attribute had been deleted. You can also do the same for your own blog and leave relevant comments with active (clickable) links to your own individual post page (permalink).

Improve link popularity and PageRank by removing "nofollow" attribute for comments

The post below may not improve the PageRank of your blog, only that of your Profile, but if you make the links to your blogs, it will help bring more traffic to your blogs if you have made them visible in the Profile (I think it is also a good idea to make visible as a Profile is another website, and any active (clickable) links in that website (Profile) add more links to your blogs for search engines to count and follow:

Profile directory - increase traffic

Video and blogs

2008-03-03T00:45:00.000-08:00

These are all the posts I can find related to video. I have to time to check. Will appreciate your feedback by leaving a comment:

Testing embedding a video in Blogger (youtube)

testing uploading of video to google video and embedding it into a post

Testing embeding video (Google Video) Part 3

Testing embedding video (Youtube) Part 4 autostart don't work

Music and video for you blog: Another easy way

Video chat for your blog

Video direct upload is now out of beta (Blogger in Draft)

Video Direct out of beta (Blogger in Draft)

How to embed LiveVideo in a post or sidebar
(This post will show how to edit a script for embedding a post to fit into any part of a blog as long as you know what width is that part, is such a way that the video remains undistorted. This will be for blogs with fixed width templates. For blogs with fluid width, that is more difficult as width are in percentage, not pixels, and one would normally want to set the width to the lowest denominator which in most cases, are for visitors with small screen or screen resolution of 800x600).

For Youtube video, there are 2 widths and 2 heights to be edited and is described in one of the post above. I have no time to check, and if you happen to chance upon that post, please alert me by leaving a comment so I can add that information in this post

Music and blogs

2008-03-02T00:49:00.000-08:00

These are posts related to music:

Add music to your blog

Add music to your blog an easy way

eSnip music player in sidebar

Invisible background music player for your blog

Install invisible music player in your blog: Why I advice against it

Embedding Imeen Playlist into your blog

Embeding music player in your blog with Imeen

Install Apple Quicktime may make a MP3 music player work again

I am very short on time and have no time to check the above post. If you have any feedback, will greatly you leaving a comment in the post.

Video for Blogger

2008-03-01T20:17:00.000-08:00

Here are all video related posts I could find:

Video chat for your blog

Video direct upload is now out of beta (Blogger in Draft)

Music and video for you blog: Another easy way

Testing embedding a video in Blogger (youtube)

testing uploading of video to google video and embedding it into a post

Testing embeding video (Google Video) Part 3

Testing embedding video (Youtube) Part 4 autostart don't work

Video Direct out of beta (Blogger in Draft)

Now Peter Chen is really short of time and have not checked all the posts above. If you read any of the above posts and find something lacking, not relevant or have problems, alert me by leaving a comment in the post.

Changing fonts for New Blogger

2008-01-28T12:12:00.000-08:00

This post gives instruction on changing fonts using standard methods provided for by Blogger

Changing fonts and colors for New Blogger

If I remember correctly, the following posts will involve editing the template to change the fonts. Now, if you ever want to edit your template, first read

Backup New Blogger template PLUS Page Elements before editing template

This post gives more detailed instructions on how to backup Page Elements (not all Page Elements can be backed up, but most like Profile, Archives, can be added back again from the LAYOUT if such Page Elements get deleted when changing to different template:

Backup Page Elements

The rest of the posts I believe give instructions on how to change fonts by editing the blog template. If I am wrong, please alert me by leaving a comment in the post:

Changing the sidebar font

Change font size of blog Header

Change font size of blog footer

Change blog title font from uppercase to lowercase

Change blog title and description from all uppercase to only the first alphabet uppercase

I have not really studied the problem in detailed, but I believe Blogger, using the method in the first post above, only give limited choice of fonts to choose from. If you want different and unique fonts in the form of graphics, have a look at this post:

Free fonts for your blog

However, if you want to add to the choices of fonts for your blogs using the first method, more work may be involved, and testing that to see how it can be done will take time, and time is one commodity I am in very short supply. But I have done a quick test, and hopefully that may give you some idea as to how to proceed. If you tried and have some experience to share, please leave a comment.

Change text font: Quick test

Ways to increase traffic (visitors) to blog or website

2008-01-27T07:01:00.000-08:00

These are various post related to ways to increase traffic (visitors) to your blog or website:

How to build traffic to your blog

How to get free traffic to your blog

Another way to get more traffic to your blog

Yahoo answer: One more way to get traffic to your blog

How BlogExplosion can "explode" traffic to your blog

Profile directory - increase traffic to your blog

Increase traffic: Add interests, favorite movies, music, books to your Profile

Increase traffic - rssHugger

How to increase earning from blogging

2008-01-23T21:54:00.001-08:00

Not infrequently, bloggers are not satisfied with what they earn from their blogging activities. So I am putting here a response to a blogger who asked exactly that question in one of my post:

Earnings proportional to traffic

Essentially earnings depend on traffic (visitors). No traffic = no earning. See
How to build traffic to your blog
How to get free traffic to your blog
Another way to get more traffic and increase PageRank
Use Yahoo Answer to get traffic
Profile directory - increase traffic to your blog
Increase traffic: Add interests, favorite movies, music, books to your Profile
Increase traffic - rssHugger

Relevant ads, blending ads, optimization

Getting relevant ads, optimization, blending of ads with website is also important:

How to get more relevant ads
Incorporate adsense ads in your new Blogger post
Incorporate AdSense ads in post and wrap text around it
Adsense between posts
How to improve earnings from your site
Gettind ads relevant to your site content
Blending colors of your advertisement to the colors of your site
Blending colors of your search box to the colors of your site
What is the best template for your blog for AdSense

Try alternatives to Google AdSense:

Alternatives to Google AdSense (own)
Alternatives to Google AdSense
Kontera ContentLink
Success with Payloadz: How I did it (unless you have your own digital products to sell, you can get frequent but small earnings with Payloadz)

NOTE: You have to get a balance between putting your ads in prominent places, easy navigation for visitors plus not overwhelm visitors with too much ads. See poll at Blogger Tips and Tricks.

Peter Blog*Star
Environmentally friendly presents

New Blogger 3 column templates (mostly)

2007-12-24T20:48:00.000-08:00

Here are some third party 3 column New Blogger templates (my favorite). There may be some (very rare) 2 column ones, I can't remember:

New Blogger template modified by Stavanger

Dots New Blogger template with Header

New Blogger templates modified by Ramani

New Blogger templates by Isnaini

New Blogger templates by Thur

Ramani's New Blogger Neo template

New Blogger template by Final Sense

New Blogger templates by BloggerBuster

3 column New Blogger template for publishing large photo, scroll box, tables, etc. modified by Stavanger

All of them have been tested and have demonstration (test) blogs. There are more to come when I get the time to add them. This post will be edited as I keep on adding more templates.

coming soon

2007-12-14T15:58:00.001-08:00

coming soon

Contact Me

2007-01-25T21:26:00.000-08:00

I can be contacted at

You will have type in the email address yourself. My suggestion is to open a Notepad file, minimise both if necessary so that you can see both at the same time, type in the email address as you view this page, copy-paste the email address into your email COMPOSE form.