Some blog owners, who publish multiple blogs with different subjects, may decide that some subjects would be better discussed in a different blog.
With various posts published in one blog, the owner may decide that those posts should be published in a different blog, to continue discussion. The question now is how to move posts, from one blog to another?
The dashboard "Export / Import" feature, which is now labeled "Import & back up", lets us copy pages and posts from one blog to another. Just copying all pages and posts, though, will create problems with duplicated content.
If you are going to move specific posts from one blog to another - and continue to publish both blogs - you have to add extra steps to the process.
Use "Import & back up", on the Settings - Other dashboard page.
- Export all content from the first blog.
- Import all exported content, to the second blog, as "Imported".
- Publish imported content, selectively, in the second blog.
- Delete content re published, from the first blog.
- Setup custom 404 or custom redirects, from the first blog.
- Remove imported yet un published content, from the second blog.
Export all content from the first blog.
Using the "Import & back up" wizard, on the dashboard Settings - Other page for the first blog, click "Back up Content". This will export all pages and posts, in the blog, to the file which you select.
To make it easier, label the posts that you want to "move" to the other blog, before you start "Back up Content".
I labeled my posts "Move".
Now, "Back up Content", from the first blog.
Use the file manager provided by your operating system, to create or select a file / folder, and actually save the file.
Import all exported content, to the second blog, as "Imported".
Using the "Import & back up" wizard, on the dashboard Settings - Other page for the second blog, click "Import Content" - then find and select the file just created. This will import all pages and posts, as exported from the first blog - and place the imported pages and posts in the special "Imported" status, on the Pages and the Posts dashboard pages.
Continue with "Import Content", to the second blog.
Select the file that you just created, above.
And having Imported everything, there are the posts - including those labeled "Move".
Publish imported content, selectively, in the second blog.
Using the "Pages" and "Posts" dashboard pages, select the newly activated "Imported" menu, as you wish. This will list all imported pages and posts, in turn.
Find the pages and posts that you want moved, select them, and click "Publish". If you labeled the posts to be "moved", simply display, and Publish, all posts with the designated label.
And, I Published the posts labeled to be "moved".
Note that, once Published, the "Imported" status is cleared.
Delete or revert content re published, from the first blog.
To prevent problems with search engines detecting duplicate content, you can delete or revert to draft status, each post in the first blog, the you just re published in the second blog. If you revert to draft status, you will have backed up content and a recoverable page / post URL.
Again, if you labeled the posts, you can delete or revert posts using the label.
Setup custom 404 or custom redirects, from the first blog.
You cannot use a custom redirect to automatically redirect from the first blog to the second. You can, however, setup a custom 404 page, in the first blog - or make custom redirects to a custom 404 page, in the first blog - advising the reader that the post just requested is now part of the second blog.
The reader will still have to intentionally click to jump into the second blog - but until Blogger blogs are not used as spam hosts, this will be necessary to avoid making your blog look like a spam host.
And as noted, please don't use this technique to re use a single blog. Duplication prevention will generate suffixed URLs, for pages and posts exported then imported to the same blog.
Remove imported yet un published content, from the second blog.
As a type of basic hygiene, once all of the posts are moved ("published"), remove all imported content that isn't published. If you ever repeat the exercise, you won't enjoy the duplicated content, that you will have to identify, from having Exported then Imported, twice.
The "Import & back up" #Blogger dashboard wizard can be used to copy pages and posts, from one blog to another. Actually moving content requires more than just exporting from one blog, and importing to a second blog.
http://blogging.nitecruzr.net/2016/06/blogger-magic-export-from-blogger-blog.html
https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!category-topic/blogger/hJ-WrGwnIFo
This month, we are again seeing evidence of recent security changes by Microsoft. We see signs of continued frustration, in the process of publishing comments - and publishing posts, as part of the Import process.
In the process of diagnosing an apparent comment publishing problem, I ventured into the comment publishing experience, yet again.
I temporarily tweaked commenting permissions for this blog, to allow anonymous comments and to require the CAPTCHA.
With CAPTCHA required, I published a test comment to my earlier post in this blog.
I did my best - which was not good enough.
CAPTCHA solving continues, as a challenge.
I entered a test comment, and made appropriate selections.
I got a challenge.
"Select all the food."
I did my best.
Apparently, my best was not enough.
"Select all images with a store front."
I tried again. Not all images here were completely obvious, either.
My second try was successful.
Hmm.
Select all the food.
Zoom in on the fourth image, above - and tell me which pictures, that I did not select, are food? To whom? Will zooming always improve chances of success?
CAPTCHA solving, as spam interdiction, will always lead to frustration.
There will be cultural issues - and resolution problems - with CAPTCHAs. This version of the CAPTCHA beats the one from several years ago - but still will cause frustration.
And need I again point out - will require proper filter tuning, on each computer used. Note that ongoing changes by Microsoft are currently affecting publishing comments - and publishing posts during the Import process.
And our experience may very, depending upon many different details, varying by blog, by computer, and by person. My sympathies to all who must deal with spam - and with spam interdiction.
The CAPTCHA continues to be an unavoidable element in comment publishing and other episodes of #Blogger life. And like life, some episodes are more pleasant than others.
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.
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.
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.
Not all blog owners understand the connection between page / post import, and spam limitation.
We see the occasional question, in Blogger Help Forum: Get Help with an Issue, about page / post import, and daily publishing limits.
Why I can not import content, to my blogs?
Note that "Automatically publish" is selected, in the blog discussed here.
I've suggested a few times that use of "Automatically publish all imported posts and pages" is a bad idea, when importing many blogs - because it abuses the computer and home Internet connection.
Here, we see another reason for not using "Automatically publish".
Import, with "Automatically publish", will exceed the daily publishing volume.
Blogger limits daily posting volume. Any blog with more than 40 - 50 pages / posts, when it is exported then imported, will be a problem - if "Automatically publish" is selected during "Import".
"Sorry, you have exceeded the maximum number of entries."
If you import, and publish as you import, you will exceed the daily publishing limit. Your import will fail - because you are publishing more than the daily limit.
Without a daily limit, spammers could flood post their blogs.
If this limit was not in place, spammers could flood their blogs with pages and posts, by simply creating multiple blogs with multiple pages / posts, export from each blog, then import to other blogs - and publish while importing.
If Blogger is to control spam, they have to limit page / post publishing. With the daily limit of 50 pages and posts / 24 hours, that is slightly more than 1 page or post every 1/2 hour - allowing for no sleep, or other non blogging activity.
People have to be encouraged to do something, besides publish - or how do you get material, for the blog? If people are going to publish a blog - and do other things besides publish a blog - there has to be a daily limit.
Genuine blog owners have to not spend all their time publishing their blogs.
Blog owners need to be encouraged to publish blogs with informative, interesting, and original content - so people will read the blogs, and search engines will index the blogs. Automated blog content, a favourite way of "bulking up" a blog with spam, has to be discouraged, to give genuine blog owners a chance.
Without a daily limit, people who publish blogs with personal content would be at a disadvantage to spammers who publish pages and posts with automated content. Using Import, with no limits, would be an excellent way to publish spam in a never ending daily activity.
Use "Import & back up" in 3 steps, to avoid the limit block.
- Export pages and posts, from one blog.
- Import pages and posts, to a second blog.
- Publish imported pages and posts, at a limited rate, selectively.
That is the best way for genuine blog owners, to use the Export / Import ("Import & back up") option.
#Blogger has a daily page / post publishing limit, to encourage blog owners to publish blogs with informative, interesting, and original content. Automated page / post publishing is allowed - but subject to a daily limit.
Without a daily limit, spammers would abuse the Blogger infrastructure, with mass produced and scraped content - and Blogger would become one more spam haven.
Blog owners who need to export blog content are reporting confusion, in Blogger Help Forum: Get Help with an Issue.I'm trying to export my blog, but when I click "Settings > Other", there is no "Export" option!
Not all blog owners realise that the "Export" wizard is now "Back up".
Changes in functionality may perplex blog owners, too.
There are various ways to use "export" and "import" features, that may involve Blogger, and non Blogger content hosts.
Not all content will transfer, equally well - whether a Blogger or non Blogger host is involved, as either the source or target. The Blogger blog owner, using "Import & back up", will be responsible for resolving any differences.
"Import & back up" is now used to export and import Content (pages, posts & comments).
"Import Content" is used, as previously.
"Back up Content" is the former Export wizard.
"Import Content" is used, as previously.
When you import content, consider the multiple possibilities of XML files.
- Archive / Backup comments, pages, and posts.
- Archive / backup templates.
- Publish newsfeeds in Atom and RSS.
Observe the nature and source of any XML file, whenever importing. "Import Content" will work best, with comments, pages, and posts backed up from Blogger.
- It may, or may not, work with content Backed up ("Exported") from other content hosting services.
- It may, or may not, work with templates, Backed up from Blogger or from a third party source.
- It won't work, with newsfeed content - or other XML data files.
And, as always, be careful when using the "Automatically publish ..." option, any time you import content.
"Back up Content" is the former Export wizard.
"Backup Content" will be most useful, when used to Import content to another Blogger blog. It may, or may not, work to Import content to another content hosting service.
"Backup Content" is most useful, when you plan how to use the content being backed up. And you will benefit, from regular use.
When moving content from, or into, another hosting service, note limitations.
Every content hosting service - Blogger, Tumblr, WordPress, and many many others - will have their own data management policies. A backup / export file, created under any one service may, or may not, work under another service.
If you experience problems, you'll be arbitrating diagnostics provided by the source and target tech support groups - whatever you can find. You will be the point person, in dealing with any problems that involve multiple hosts.
Moving content between services is not a project for the beginning Blogger blog owner. It's similar in complexity to using a Blogger custom domain outside Blogger.
The recent redesign of the #Blogger dashboard "Export / Import" wizard, at Settings - Other, has perplexed some blog owners.
Not everybody knows that "Backup" is the same task as "Export". And few blog owners understand the complexities of using XML type files, with different sources and targets.
Occasionally, we see evidence of wistful thinking in Blogger Help Forum: How Do I?.How do I make an exact copy of my blog, to another URL?
This should be a simple enough task - but it's not.
Before planning to clone a blog, using exact content, design, and layout, one should always bear in mind the search engines, and the possibility that both a clone may be subject to search engine duplicated content penalty - which may affect both blogs. Search engines want to index one copy of everything. When there are multiple copies of a given post on the Internet, all copies must be treated with suspicion.
When planning any cloning operation, we must consider the essential elements of a blog.- Accessories and Gadgets. There is currently no easy way to copy XML based accessories from one blog to another.
- Blog Address. This is unique for each blog, and cannot be cloned. All blog content, which refers to the blog address (URL) must be updated. Internal links must be edited, to point to other articles within the target blog. External references to the blog may or may not need to be updated, to point to the new address.
- Comments and Posts. Blog "articles" written by blog members and visitors can be copied from the source blog to the target blog, using the Export / Import wizards. Note one known caution, which should be observed when Importing content.
- Layout and Template. The blog template can be copied from the source blog to the target blog, using the Template backup and restore wizards.
- Blog Reputation. As with any new blog, this will start from scratch. All external links and references - whether the search engines, or the user community in general - must start from zero. This will be vaguely similar to the process of renaming a blog - with the exception of the reputation of both the source and target blogs, as noted above.
Some people, mindful of the inability to copy an XML based accessory / gadget, will suggest extracting the HTML rendered equivalent, from a blog source listing - then creating an HTML gadget in the target blog, using the extracted HTML from the source blog. This is a possible workaround, with several downsides.- This will be a manual and repetitive process, one gadget at a time.
- Any gadgets, copied this way, will be based on HTML, and can't be maintained using an XML wizard.
- The content of any gadgets, copied this way, will be static.
One specific accessory, Followers, is a part of both the source blog, and the Followers community - the collective profiles owned by all of the Followers. The Followers gadget simply cannot be copied, from one blog to another.
Other than the exceptions of the Accessories, and of the Followers community and gadget, almost any Blogger blog can be cloned - with the proper planning and understanding.
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