How the Google Page Creator shutdown may affect your blog

By Wiktor Gworek, Software Engineer (Krakow, Poland) 

A while back, Google announced that they were shutting down Google Page Creator and offered users the option to upgrade to Google Sites. In the past, some custom template designers used Page Creator to host javascript, a file type that Google Sites does not support. Since a number of bloggers use templates that rely on files hosted on Page Creator, we realized that links to those files would break once the migration from Page Creator to Sites was complete.

Fret not! Rather than see our users' templates break, we built a tool to preserve these links and host the affected files. To find out if your blog is affected, login to your Blogger Dashboard. If we've detected that your blog template contains links to Google Page Creator, you will see the following warning:

If you see this warning, click Update and review to access the Blogger Template Fixer and correct the links on your blog. (Note: you may not notice any problems with your blog until Page Creator shuts down over the coming days). Visit our Help Center to learn more about fixing your template.

Also, if you have issues fixing your template, let us know at the Blogger Help Group.

Deactivation Of The Google Sites Or Start Page Service

Unsolicited redirect to a Google AdServices, Sites, or Start page is a very common cause, right now, for the well known custom domain symptom "Another blog is already hosted at this address". And, it's a reasonably easy symptom to correct.

Start by logging in to Google Apps.

• If you're not registered for Google Apps, you'll have to register. Now that the Free Google Apps is not provided, you may have to setup a Trial version, to use Google Apps.
• If you just purchased your custom domain, using the "Buy A Domain For Your Blog" wizard, you're going to have to find your registration information and login to Google Apps.
• If you just bought your domain directly from eNom or GoDaddy (not using "Buy A Domain"), or from a third party registrar, you're going to have to setup a new Google Apps account, to start.
• Do not delete the Apps desktop account - deletion of the Apps account will not accomplish anything.

Then, deactivate the AdServices, Sites or Start Page service.

• When you login, you will be at the Google Apps Dashboard. If you're logged in using an account with administrative authority, you'll have the links that you need, there in front of you.
• You disable and enable a service, and set the publishing address, from the service settings screen.
• If simply disabling the service in question is not productive, you'll need to recycle the service settings. This will involve slightly more work.

If your Apps dashboard does not include a shortcut for the service that's a problem for you, you may be able to add that service to the dashboard, then deactivate it. If the service in question isn't on your dashboard, and you can't add it to your dashboard, then you'll have to do the full domain settings recycle, to methodically reset the "Another blog is already hosted at this address" symptom.

The Google Apps Services

You install and activate any needed service, using the "Organization & Users" - "Services" wizard.

The Service Settings Screen

You disable a service, and set the publishing address, from the service settings screen. You access the service settings screen using the "Settings" menu entry on the far right - or the "View all settings" dashboard link.

The CustomURL Screen

Besides the multiple mappings which may be active for Sites, you can display all installed services, and their mappings, using the CustomURL screen.

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Note:

• Having disabled the service, or removed the web address mapping, never forget to publish back to Blog*Spot, then re publish to the custom domain.
• If simply disabling the service in question is not productive, you'll need to recycle the service settings. This will involve slightly more work.
• Do not delete the Apps desktop account - deletion of the Apps account will not accomplish anything.

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