Click On The "X" (If You Can Find It - And If You Mean To Do It)

The custom domain publishing form, in the dashboard Publishing wizard, causes confusion.

Occasionally, we see evidence of the confusion, in Blogger Help Forum: Something Is Broken.

I need to cancel my domain - but Blogger won't let me!

or

I clicked on my dashboard, and now my blog isn't published to my domain!

These blog owners, and more, are perplexed by the Publishing overlay form, displayed for a blog published to a custom domain.

The custom domain overlay, in the dashboard Basic - Publishing wizard, is very elegant. The overlay design is similar to forms used by Blogger and Google+, to display photos.

The "overlay" form is appropriately designed, for its use. The form follows the function - and reflects the status of the blog. For all that, it's diabolically subtle.

The normal display, for a blog published to BlogSpot, is a simple box, containing the current BlogSpot URL - and an "Edit" link, used to change the published BlogSpot URL. If this blog were still published as "bloggerstatusforreal.blogspot.com", for instance, I would see

bloggerstatusforreal.blogspot.com Edit

Clicking on the "Edit" link, I would get the wizard, to re publish the blog under a different BlogSpot URL.

The display for a custom domain published blog overlays the normal BlogSpot URL box. With this blog published as "blogging.nitecruzr.net" (but still retaining the BlogSpot URL "bloggerstatusforreal.blogspot.com"), I see a simple box.

blogging.nitecruzr.net Edit X
bloggerstatusforreal.blogspot.com redirects

This simple box "overlays" the previous box.

bloggerstatusforreal.blogspot.com Edit

This justifies the use of the "overlay" design, I suspect.

If I want to return the blog to the "bloggerstatusforreal.blogspot.com" published URL, I have to simply click on the "X", to the right of "Edit". The "overlay" box closes - as the blog is re published, to the BlogSpot URL.

It's that simple.

• When I can see the "X".
• When I understand what the "X" is intended for.
• When I intend to return the blog to the BlogSpot URL.

At other times, not so simple - not so obvious to everybody - and not so appreciated.

If you were to request assistance, in the forum.

How do I publish the blog back to BlogSpot?

The answer should be very simple.

Click on the "X".

How elegant - and how non useful. In strict online etiquette, it's rude. Since you are requesting assistance, it's possible that you don't see the "X" or do not understand its function.

To avoid causing more frustration, I provide some detail.

Click on the "X", to the right of the "Edit" link".

To make sure that I am instructing you properly, I first must make sure that the blog is properly published to the domain. I request verification of what you are seeing.

Please provide a screen print, showing the Publishing wizard, in the dashboard Settings - Basic display.

Later seeing the properly produced screen print, which indicates the blog properly published to the domain, I can then reply, confidently.

Click on the "X".

Such is life, in the Blogger elegance.

And, if you "accidentally" happen to click on the "X" without meaning to do so, your domain promptly (within limits of cache expiration) goes offline, as the blog only responds to a BlogSpot URL.

Oh yes, the "Edit" link, visible when the blog is published to the domain, does lead to an essential function - the ability to select the option.

Redirect nitecruzr.net to blogging.nitecruzr.net

Again, not always a good idea.

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Blogger Magic - Republishing A Custom Domain Published Blog

Sometimes, when you have a Blogger blog, published to a non BlogSpot URL, you may need to repeat the publishing process.

Maybe, you want to change the BlogSpot or domain URL - or maybe the previous publishing did not complete, properly. If the blog is currently published to a non BlogSpot URL, you can't just publish it, again. You have to start by publishing the blog back to a BlogSpot URL, before you can again publish the blog to a non BlogSpot URL.

Given the right planning, and understanding of the tasks involved, you can do all of this in 5 minutes - less time than it will probably take you to read these instructions.

The republishing process is not complicated.

1. Publish the blog back to BlogSpot.
2. If necessary, make any necessary changes in BlogSpot.
3. Publish the blog to a domain URL.
4. If necessary, enable the domain root redirect setting.

To publish the blog back to BlogSpot, you'll use the Blogger dashboard Publishing wizard, at Settings - Basic.

• Look at the Publishing display.
• If the blog is published to a custom domain, click on the "X".
• If the "X" is not visible, you'll need to know where it should be - and you can click where it should be visible.
• If the blog is currently published to a BlogSpot URL, you may skip this step.
• If the final objective was to return the blog to BlogSpot, you are now done.

While the blog is (temporarily) published to BlogSpot, make any necessary changes. Maybe, change the BlogSpot URL.

To publish this blog (or another Blogger blog that you own) to a domain URL:

• Return to the Publishing wizard, for the blog in question, and click on "Add a custom domain".
  • Publish the blog back to an already purchased or used domain URL, by clicking on "Switch to advanced settings".
  • Alternately, purchase a different domain, using "Buy a domain for your blog".
• If you use the most common DNS addressing, aka "asymmetrical DNS addresses", be sure to only publish to the "www" alias.

Use the available and working redirect setting, to enable the domain root redirect, if necessary.

When you publish to a domain URL, you may have to add domain ownership verification. In this case, you'll need access to the Zone Editor wizard, provided by the registrar. If you originally used "Buy a domain" to purchase the domain, you'll need access to Google Apps, to access the registrar login instructions.

Other than the domain ownership verification, the republishing process is just a matter of 1 - 2 - 3 (maybe - 4). Having done this, be aware of the possible search engine relationship issues.

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