How to Add a New Template to Blogger

How to Add a New Template to Blogger

                                        

Introduction:
Google's Blogger allows users to create and manage blogs for free through their pre-existing Google accounts. While Blogger does allow you to create and manage your blog's template directly from your blog's design settings, there are many more templates available on different sites. Follow the instructions below if you want to update your blog's design to one of these external templates.

Step One:
Choose your template. There are countless Blogger templates available online for you to choose from. Keeping in mind the topic and audience of your blog, choose a template that is appropriate and visually fitting. If you want a free template, BTemplates (http://btemplates.com) has more than 1,000 available for free, immediate download.

Step Two:
Download the template. Make sure you store the file in an easy-to-find location so it will be easy to access when the time comes to upload it onto your blog.

Step Three: 

Login to Blogger. From your dashboard, select which of your blogs you want to add the new template to. Underneath the title of that blog, click on Design. This will allow you to manage the design and layout of your blog.

NOW

Step Four:

Upload the template. You will see the Edit HTML option directly under the Design tab, click here and you will see "Upload a template from a file on your hard drive" near the top of the page. Click onChoose File, and find the folder of the template you want to add to your blog, select the XML file within that folder, and click on Upload.

Step Five:
Preview your blog. Make sure everything displays as you expected it to and that all gadgets and links work as they should. If everything is perfect, skip to step nine.

Step Six:

Add gadgets. There are a wide variety of different gadgets Blogger offers to its users that do not come standard on most blog templates. To add them, simply click on Page Elements under the design tab. You will see a map of the page elements as they are currently displayed. Within the map, click on Add a Gadget. A menu will come up with four different categories of gadgets for you to browse through and pick from.

Step Seven:
Manage gadgets. To ensure each gadget performs like you want it to, click on Edit within each gadget's box and play around with the settings. View your blog from time to time to ensure you like the results.

Step Eight:
Arrange page elements. To move page elements around, simply click and drag them around the map. To delete page elements, click on Edit within the individual element box and click Remove.

Step Nine:
Enjoy! You now have a beautiful, attractive and functional blog. Make posts and updates as often as you like. Remember, you can always go back and change things in the future!

Tip:

Before uploading your new template, you may want to save a copy of your current template in case something goes wrong with the new one. To do this, simply click on Download Full Template aboveChoose File and Upload under the Edit HTML section of the Design tab.