How to Install a Blogger XML Template

Installing a Blogger XML template takes a few minutes, but a careless upload can overwrite widgets and layout settings you rely on. This guide walks through a safe order of operations. Menu labels in Blogger can change over time, so use the wording below as a guide rather than an exact script.

Before you start

Make sure you can sign in to the Google account that owns the blog.
Find the template package you downloaded. If it is a ZIP file, extract it first.
Locate the theme file. It ends in .xml. Other files in the package, such as documentation or demo content, are not uploaded as the theme.

Step 1: Back up your current theme

Open your blog in the Blogger dashboard and go to Theme. Next to the Customize button there is a menu arrow. Open it and choose Backup. Blogger downloads an XML copy of your current theme. Keep it somewhere safe, because it is your way back if something looks wrong.

Step 2: Upload the new template

From the same menu, choose Restore, then upload the template XML file. Blogger replaces the active theme with the file you provide.

Step 3: Review your widgets

Open Layout and check each section. Widgets that do not have a matching location in the new template can disappear or move. Re-add anything missing, such as a menu, a label list or a search box.

Step 4: Check the result

Visit your blog in a private browser window so you see what a new visitor sees. Check these pages on both a phone-sized and a desktop-sized screen:

The homepage
A single post
A label or archive page
The search results page

Common problems

Upload error or parse error. The most common cause is uploading the wrong file, such as the ZIP archive, or a file that was edited and saved with broken markup. Re-extract the original package and try again.

Layout looks different from the demo. A live demo usually has sample content and widgets configured. Your blog needs the same widgets and labels set up. The template’s own documentation should list them.

Something broke and you want to go back. Use Restore again with the backup file from step 1.

What to do next

Set your logo, menu and colors using the template’s customization instructions, then re-check page speed and mobile display before you announce the change to readers.