Reset Blogger custom domain to blogspot sub-domain

There are bloggers who have converted their blogspot blog to custom domain, but then changed their minds and want to switch back to blogspot. Previously, this was very easy done. One just need to go to Settings > Basic > Publishing and there will be a visible link to reset it back to the blogspot sub-domain.

Blogger, being fond of torturing bloggers now with their new UI (User Interface) have for reasons only known to themselves hidden it.

Now you will still need to go to Dashboard > Settings > Basic and in the section for PUBLISHING and, pay attention, click the obscure X to delete the custom domain and presto, the blog will revert to its previous blogspot sub-domain. Why on earth Blogger do not display the blogspot URL for us see and easily know what to do, why, that is just beyond me.

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Delete blog or change URL: What happens then?

Previously, bloggers are strongly advised against deleting blogs and what happens to the blog URL blog URL if you delete the blog. For reasons, see Why you should not delete a blog and what to do if you change the URL of a blog.

However, because Blogger has been informed of spammers grabbing deleted blog URL for spamming purposes, the practice of releasing a blog URL the moment the blog is deleted has been discontinued. Now if any Google Blogger blogger delete his or her blog, the blog URL is no longer released for others to register, but is kept for the original creator to claim back later.

The reason for this post is because of many questions and requests for help related to the above, and rather that repeating the same thing, if I ever get another question related to this, all I need to do is to point them to this post.

The most recent one is about a very fortunate blogger who wanted a particular blogspot URL which had already been registered by someone else who didn't do anything or didn't do much with the blog and the blog had been left neglected. In this particular very rare case, the blogger was able to contact that blog owner who is very cooperative. The blog owner deleted the blog so the intended new owner can claim it. As expected, she could not do so.

However, not all is lost provided the previous owner is willing to cooperate. All she has to do to to contact the previous owner again, requesting him or her to register that deleted blog again, and then invite the intended new owner to become co-author via Dashboard > Settings > Permissions. Once she has accepted the invitation, the cooperative old owner can make her administrator, and then remove himself or herself. Once this is all done, the blog have found a new, loving owner.

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Accidentally delete blog: What to do

Accidentally deleting blogs are not rare occurrences as in the default BASIC tab for Blogger SETTINGS, the DELETE button is just below the SAVE SETTINGS button.

Previously, once you delete a blog, the blog URL become available for anyone to grab, and spammers have automated programs to quickly grab the URL of a deleted blog to use for spam blog (splog), taking advantage of any existing PageRank of a blog rather than starting from scratch. That was the reason for publishing this post - Why you should not delete a blog and what to do when you accidentally delete a blog or change the blog URL.

However, Blogger has wised up to this and now if you delete a blog, the blog URL is reserved for you to claim back later. So if you have accidentally deleted a blog, what you can do is to create a new blog using the old blog URL. Now I myself have not tried this when this was made known to me, and hope to do that one day and report the result at Testing Blogger Beta (now New Blogger). In the meantime, if you had accidentally deleted your blog, try this and please report the result by leaving a comment for everyone's benefits.

What if you change the blog URL instead of deleting it?

We have been informed that when you change the blog URL, the blog URL will be released for others to register it.


RELATED POSTS;
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Restore deleted Google/gmail/Blogger account
Recover deleted blog
How to Recover accidentally deleted post
How to recover deleted comments

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Can I have a blogspot URL that is long not updated or without any post?

This question comes up very often and in fact I just got one. A blogger tries to get the blogspot.com URL he wanted, but someone has already taken it but has not updated it for long time or may even not have made any post at all. Question is, can he have the URL? Short answer at the bottom of post, in red.

Long answer:

1. According to Blogger policy, blogspot URL do not expire. That means theoretically, they are forever. However, if it has been identified (rightly or wrongly) as a spam blog, there is a possibility that the blog will be deleted and the URL becomes available again and then you can have your go for the URL.

2. According to Gmail policy, if there is no activity on your Gmail account for 9 months or more, your Gmail address can be deleted. If you use that Gmail address as the username for a Blogger account, and it has been deleted, it is likely that the same may happen to your Google account together with the blogs (this may also apply to the blogger whose URL you want).

Amazon products for Blogger

But what if the Blogger account is started with a non-Gmail email address like, for example, Yahoo?

Yahoo, when it first started, says their email addresses are for life (what exactly "for life" is up to you/them to interprete). Now when you start a Yahoo email address, that message no longer appears, so I don't know what are their current policy is. However, if you don't sign into a Yahoo email address, it will be deactivated. I am guessing that if you use a Yahoo email address for your Blogger (Google), you have less chance of getting your Blogger (and Google) account getting deleted, together with the blogs.

I am testing what are the actual effects of all these mentioned at Will Blogger blogs ever be deleted?. The results wouldn't be known for some time.

So if you are eyeing a particular blogspot URL, if for any reason the blog is deleted, you can have a go at the URL.

Other possibility is to try to contact the blog creator and ask if he or she is willing to release it to you. Unfortunately, frequently, the profile in not made public, and even if it is made public, they may have chosen not to display their email address. In this case, you have no recourse.

But you have alternatives. You can become creative and alter the URL a little bit. For example,

http://bloggerfordummies.blogspot.com

is already taken (by me), but your can try

http://blogger-for-dummies.blogspot.com

which may even be better because according to WebCEO, search engine cannot distinquish between words made into a compound word, but they can if you separate them using hyphen. This can be good for SEO (Search Engine Optimization) as the URL is given high weightage by search engines according to WebCEO. Further, if you jumble many words into a single compound word, you may end up with something that may convey a meaning very different from your original intention, some of which can be very embarrasing. You can find some funny examples in Webmasters who didn't think when they registered their URL.

Note that using hyphen in URL is controversial, and I am hoping to find the time to research the subject further. Also check the comments to read what Jan had to say about hyphen in URL

You can also try adding an extra word to an already taken URL. For example,

http://health-information.blogspot.com/
may be already taken, but you can try


http://good-health-information.blogspot.com/

If you are creative, there will always be a way around a problem.

BLOGGER WILL NOT HELP YOU GET A LONG UNUSED BLOGSPOT URL

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