[How To] Change blogger template

How to install new theme in blogger

First of all you have to download a blogger template, which can be bought from web sites like Gooyabitemplates. You will get a zip file includes the theme, documentation and supporting files. I have downloaded a sample free theme from the above site, shown below

Downloaded compressed theme file | Blogger

Extract the compressed file and find the .xml extension file as shown in the below image, and that is the theme file

Theme file blogger

So. now login in blogger, and select the blog that you want to apply the theme, and find the Theme option from the side bar as shown below image

Theme | Blogger

Click on the Theme option and a new page will load in the right side as shown below image

Theme Manager | Blogger

You could change your blogger theme in two ways.

1. Upload downloaded xml template file

To do this click on the Backup/Restore button, then a new window will popup by asking two things, one is backup your existing template and another one is choose theme file and upload it. Theme will automatically applied after upload.

It is better if you backup the existing template before uploading a new theme

Backup file is also an xml file.

Theme Backup/Restore Blogger

Click on the Download theme button to download your existing template as an xml file. Choose file button helps you to browse your downloaded theme file from your hard drive and after opening the theme file Upload button will be enabled, and click that button to upload the theme. If there any tag is not properly closed in your downloaded theme file, it will not be uploaded and applied. You need to check the theme file manually for the missing tag (you can do, if you have at least minimal knowledge in HTML).

2. Alternate way to apply theme via Edit HTML in blogger

As you have seen in the Theme Manager page, there is another button under the Live Preview option called Edit HTML, click on that button to open your blog template live HTML editor page. Page will look like

Edit HTML | Blogger

The HTML editor in the page contains, all HTML codes defined for your blog. Just select them all and open your downloaded theme (xml file) in a Notepad in your computer and copy all the HTML codes as shown in below image

Downloaded Blogger Template Copy

and paste it in the HTML editor in the Edit HTML page of blogger. After that click on Save theme button to save the new theme. That's all.