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Blogger Magic - Managing The Pages In Your Blog

Some blog owners are never quite sure how to manage all characteristics of the Pages, in their blog.

From time to time, in Blogger Help Forum: How Do I?, we see evidence of the confusion.
How do I hide the Home tab?
or
I can't rename my pages!
Some blog owners may know of one Pages management wizard, but not another. To the untrained eye, it may all seem like one big magic show.

There are actually 3 wizards, which let us manage the pages.
  • The Configure Page List wizard (aka Pages gadget).
  • The Layout wizard.
  • The Pages wizard.

The Configure Page List wizard (aka Pages gadget) is accessed from the Layout wizard, by Editing the Pages gadget. Alternately, if QuickEdit is enabled, use the QuickEdit icon, on the blog itself.

If the Pages gadget is not visible on the Layout display, you may need to add the gadget, before you can Edit it.

To make the Pages gadget function as a horizontal link bar - the most popular layout - you add the gadget into the "crosscol" template section, in the dashboard Layout page. The "crosscol" section, on standard Blogger templates, contains CSS rules which make lists display horizontally.

"Configure Page List" has various functions, to assist you in managing pages.
The Layout wizard is accessed from the dashboard. It has three functions, in managing pages.
  • Provide access to the "Configure Page List" wizard, by Editing the Pages gadget.
  • Relocate / restructure the pages list, by dragging and dropping the Pages gadget.
    • Drag the Pages gadget to the top of the blog layout, and it morphs into the tabs gadget.
    • Drag the Pages gadget into the sidebar, and it morphs into a linklist.
  • Let you add the Pages gadget, using "Add a Gadget".

The Pages wizard is accessed directly from the dashboard menu. It is now used solely to add, edit, and delete static pages, with the same look and feel as the Posts wizard. All other functions, formerly provided by the Pages wizard, are now provided by "Configure Page List".

None of this is magic - though the complementary functions of the different wizards may make one think of a typical MMORPG team. And the recent redesign of the wizards has caused some confusion, being recently discovered.

Comments

Unknown said…
Oh my word. Thank goodness I found your post. I thought I was going mad after spending approx 1 hour trying to figure out why I couldn't make my pages in blogger turn into tabs at the top. Stupid changes they've made.
Unknown said…
OMG, thank goodness I found your page, I finally managed to figure this out. It was driving me crazy trying to find how to insert a new page with search lavel
Mardi said…
I feel very stupid. I cannot find a Pages Wizard on the Dashboard and no place to choose "blank page." I am trying to make a Static page and have read your directions, but I so far cannot figure out where to take the first step.
Nitecruzr said…
Hi Mardi,

It would help to know what you are seeing.

Start a new topic, in Blogger Help Forum: Learn More About Blogger, so we can see what problem you have. If able, come back here and let me know what forum name you are using, so I can find your forum topic.
Bezuslovni said…
Thanks!!!!!!!!!!
I add a page and then add a gadget use the same name example welcome is the title of the page, welcome title of the gadget, both appear on the blow, is there an easy way through the custom redirects to only have the page show.
Really appreciate your wisdom on this site.
I set up a private blog as you advised and entered permissions for subscribers who will have access. However, when I open the blog there is no content (which I presume is because it is private), but there is also no message which I understand there should be as follows: "This blog is open to invited readers only
http://example.blogspot.com/
It doesn't look like you have been invited to read this blog. If you think that this is a mistake, you might want to contact the blog author and request an invitation.
You're signed in as example@gmail.com - Sign in with a different account"
Is there some setting I am missing?
Nitecruzr said…
Andrew,

Thanks for the question!

I'd bet that you are logged in to Blogger - and as the owner, you're not going to see a "private blog" interstitial.

Try logging out - or use Incognito / Private browser mode - and check.

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