Swapping URLs Between Two Blogs

Sometimes, you have 2 blogs - and you decide that maybe the content of one blog would really be better under the URL of the other blog.

Content might include any or all of comments, posts, reader population, structure. That's not so important - if you swap properly.

Maybe you want to keep both blogs, so deleting one would be stupid. The good news is that swapping the two is not all that difficult.

If either blog is mature, you really should plan this change, with some care.

Consider use of a carefully written script, for best protection. Make all of the necessary decisions, before starting.

A BlogSpot to BlogSpot swap is 3 steps, basically.

Just use the dashboard Publishing wizard, at Settings - Basic, and Edit the Blog Address, 3 times. You can do this in 5 minutes, with the right planning - and opening the dashboards for both blogs, simultaneously. Opening both dashboards in 2 tabs - or two browsers - lets you view both blogs and compare results.

1. Make sure that both blogs are owned by the same Blogger account.
2. Re publish Blog A to a temporary URL (we will call URL 3).
3. Re publish Blog B to the former URL of Blog A (we will call URL 1).
4. Re publish Blog A to the former URL of Blog B (we will call URL 2).

Keep the task simple - and do everything in the same 5 minute period of time, to prevent a URL hijack.

A custom domain to custom domain swap is slightly more complex.

If a custom domain is involved, plan just a bit more detail (please do this).

1. Make sure that both blogs are owned by the same Blogger account.
2. Publish the blog with the custom domain URL (we will call it Blog A) back to BlogSpot, to URL 1.
3. If there is a second blog currently published to a custom domain, publish it back to URL 2.
4. Re publish Blog A to a temporary URL (we will call URL 3).
5. Re publish Blog B to the former URL of Blog A (we will call URL 1).
6. Re publish Blog A to the former URL of Blog B (we will call URL 2).
7. If desired, re publish Blog A to custom domain URL 2.
8. If desired, re publish Blog B to custom domain URL 1.

This procedure can have side effects.

If you use Blogger Following to drive your followers community - and cherish the followers cloud on the blog face, be aware. With Blogger Followers, people follow a blog - not a URL. Your Followers will remain on the old blog, even after you swap URLs.

Prevent accidents - plan, then execute, using a script.

Do this whole procedure quickly, though - don't plan to start it one day, and finish the next. Prevent confusion, and exposure. If you leave the current URL available for a few hours, it could be hijacked and used for purposes that you don't appreciate.