Click On The "X" (If You Can Find It - And If You Mean To Do It)

The custom domain publishing form, in the dashboard Publishing wizard, causes confusion.

Occasionally, we see evidence of the confusion, in Blogger Help Forum: Something Is Broken.

I need to cancel my domain - but Blogger won't let me!

or

I clicked on my dashboard, and now my blog isn't published to my domain!

These blog owners, and more, are perplexed by the Publishing overlay form, displayed for a blog published to a custom domain.

The custom domain overlay, in the dashboard Basic - Publishing wizard, is very elegant. The overlay design is similar to forms used by Blogger and Google+, to display photos.

The "overlay" form is appropriately designed, for its use. The form follows the function - and reflects the status of the blog. For all that, it's diabolically subtle.

The normal display, for a blog published to BlogSpot, is a simple box, containing the current BlogSpot URL - and an "Edit" link, used to change the published BlogSpot URL. If this blog were still published as "bloggerstatusforreal.blogspot.com", for instance, I would see

bloggerstatusforreal.blogspot.com Edit

Clicking on the "Edit" link, I would get the wizard, to re publish the blog under a different BlogSpot URL.

The display for a custom domain published blog overlays the normal BlogSpot URL box. With this blog published as "blogging.nitecruzr.net" (but still retaining the BlogSpot URL "bloggerstatusforreal.blogspot.com"), I see a simple box.

blogging.nitecruzr.net Edit X
bloggerstatusforreal.blogspot.com redirects

This simple box "overlays" the previous box.

bloggerstatusforreal.blogspot.com Edit

This justifies the use of the "overlay" design, I suspect.

If I want to return the blog to the "bloggerstatusforreal.blogspot.com" published URL, I have to simply click on the "X", to the right of "Edit". The "overlay" box closes - as the blog is re published, to the BlogSpot URL.

It's that simple.

• When I can see the "X".
• When I understand what the "X" is intended for.
• When I intend to return the blog to the BlogSpot URL.

At other times, not so simple - not so obvious to everybody - and not so appreciated.

If you were to request assistance, in the forum.

How do I publish the blog back to BlogSpot?

The answer should be very simple.

Click on the "X".

How elegant - and how non useful. In strict online etiquette, it's rude. Since you are requesting assistance, it's possible that you don't see the "X" or do not understand its function.

To avoid causing more frustration, I provide some detail.

Click on the "X", to the right of the "Edit" link".

To make sure that I am instructing you properly, I first must make sure that the blog is properly published to the domain. I request verification of what you are seeing.

Please provide a screen print, showing the Publishing wizard, in the dashboard Settings - Basic display.

Later seeing the properly produced screen print, which indicates the blog properly published to the domain, I can then reply, confidently.

Click on the "X".

Such is life, in the Blogger elegance.

And, if you "accidentally" happen to click on the "X" without meaning to do so, your domain promptly (within limits of cache expiration) goes offline, as the blog only responds to a BlogSpot URL.

Oh yes, the "Edit" link, visible when the blog is published to the domain, does lead to an essential function - the ability to select the option.

Redirect nitecruzr.net to blogging.nitecruzr.net

Again, not always a good idea.