The Pages Gadget, In A Renamed Blog

We see an occasional blog owner, having renamed a blog to a new BlogSpot URL, reporting in Blogger Help Forum: Get Help with an Issue that the Pages gadget stopped working.

I changed the URL of my blog, from "myoldblogspoturl.blogspot.com" to "mynewblogspoturl.blogspot.com". All of the links are working fine - except when I click on a pages link, I get

Blog not found.

Sorry, the blog you were looking for does not exist. However, the name myoldblogspoturl is available to register!

Long ago, we observed this to be a problem with static pages. It appears that this is a problem with both dynamic and static pages, for some blogs, when renamed.

The Pages gadget is not always updated, when a blog is re published, under a new URL.

When a blog is renamed, with a new URL, the old URL becomes available. Any reference to the old URL is going to result in

Sorry, the blog you were looking for does not exist. However, the name myoldblogspoturl is available to register!

If this breaks the Pages gadget, the gadget must be manually updated. The update procedure will vary - depending upon whether only dynamic pages are involved, only static pages are involved, or both dynamic and static pages are involved. The "Configure Page List" wizard will be used, in each case.

First, save a reference copy of the Pages gadget with links, using a page source listing.

When only dynamic pages are involved, the update procedure is simple enough.

1. Edit the Pages gadget.
2. Delete each dynamic page, under "List order".
3. Re add each dynamic page, with the updated URL, using "Add external link".
4. Re sequence entries, as necessary.
5. Save changes.

When only static pages are involved, the update procedure is somewhat simple.

1. Edit the Pages gadget.
2. De select all entries, under "Pages to show".
3. Save changes.
4. Edit the Pages gadget.
5. Select all entries, under "Pages to show", as desired.
6. Re sequence entries, as necessary.
7. Save changes.

When both dynamic and static pages are involved, the update procedure becomes less simple.

1. Edit the Pages gadget.
2. Delete all dynamic pages, under "List order".
3. De select all entries, under "Pages to show".
4. Save changes.
5. Edit the Pages gadget.
6. Re add each dynamic page, with the updated URL, using "Add external link".
7. Select all entries, under "Pages to show", as desired.
8. Re sequence entries, as necessary.
9. Save changes.

A blog, newly published to a custom domain, should not require this treatment - since the domain publishing provides a "301 Moved Permanently" redirect from the BlogSpot URL to the domain URL.