Wish it was easier to change blog templates. Before my blog design was fully refined, I set up the LIST and POST templates and got everything wired up. Was hoping to just relocate the POST widget on the new template, but learned that would really mess things up. So I’m having to fully redesign the POST template which is not much fun.
Am hoping it will be easier to relocate the TAGS and CATEGORIES widgets on new templates…will it?
thanks!
Hi Debbie,
The capability to change the default list and post page templates after creating a blog makes a lot of sense. I highly recommend you create a new post on here of the “Idea” topic type requesting this type of functionality (“Idea” topics are actively monitored by CM1’s Product Management team).
Can I assume that you already have enough content within your existing blog section that creating an entirely new blog using your revised templates – and manually moving your existing content over to this new blog – would not be feasible?
Can you expand on what you’re looking to do / have happen with your tag and categories widgets in your new template? Thanks!
When you create a blog, it is automatically bound to the folder and templates you set up when first creating. This means if you change the templates for the blog posts, the blog list will still be looking for the old template name. If you change the name of the template being used by the blog list, the blog list will be looking for that name. Because of this, you must recreate the blog if you want to change the blog post templates.
First, if you are looking for a method that will allow you to change all blog post templates, or blog list templates, there is no method for that yet. As Nathaniel pointed out, that is a good idea to post on the community for a feature request to be made. Additionally, if you have way more blog posts than you feel like following the below steps for, you might want to just change the current template to reflect the changes you made for the new template. However, if you want a technique to change the templates with the least amount of effort for a reasonable size blog, feel free to read below.
Below is a technique you can use. A word of caution is you will have to recreate the blog landing/list page with this technique. While this is not ideal, it is only one page to recreate. Because you have to do this, make sure all your content on the blog landing page is created as assets.
Through the navigation editor you can rename your blog Section. You need to do this because you cannot have two sections or pages named the same thing in one folder/section.
Second, you need to create a new blog with the name you want the blog to have and select the new templates you want to use. This will be the blog list template and the blog post template.
This next step is only necessary if you have change the blog-post template. If you do plan on using a new blog post template, you need to go through each blog post page, edit, and change the template for the page (http://help.percussion.com/design/man….If) you changed the location of any of your widgets for this template, first, go to the old and new templates and, through the Layout tab, open the widget properties and name your widgets (http://help.percussion.com/design/man…). If you do this, the content will snap into the matching named widget on the new template no matter where it is located on the layout.
Now you should have a new blog with no posts in it, and an old blog with no posts showing in it but a bunch of post pages with a different template. To associate the posts with the new blog, through Finder, simply drag the blog post pages into the new blog section. When you drag the page onto the folder in Finder, it will turn green. Release it and the posts will show up in the blog list page.
If it worked, and you are satisfied, delete the old blog section through Navigation.
While I know this is not the ideal method to swap, because a single button to change the templates for all blog post pages at once would be better, it at least eliminates a few steps and the need to fully recreate all the pages. Once any method changing templates is done, keep in mind you need to republish the full site.
And as said several times, the idea for a simpler method is a great Idea post that I would love to see other people’s interest in.