How to Write an XML Theme for BlogSpot
How to Write an XML Theme for Blogspot
If you want to design a custom Blogger theme, you’ll be working with XML (Extensible Markup Language). It defines your blog’s layout, widgets, colours, and structure. Below is a simple guide to help you understand the core framework.
1. Start with the XML Declaration
Every Blogger theme begins with an XML declaration. It tells the browser the version and encoding:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>2. Add the HTML Tag with Blogger Attributes
Blogger themes use special b: and data: attributes to connect your layout with the Blogger engine.
<html b:version='2' xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml' xmlns:b='http://www.google.com/2005/gml/b'>3. Include the <head> Section
Inside the head, you’ll add the meta viewport, title, and Blogger’s include tag:
<head>
<meta content='width=device-width, initial-scale=1' name='viewport'/>
<title><data:view.title.escaped/></title>
<b:include data='blog' name='all-head-content'/>
</head>
4. Define Styles with <b:skin>
Blogger uses <b:skin> to hold CSS. The CSS must be wrapped in <![CDATA[ ... ]]> so XML doesn’t break.
<b:skin><![CDATA[
body { font-family: 'Poppins', sans-serif; background: #fff; color: #1a008d; }
a { color: #f11606; }
]]></b:skin>
5. Build the Layout with Sections
Each major part of your site — header, main content, and footer — is wrapped inside <b:section> tags.
<body>
<b:section id='header' class='header'></b:section>
<b:section id='main' class='main'></b:section>
<b:section id='footer' class='footer'></b:section>
</body>
</html>
6. Save and Upload
Once your XML file is complete:
- Save it with the
.xmlextension - Go to Blogger > Theme > Restore > Upload
- Select your file and upload
7. Validate Your Code
Before uploading, check that every tag is properly closed and there’s no content after the closing </html> tag.
You can test your XML in an online validator to ensure it’s well-formed.
Conclusion
Building a Blogger XML theme is a balance of coding and creativity. Once you understand its structure, you can easily customise colours, layouts, widgets, and animations — making your blog unique and modern.
Comments
Post a Comment