Just created your Blogger account? Now you’re staring at the Blogger dashboard and it looks confusing. Don’t worry.
In this post, I’ll explain every button in the Blogger dashboard for 2025. After this, you’ll know exactly where to click to write posts, change design, and fix settings.
Image: Full Blogger dashboard overview 2025
How to Open Your Blogger Dashboard
1. Go to blogger.com
2. Sign in with Gmail
3. If you have multiple blogs, click the blog name from the dropdown on top left
Blogger Dashboard: Left Menu Explained
The left sidebar is your main control panel. Here’s what each button does for beginners:
| Menu Item | What It Does | When to Use It |
|---|---|---|
| New Post | Opens editor to write a new article | Every time you publish content |
| Posts | See all published, draft, scheduled posts | To edit or delete old posts |
| Stats | Shows pageviews, traffic sources, popular posts | Check once per week after you get traffic |
| Comments | Approve, delete, or reply to reader comments | Daily once your blog gets readers |
| Earnings | Connect Google AdSense to make money | After 20+ posts. Covered in Post #100 |
| Pages | Create About, Contact, Privacy Policy pages | Do this in your first week |
| Layout | Add/remove widgets: menu, sidebar, footer | When setting up NewsPlus template |
| Theme | Change design, upload XML template, edit HTML | Post #13 covers NewsPlus install |
| Settings | Blog title, description, custom domain, SEO | Most important menu. Use weekly |
Top Bar: 3 Important Buttons
1. View Blog
Top left next to your blog name. Click to see your live site. Always check your blog after making changes.
2. Dropdown Arrow
Next to blog name. Click to switch between blogs or create a new blog. One Gmail = 100 blogs max.
3. Help Icon & Profile
Top right. Question mark = Blogger Help. Your profile picture = Google account settings.
Settings Menu: The 5 Tabs You Need
Click Settings on left. You’ll see 5 tabs. Here’s what to touch as a beginner:
1. Basic
- Title: Your blog name. Example:
Blogger Tutorial 2026 - Description: 1 line about your blog. Shows under logo.
- Blog Address: Your .blogspot.com URL. Don’t change after Google ranks you.
- Blog Authors: Add writers later.
2. Privacy
- Visible to search engines: MUST be ON. Else Google won’t find you.
3. Publishing
- Custom domain: Add .com here later. Post #48 covers this.
- HTTPS: Set HTTPS Redirect = Yes. Free SSL from Google.
4. HTTPS
- HTTPS Redirect: Yes. Makes site secure with padlock icon.
5. Meta Tags
- Enable search description: Turn ON.
- Search description: Write 150 characters about your whole blog. This is your homepage meta description for Google.
Posts Section: How to Manage Content
Click Posts → You’ll see 3 tabs:
- Published: Live posts on your blog
- Drafts: Unfinished posts. Autosaves every few seconds.
- Scheduled: Posts set to auto-publish on a future date
Pro tip: Write 5 posts → Schedule them every 2 days. Blogger posts them automatically while you sleep.
Theme Section: Where Design Happens
Click Theme → You see 2 buttons:
- Customize: Change colors, fonts, layout. Limited.
- Three dots → Backup/Restore: This is where you upload NewsPlus.xml template. Covered in Post #13.
Warning: Don’t click “Edit HTML” until Post #16. One wrong delete can break your site.
Layout Section: Building Your Homepage
Click Layout → You see boxes like Header, Main, Sidebar, Footer.
Each box = widget. Click pencil icon to edit. Click “Add a Gadget” to add new stuff like About Me, Popular Posts.
For NewsPlus, we use Layout to set which labels show in homepage sections. Post #24 shows how.
3 Beginner Mistakes to Avoid in Dashboard
- Deleting Layout sections: If you delete “Blog Posts” widget, your homepage goes blank. Don’t delete until you know what it does.
- Turning off “Visible to search engines”: Your blog won’t show in Google. Keep it ON.
- Editing HTML without backup: Always Theme → Backup before editing HTML.
What to Do Next
Now you know the dashboard. Your homework:
- Settings → Basic → Add your Blog Description
- Settings → Meta Tags → Enable search description
- Settings → HTTPS → Turn redirect ON
Next Post: How to Create Your First Blog Post on Blogger - 05/06/2025
We’ll write a real post together with H2 headings, images, and labels so it shows on your NewsPlus homepage.
FAQ: Blogger Dashboard
Why is my dashboard different from videos?
Google updated Blogger in 2020 and 2023. Old videos show the old dashboard. This guide uses 2025 dashboard.
Can I use Blogger on phone?
Yes. Download “Blogger” app or use browser. But first-time setup is easier on laptop.
Where is “Template” menu? I don’t see it.
Google renamed “Template” to “Theme” in 2017. It’s the same thing.
Still confused about any button? Comment below with a screenshot and I’ll tell you what it does.
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