Delete blog or change URL: What happens then?

Previously, bloggers are strongly advised against deleting blogs and what happens to the blog URL blog URL if you delete the blog. For reasons, see Why you should not delete a blog and what to do if you change the URL of a blog.

However, because Blogger has been informed of spammers grabbing deleted blog URL for spamming purposes, the practice of releasing a blog URL the moment the blog is deleted has been discontinued. Now if any Google Blogger blogger delete his or her blog, the blog URL is no longer released for others to register, but is kept for the original creator to claim back later.

The reason for this post is because of many questions and requests for help related to the above, and rather that repeating the same thing, if I ever get another question related to this, all I need to do is to point them to this post.

The most recent one is about a very fortunate blogger who wanted a particular blogspot URL which had already been registered by someone else who didn't do anything or didn't do much with the blog and the blog had been left neglected. In this particular very rare case, the blogger was able to contact that blog owner who is very cooperative. The blog owner deleted the blog so the intended new owner can claim it. As expected, she could not do so.

However, not all is lost provided the previous owner is willing to cooperate. All she has to do to to contact the previous owner again, requesting him or her to register that deleted blog again, and then invite the intended new owner to become co-author via Dashboard > Settings > Permissions. Once she has accepted the invitation, the cooperative old owner can make her administrator, and then remove himself or herself. Once this is all done, the blog have found a new, loving owner.

Google Account Deleted - What to do

Blogger account is associated with a Google account. It is not rare to hear a blogger screaming for help after he deleted his Google account for that deletion will affect the Blogger account. So what should one do if one accidentally deleted the Google account? One should immediately report to Google Account Contact Form. There is a window of about a week to appeal, after which the Google Account will be permanently deleted

Can I have a blogspot URL that is long not updated or without any post?

1. According to Blogger policy, blogspot URL do not expire. That means theoretically, they are forever. However, if it has been identified (rightly or wrongly) as a spam blog, there is a possibility that the blog will be deleted and the URL becomes available again and then you can have your go for the URL.

2. According to Gmail policy, if there is no activity on your Gmail account for 9 months or more, your Gmail address can be deleted. If you use that Gmail address as the username for a Blogger account, and it has been deleted, it is likely that the same may happen to your Google account together with the blogs (this may also apply to the blogger whose URL you want). Amazon products for Blogger

But what if the Blogger account is started with a non-Gmail email address like, for example, Yahoo?

Yahoo, when it first started, says their email addresses are for life (what exactly "for life" is up to you/them to interprete). Now when you start a Yahoo email address, that message no longer appears, so I don't know what are their current policy is. However, if you don't sign into a Yahoo email address, it will be deactivated. I am guessing that if you use a Yahoo email address for your Blogger (Google), you have less chance of getting your Blogger (and Google) account getting deleted, together with the blogs.

I am testing what are the actual effects of all these mentioned at Will Blogger blogs ever be deleted?. The results wouldn't be known for some time.

So if you are eyeing a particular blogspot URL, if for any reason the blog is deleted, you can have a go at the URL.

Other possibility is to try to contact the blog creator and ask if he or she is willing to release it to you. Unfortunately, frequently, the profile in not made public, and even if it is made public, they may have chosen not to display their email address. In this case, you have no recourse.

If you are creative, there will always be a way around a problem.

BLOGGER WILL NOT HELP YOU GET A LONG UNUSED BLOGSPOT URL

How to Recover Deleted Blogs?

Now Deleted blogs appear on Dashboard with option to Undelete them.

Due to a change in Blogger policy last year deleted blogs could only be reclaimed by the owner/account which deleted them. Now login to your Dashboard at Blogger.com and you will see the blogs you deleted on Dashboard with a link to Undelete them. DO NOT DELETE A BLOG TO RECLAIM IN ANOTHER ACCOUNT. Instead Transfer blogs.




Blogs may get deleted in a number of ways. Once deleted a blog is not lost forever so do not panic. However it is always safer to backup your blogs regularly so that there is a fallback solution.


Also remember to backup your template and to backup your widgets template data as further insurance.


There are a number of solutions to recover deleted blogs............

How do blogs get deleted? This may occur in a number of ways :

1. Accidental clicking of "Delete This Blog" button at the bottom of Settings--->Basic subtab. ( Login at Blogger.com----->Click Settings link on Dashboard).

2. If you have contravened the Blogger TOS your blog may get deleted by them.

3. By hacking into your account. Make sure that you have a strong password and change it regularly to prevent this.

4. By deleting your Google Account. This does not delete the blog but deletes the Blogger service associated with your Google account and prevents access to your Blogger Dashboard.

5. Pseudo-Deletion. This happens when you cannot see your blog on the Dashboard after login at Blogger.com. You think the blog is deleted. Actually it is in another account. To locate it login with all the email addresses you have, one at a time. If you have forgotten the password get it reset via : http://www.blogger.com/forgot.g . If login is unsuccessful see the options at Checklist for Blogger Login problems.





Changing Blog Address (URL) does not delete the blog. Your original address may be picked up by spammers also the new address will not get your old traffic. Hence changing the blog address is not advisable for old blogs.






RECOVER DELETED BLOG OFFICIALLY

To recover a deleted blog along with posts and comments you should provide information about your deleted blog by filling up the form here :

http://help.blogger.com/bin/request.py?contact_type=deletedblog

Blogger needs to identify your ownership of the blog before restoring it to you. You cannot request a URL deleted by someone else.





RECOVER GOOGLE ACCOUNT

If you have deleted your Google Account you can get it restored here :

http://www.google.com/support/accounts/bin/request.py?ctx=accounts_hc&contact_type=ara

Only after account is restored you can login at Blogger.com.





RECOVER MALWARE AFFLICTED BLOGS

If your blog has been deleted by Blogger first submit the official request at http://www.blogger.com/problem.g. If no intimation after 7 business days have passed you can submit request here :

https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?key=pZHHZdeYKeHgXlmtdMIRfbw&email=true





RECOVER POSTS AND BLOG URL

Deleted blog URLs are only available for reclaiming to the account which deleted them. Other accounts will get "Not Available" response when they request a URL inuse or a deleted URL. Even inactive URLs are considered as 'alive' and in use even though there may be no new posts on it.



To recover a deleted URL simply login to the account (Blogger.com) which deleted it. Click the Create a Blog link on Dashboard and type in same URL and follow the arrows to reclaim it. This will not recover your posts. To recover your posts go to Google.com and type in the search box :

cache:BLOG_URL

Replace the CAPS with your blog url/link/address. Click Search button. This will only work if your blog has been indexed by Google. It will not work with blogs which have been created and deleted within 2-3 weeks of their creation. You can then copy the posts and paste them in your reclaimed blog.



Lastly DO NOT DELETE YOUR BLOG IN ONE ACCOUNT SO THAT YOU CAN CREATE IT IN ANOTHER. Instead Transfer blog from one account to another by changing owner.



Also deleted blogs do not disappear from the Internet instantaneously. They stay in the Google cache as shown above. To totally remove them you have to submit request at Google Webmaster Tools after deletion :

http://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/removals