Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Add Missing Embedded Comments Form to Blogger

Today I will show you how to fix your Blogger template if the embedded comments feature is missing or not working. I decided to write this article because I have noticed that the embed a comment below the post feature is often not working in many Blogger custom templates available for download. This is usually because many of these templates were released prior to Blogger enabling embedded comments.

If you have downloaded a custom template that has embed a comment missing then read on as I will show you how to insert the code for embed a comment form into your template. Inserting code into a blog template can be challenging for some but if you follow these instructions it is not beyond even virtual beginners.

1. Login to Blogger if you are not already logged in

2. Navigate to Settings > Comments. Under Comment Form Placement make sure the Embedded below Post radio button is set. Save any changes you make.

In Blogger Settings Comments Set Comments to Embedded

3. Navigate to Layout > Edit HTML

4. I strongly recommend you back up your template by downloading it to your computer before proceeding

4. Check Expand Widget Templates

5. Use CTRL + F to bring up the Blogger Toolbar

6. Look for the following code block by entering <span class='paging-control-container'> into the find box on the toolbar. Note if you don't have this code look at the alternative option below #7 in this post

<b:if cond='data:post.commentPagingRequired'>
<span class='paging-control-container'>
<a expr:class='data:post.oldLinkClass' expr:href='data:post.oldestLinkUrl'>
<data:post.oldestLinkText/>
</a>
<a expr:class='data:post.oldLinkClass' expr:href='data:post.olderLinkUrl'>
<data:post.olderLinkText/>
</a>
 
<data:post.commentRangeText/>
 
<a expr:class='data:post.newLinkClass' expr:href='data:post.newerLinkUrl'>
<data:post.newerLinkText/>
</a>
<a expr:class='data:post.newLinkClass' expr:href='data:post.newestLinkUrl'>
<data:post.newestLinkText/>
</a>
</span>
</b:if>


7. Paste the following code into your template immediately after the code block above and before this line of code <div id='backlinks-container'>

<p class='comment-footer'>
<b:if cond='data:post.embedCommentForm'>
<b:if cond='data:post.allowNewComments'>
<b:include data='post' name='comment-form'/>
<b:else/>
<data:post.noNewCommentsText/>
</b:if>
<b:else/>
<b:if cond='data:post.allowComments'>
<a expr:href='data:post.addCommentUrl' expr:onclick='data:post.addCommentOnclick'><data:postCommentMsg/></a>
</b:if>
</b:if>
</p>
</b:if>

Enter the Embed Comments Form into Blogger Template
Alternative Option
If you don't have the code as mentioned in #6 you will likely have the following:

<p class='comment-footer'>
<b:if cond='data:post.allowComments'>
<a expr:href='data:post.addCommentUrl' expr:onclick='data:post.addCommentOnclick'><data:postCommentMsg/></a> </p>
</b:if>

In which case replace with this code:

<p class='comment-footer'>
<b:if cond='data:post.embedCommentForm'>
<b:if cond='data:post.allowNewComments'>
<b:include data='post' name='comment-form'/>
<b:else/>
<data:post.noNewCommentsText/>
</b:if>
<b:else/>
<b:if cond='data:post.allowComments'>
<a expr:href='data:post.addCommentUrl' expr:onclick='data:post.addCommentOnclick'><data:postCommentMsg/></a>
</b:if>
</b:if>
</p>
</b:if>

8. Click on the Save Template button to save your template changes

9. Click on the View Blog link and test your embed comment feature by clicking on the number of comments link found at the bottom of each post. Notice that the post will now be displayed along with the embed a comment form below the post



Troubleshooting
As there are many variations amongst templates neither of these options may work in which case try this solution from Blogger Buster:

Find: <b:include data='post' name='comments' />

Immediately below this line add the following line:
<b:include data='post' name='comment-form'/>


In this tutorial I have shown you how to add the embed comments form into your custom Blogger template if it is missing so that visitors can comment easily.

Related Articles
Embed a Comment Form in Your Blogger Posts

46 comments:

  1. My apologies to the person who alerted me to the fact that I had errors in this code. I somehow lost your comment. Thought I'd published it but it is not appearing for some reason. Anyway a big thank you. I have fixed the mistake and the code is working now. Also have added an alternative option to help users with custom templates. Hope it works for you. Let me know if you are still having problems

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  2. I think this is really neat
    i like ur website. thanks for this comment posting...
    more templates http://www.itemplatez.com

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  3. Thanks for taking the time to comment. I had a look at your site by the way but couldn't see any Blogger templates so I am assuming these are in the pipeline. Have you considered offering some freebies?

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  4. Thank you so much for the tutorial. I just used the alternate method.... I replaced all the "&ltp" with "<" and it worked! However, I would like to show all comments below the posts. Do you know how I can do this? Thanks again!

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  5. Hi Ravenous Couple. Not sure what you mean about having to change the code. Are you saying that it shows up in your browser as parsed ie with &lt instead of < for instance. If so what browser are you using please? The code as it appears in IE6 and 7 works fine and is displaying with tags intact and unparsed.

    As to your question about embedding the comments form. If you have the comments embedded below post enabled under Settings > Comments and Post Pages enabled under Settings > Archiving then you should be able to see the comments and the embedded form below the post once you navigate to the post page provided you have copied the code correctly. Comments dont show up on the homepage. Sometimes Blogger will accept code blocks which it can't action with the net result that nothing happens on the page. If you can't see the comments and the form then the problem is likely to be with the code. Double check you have entered it correctly

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  6. Nice Blog,,, Nice post,,, visit me back ok.

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  7. thx alot my friend for d tutor!

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  8. Hafizu. Thanks for dropping by. Happy to have helped.

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  9. Novian. It will be great to have you come visit regularly. Thanks for visiting my blog

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  10. thanks a lot!!!!

    Thanks for commenting and guiding me...I have followed this. Found little tricky but I got it some how...Will it appear only on individual posts?

    Have a look at these...

    http://harry-wrestling-arena.blogspot.com/

    http://harrypcplanet.blogspot.com/

    How to remove my Post a comment anchor link above?

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  11. SMS Harsha the embedded comment form only appears on the individual post page not the home page. I saw it was working at harrypcplanet. Well done! Sorry I don't understand what it is you want me to remove.

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  12. Argh, I have tried everything. I first got alerted to my absent comment link by a member of the public, who told me they have not been able to comment on any of my posts for some while. When I looked into it - i noticed that not only was there no link, it seems the whole darn thing is missing. I have reverted to old templates, resent widgets, search for codes!!! I am getting so annoyed at searching for something i can not find. Is it because i am on a mac and use safari? please help.

    www.katiedidstylecounsel.blogspot.com

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  13. Katie Did! Yep a lot problems like this can be very frustrating eh?. First of all I doubt the problem has anything to do with your browser. I visited your blog and the comments link is indeed missing and I used Explorer. Not entirely sure if there are any limitations about using a mac with Blogger but I'm none that I am aware of.

    Lets start with the basics and go from there. First of all do you have your comments section turned on? It looks to me like it might be turned off. Check this by going to Settings > Comments. Make sure the radio button is selected to show to enable comments. Post pages need to be enabled in Settings > Archiving for Embedded Comments to Work.

    If this is not the problem then please come back to me and I can take a look at your template.

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  14. Hey dear friend thank you very very much. You know for last four days I am just trying for put comment form below my post. But I could not. I googed for help. But every tricks was useless. But you know I use your trick that you say
    Find: &ltb:include data='post' name='comments' />

    Immediately below this line add the following line:
    &ltb:include data='post' name='comment-form'/>

    and after that comment form appear in my blog. Thanks once again dear friend. If you want please visit my blog http://interetjobscams.blogspot.com and please give a comment.

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  15. Wow Moon saud finding the information you needed about enabling the embedded comments form sounds like a bit of a headache. I'm glad you made it to my blog so that you finally got put out of your misery and of course now have your comments form.

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  16. wow! niceeeeeeee! keep it goin`

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  17. Glad you are getting a lot out of my tutorials jucarii. Perhaps you might like to sign up as a follower or receive updates by mail or RSS feed

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  18. >The Whizz:

    Me again, ok, I went into the comments settings and checked that is was on, indeed it was 'embedded below post'

    I went in to the Archive setting and checked the Post pages, i could not change this, it was shaded grey but said 'yes'.

    I have even changed to yet another template!!!

    Argh lol

    I know that something is wrong but i just can not see where and how.

    Any more thoughts>

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  19. Katie, I'll take a look at your template if you want. I just followed you on Twitter - direct message me and I'll try help you.

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  20. Katie I have emailed you directly so you can email your template

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  21. Katie Did! I have installed a test of your template and the comments section works fine. Dumb question maybe but do you have the comments section enabled? Have you got the comments set to show, who can comment to anyone or registered users and comment moderation to always? I have emailed you too.

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  22. Hello me again - lol

    Wish I could show you some screen shots, it prove that I am doing everything you are asking of me. :(

    Incidentally, I reverted to 'classic' layout and the mystical comments feature appeared. I thought all was sorted. I then selected a new template and the comments went again!!!

    I have to say, I believe that the fact that people can not comment on my site, has had a negative effect.

    I am not certain what else I can do, I have even tried to edit on a PC v's my iMac!! and no difference.

    Any last chance ideas? Before I do some thing drastic and abandon ship to another blog site!!!

    Kate

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  23. Kate sorry to hear your commenting issue is still not resolved. That must be very annoying for you. I think you have covered all the bases. I read in Blogger help about the commenting problem for some people - read about it here. It is very much looking like this issue may have something to do with the conversion between classic and beta versions of Blogger. I think your best course of action is to notify the problem through the Blogger Help Forum as it sounds like a bug in the program. This is borne out by the fact that you have another blog where the commenting is working.

    Out of interest have you tried exporting your blog and importing it into a test blog? It would be interesting to see if the same problem exists.

    Good luck.

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  24. Fantastic. Glad you got it working for you Aisyah. Thanks for letting me know!

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  25. At first I was having problems, but I got it to work. Thanks! You have a very helpful blog.

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  26. Hi Evelyn. Great to hear you got it working. Any other problems or issues please ask.

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  27. Hi Wizz,i am facing the same issue of having comments link for my blog and i had tried out the suggestion you stated above but it don't seems to work for me,cos i don't get to see it below my post.Please help..txs ^-^

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  28. Hi Black_Tulip. I have had a look at two of your blogs and both have the embedded comments form displayed. Not sure if that means you have resolved this issue or whether it is for another blog. If you are still having problems leave your email here. Or join my email followers and I will email you (let me know you have done this here thanks)

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  29. Aha! Finally a tutorial that worked for me! I used the alternate method. :-) Thanks!

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  30. Hi Lindsey. Glad to hear this tutorial helped you. I hope you will call back here again when next you need help with your blog :)

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  31. Hey there!
    So I'm still having a little trouble with this. I see the form to place a comment but there is no link to comments/labels/signature/timestamp.
    I have tried all your tips and nada.
    Any help would be greatly appreciated! And thanks in advance!
    Site: http://fumblesfauxpas.blogspot.com/

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  32. Celluloid Geek looks like you have sorted this particular issue as I see from your site that the comments form is working. Happy to have a look for you though if you are still having problems

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  33. THANK YOU!
    After a few dozen times, it worked the next day!
    Thank you for the code! It really, really helped.

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  34. Celluloid Geek. Fantastic. Always happy to help where I can

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  35. Thanks Jimmy. It sounds like you got the embedded comments form working. Good on you!

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  36. Hi there! I'm using an customized template, and have the embedded comments form activated. The form itself works fine, but the comments do not show up, and the counter is acting up. I've been told that resetting my widget can help, but as I've done quite a bit of work on my posts, i would hate to do that and start all over. Any suggestions? You can see for yourself @ thekosmoblog.blogspot.com

    cheers, great work

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  37. The Kosmo Blog. Sorry to not have replied to your query sooner. I have taken a look at your blog - very nice by the way. Looks as though whatever issue you had with the embedded comments form you have resolved as I can see the comments showing up. Great work!

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  38. One of the easiest tip for this problem is to find

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  39. Many thanks for this article-I got it to work!!!

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