How to move Blogger Followers to WordPress (Google Friend Connect)
How to move your Google Friend Connect Followers from Blogger to WordPress (self-hosted)
Sorry, this Will work with WordPress.ORG (WordPress – Self Hosted), but not wp.com (blogtitle.wordpress.com).
Warning! This is the technique I and Fellow Coders use to move GFC from Blogger to WordPress for our Clients. It has worked for me EVERY TIME.
Note: I have been told by Fellow Coders that they use this same technique, but from time to time it has not only failed but has wiped out the GFC followers list.
That being said, it is the Only way we move GFC and the Only way we know of to properly do so.
You’ve been warned.
1) Log into your Google Account.
You will need to use the email address you used for your Blogger account.
2) Once you have logged in, click your email address on the right side of your screen.
This will cause a drop down menu, click “Account settings”
3) In account settings click Google Friend Connect
4) In Google Friend Connect you will see a list of all your Blogger blogs, click the blog name attached to the members you want to move.
For most of you that will be fairly easy, most people have 1 blog and that will be the only blog listed.
As you can see, I test out many blogs, so I have many listed.
Once you have selected your blog you will see your blog name and the number of followers.
5) At this point click Settings on the left.
Once you click Settings you are going to get a warning – Read the Warning and consider it heavily.
There is no turning back after this point, it either works or it doesn’t.
Where it reads: “Home URL” change that to YOUR NEW WordPress Blog address/domain. Do NOT copy what is in the box in the picture below.
As you can see I’m testing this on my test site, so I entered my test domain.
Then click “Save your settings”
This is where we learn if it worked or not.
6) Click Gadgets, then Members
7) If it worked you’ll see your members listed in the box.
Enter the size you want the GFC box to appear on your site.
I’m going to put this in a footer sidebar that’s a little over 200pix, so I set the Width to 200.
Next pick the colors – use colors that complement your blog‘s theme.
When you have finished click Generate code.
8 ) Once you have clicked Generate code, the code will appear in a box below.
Copy that code. (I usually paste it into NotePad for safe keeping, just in case the phone rings or I get distracted and have to leave the computer for a minute)
9) Go to your WordPress blog and login.
Go to Appearance > Widgets.
In Widgets, drag a Text widget to the sidebar where you wish your GFC box to live.
Paste the GFC code you got from the GFC box into the Text Widget in your WordPress blog.
Click Save.
Click Image to Enlarge
10) View your blog.
If you have done it correctly your GFC box should be in your sidebar with all your followers showing up.
If you don’t see it immediately Refresh your Homepage. Depending on your hosting and your browser you may have to refresh several times before you see it. If you are using IE you may even have to reboot your computer before you see changes to your home page.
FYI this will not work with WordPress.com, as the code is Javascript and will be stripped out for security reasons.
Thanks for the info – that is just sucky! Why wouldn’t WP.com allow it. I’m going to have to come up with something now! lol I can’t let WP.com win.
Great tutorial … will give it s shot, but if it doesn’t please help me .. Love yr blog 😉 you are so creative p 🙂 and your header is awesome !!
@Sunithi,
Yup! if it doesn’t work I’ll help you with it, but I’ve seen your blog girl, you can do it! Easy!
Hi! I was searching online on how to attach GFC on my wordpress blog and it took me to ur blog. All your techniques would have been easy if only it worked… though I tried doing the same thing but still it didnt work. But thanks for ur nice, detailed post .. have a nice day! 🙂
Sorry, this ONLY works with Self Hosted websites and Every other website OTHER than wp.com. Works Great With wp.org.
love the tutorial … hey I’m typing in PINK lol very cool but I can barely see.. ps do you know where my glasses are?
The migration worked like a charm. Now all I have to do is add the widget. I just switched to WordPress a couple of days ago, and this was an awesome reference!
Thank you for confirming it worked.
@Amberr, it looks like you switched to wp.COM the widget won’t work on the .COM
The makers of the .com have something against Blogger, not sure what.
However, this Will work with WordPress.ORG – self-hosted site.
This is awesome….I wanted to ask, what is the difference between wordpress.org and wordpress.com? I have not even heard of wordpress.org until this. ALSO (wink) I was wondering if you use to use blogger and what benefits did you find you got from moving to wordpress? (smile) Sorry for all the questions, I am just trying to figure all this stuff out.
@Lisa
WordPress.com is like blogger, but it limits you more than blogger.
WordPress.org is where you download the wordpress program and install it on your own paid hosting.
If you are just starting out, use Blogger.
I program for the web, so using the WordPress program on my paid hosting site gives me much more freedom.
Best advice I can give you, BUY YOUR DOMAIN now. Whatever you have named your blogger blog, buy that domain now (before someone buys it out from under you) and attach it to your blogger blog NOW!
OMG – you have just saved my life. Thank you so much for your help!
@Tami,
Glad I could help!
Woohoo! It worked perfectly for me! The only trouble I had, was finding the GFC info in step 3. My computer had something at the bottom about “earlier” info & when I clicked that, there it was! I’m so excited to have it done. Thank you so much for your tutorial!
Success! Thank you so much perfect explanation.
OK, thax for your post. Now I have got the widget with all my Google Friend Connect Members, but i have a problem yet.
My followers tell me that my new posts don’t appear in their blogger homepage. This is a important problem beacuse a lot of them use that to follow my new entrys. Some idea??
@Jon,
No idea on that one. There may be a plug in. I’m not aware of a WP plugin, but I’ve also never looked.
I only use GFC for news letters.
~e
Worked perfectly!!! Thanks!
It worked for me! Thank you!
Dear Admin,
I have created Google Followers at my website. Yesterday, I saw , I have 20 followers. But today, I saw only 10 followers. Why less to see person unit? Kindly advise.
I don’t know, you’ll have to ask Google.
But regardless, GFC will be a Blogger ONLY option in …. I think it’s March.
I just stumbled across your site in my attempts to move GFC from my Blogger site to my new self-hosted domain. Thank you so much! This worked like a charm. As a previous reader commented, it still doesn’t appear that my posts will appear in the Blogger dashboards of my readers. Do you know of a way to list my new domain in my old Blogger account? Ultimately, I guess GFC will be going away soon and this all won’t matter. Do you have any tips as far as the most effective ways for readers to follow and me to track followers? Thanks so much for your help! 🙂
this is what i get when trying to move “We’re retiring Friend Connect on March 1, 2012. Find out how you can keep in touch with your community.” am stuck as i can’t find any updated tutorial.
get more followers at once…
How to move Blogger Followers to WordPress (Google Friend Connect) : StuckAtHomeMom.com…
Trena…
How to move Blogger Followers to WordPress (Google Friend Connect) : StuckAtHomeMom.com…