Add Multi-Colored Popular Posts to Blogger

Popular Posts is a widget provided by Blogger that displays the most viewed posts on the blog in the last 7 days, last month and of all time. It has three displaying modes: display title only, display title with image thumbnail or display title along with the posts snippets.

To customize this popular posts widget, we have to add a new variable and some CSS codes to our blogger template. So let's begin:

How to add multi-colored popular posts to Blogger

Step 1. Login to your Blogger Dashboard, go to Design >> Edit HTML

Step 2. Select "Expand Widget Templates" (make a backup first)

Step 3. Search for the following tag:

/* Variable definitions
   ====================

Note: If you can't find it, paste it below the autor information that is usually below this tag (CTRL + F):

 <b:skin><![CDATA[/* 

...and should end up with this symbol:
 

 ----------------------------------------------- */

Step 4. Copy and paste just below/after this tag, the next code:

<Group description="PopularPosts Backgrounds" selector="#PopularPosts1">
<Variable name="PopularPosts.background.color1" description="background color1" type="color" default="#fa4242" value="#ff4c54"/>
<Variable name="PopularPosts.background.color2" description="background color2" type="color" default="#ee6107" value="#ff764c"/>
<Variable name="PopularPosts.background.color3" description="background color3" type="color" default="#f0f" value="#ffde4c"/>
<Variable name="PopularPosts.background.color4" description="background color4" type="color" default="#ff0" value="#c7f25f"/>
<Variable name="PopularPosts.background.color5" description="background color5" type="color" default="#0ff" value="#33c9f7"/>
</Group>

Step 5. Search for the following piece of code:

]]></b:skin>

Step 6. Just above/before it, add this code:

#PopularPosts1 ul{margin:0;padding:5px 0;list-style-type:none}
#PopularPosts1 ul li{position:relative;margin:5px 0;border:0;padding:10px}
#PopularPosts1 ul li:first-child{background:$(PopularPosts.background.color1);width:90%}
#PopularPosts1 ul li:first-child:after{content:"1"}
#PopularPosts1 ul li:first-child + li{background:$(PopularPosts.background.color2);width:85%}
#PopularPosts1 ul li:first-child + li:after{content:"2"}
#PopularPosts1 ul li:first-child + li + li{background:$(PopularPosts.background.color3);width:80%}
#PopularPosts1 ul li:first-child + li + li:after{content:"3"}
#PopularPosts1 ul li:first-child + li + li + li{background:$(PopularPosts.background.color4);width:75%}
#PopularPosts1 ul li:first-child + li + li + li:after{content:"4"}
#PopularPosts1 ul li:first-child + li + li + li + li{background:$(PopularPosts.background.color5);width:70%}
#PopularPosts1 ul li:first-child + li + li + li + li:after{content:"5"}
#PopularPosts1 ul li:first-child:after,#PopularPosts1 ul li:first-child + li:after,#PopularPosts1 ul li:first-child + li + li:after,#PopularPosts1 ul li:first-child + li + li + li:after,#PopularPosts1 ul li:first-child + li + li + li + li:after{position:absolute;top:20px;right:-15px;border-radius:50%;background:#353535;width:30px;height:30px;line-height:1em;text-align:center;font-size:28px;color:#fff}
#PopularPosts1 ul li .item-thumbnail{float:left;border:0;margin-right:10px;background:transparent;padding:0;width:40px;height:40px}
#PopularPosts1 ul li a{font-size:12px;color:#444;text-decoration:none}
#PopularPosts1 ul li a:hover{color:#222;text-decoration:none}

Step 7. Now find the following code:

<b:widget id='PopularPosts1' locked='false' title='Popular Posts' type='PopularPosts'>

Step 8. Delete it until you reach at this tag (delete the </b:widget> also):

</b:widget>

Note: Be very careful when removing it. The entire fragment of code should look like this:

<b:widget id='PopularPosts1' locked='false' title='Popular Posts' type='PopularPosts'>
<b:includable id='main'>
  <b:if cond='data:title'><h2><data:title/></h2></b:if>
  <div class='widget-content popular-posts'>
    <ul>
      <b:loop values='data:posts' var='post'>
      <li>
        <b:if cond='data:showThumbnails == &quot;false&quot;'>
          <b:if cond='data:showSnippets == &quot;false&quot;'>
            <!-- (1) No snippet/thumbnail -->
            <a expr:href='data:post.href'><data:post.title/></a>
          <b:else/>
            <!-- (2) Show only snippets -->
            <div class='item-title'><a expr:href='data:post.href'><data:post.title/></a></div>
            <div class='item-snippet'><data:post.snippet/></div>
          </b:if>
        <b:else/>
          <b:if cond='data:showSnippets == &quot;false&quot;'>
            <!-- (3) Show only thumbnails -->
            <div class='item-thumbnail-only'>
              <b:if cond='data:post.thumbnail'>
                <div class='item-thumbnail'>
                  <a expr:href='data:post.href' target='_blank'>
                    <img alt='' border='0' expr:height='data:thumbnailSize' expr:src='data:post.thumbnail' expr:width='data:thumbnailSize'/>
                  </a>
                </div>
              </b:if>
              <div class='item-title'><a expr:href='data:post.href'><data:post.title/></a></div>
            </div>
            <div style='clear: both;'/>
          <b:else/>
            <!-- (4) Show snippets and thumbnails -->
            <div class='item-content'>
              <b:if cond='data:post.thumbnail'>
                <div class='item-thumbnail'>
                  <a expr:href='data:post.href' target='_blank'>
                    <img alt='' border='0' expr:height='data:thumbnailSize' expr:src='data:post.thumbnail' expr:width='data:thumbnailSize'/>
                  </a>
                </div>
              </b:if>
              <div class='item-title'><a expr:href='data:post.href'><data:post.title/></a></div>
              <div class='item-snippet'><data:post.snippet/></div>
            </div>
            <div style='clear: both;'/>
          </b:if>
        </b:if>
      </li>
      </b:loop>
    </ul>
    <b:include name='quickedit'/>
  </div>
</b:includable>
</b:widget>

Step 9. After you have deleted the above code, paste the following in its place:

<b:widget id='PopularPosts1' locked='false' title='Popular Posts' type='PopularPosts'>
<b:includable id='main'>
   <b:if cond='data:title'>
    <h2><data:title/></h2>
   </b:if>
   <div class='widget-content popular-posts'>
    <ul>
     <b:loop values='data:posts' var='post'>
      <li>
       <b:if cond='data:showThumbnails == &quot;false&quot;'>
        <b:if cond='data:showSnippets == &quot;false&quot;'>
         <a expr:href='data:post.href' expr:title='data:post.title' rel='bookmark'><data:post.title/></a>
        <b:else/>
         <a expr:href='data:post.href' expr:title='data:post.snippet' rel='bookmark'><data:post.title/></a>
        </b:if>
       <b:else/>
        <b:if cond='data:showSnippets == &quot;false&quot;'>
         <b:if cond='data:post.thumbnail'>
          <img class='item-thumbnail' expr:alt='data:post.title' expr:src='data:post.thumbnail'/>
         <b:else/>
          <img alt='no image' class='item-thumbnail' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0JbdARo1FBwiAcR3-ACp_SDSM5MU21w2mA6ivvtH-Gd6hjHRoafhtG2vt3xpS-QddDDzpoZ6tvG95Jla4no-ELeoNCfvQdJpnryesm8WUKNxLe0V6RggBPmlRkI-KN6vhbUK0JPvrNks/s1600/default.jpg'/>
         </b:if>
         <a expr:href='data:post.href' expr:title='data:post.title' rel='bookmark'><data:post.title/></a>
         <div class='clear'/>
        <b:else/>
         <b:if cond='data:post.thumbnail'>
          <img class='item-thumbnail' expr:alt='data:post.title' expr:src='data:post.thumbnail'/>
         <b:else/>
          <img alt='no image' class='item-thumbnail' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0JbdARo1FBwiAcR3-ACp_SDSM5MU21w2mA6ivvtH-Gd6hjHRoafhtG2vt3xpS-QddDDzpoZ6tvG95Jla4no-ELeoNCfvQdJpnryesm8WUKNxLe0V6RggBPmlRkI-KN6vhbUK0JPvrNks/s1600/default.jpg'/>
         </b:if>
         <a expr:href='data:post.href' expr:title='data:post.snippet' rel='bookmark'><data:post.title/></a>
         <div class='clear'/>
        </b:if>
       </b:if>
      </li>
     </b:loop>
    </ul>
   </div>
  </b:includable>
</b:widget>

Step 10. Save template.

Settings

- Go back to Layout  and click on the edit link of Popular Posts widget.

Select to "display up to 5 posts", then Save the widget.

- You can easily change the background color of the popular posts widget, going to Template >> Customize  >> Advanced >> PopularPostsBackground and there you can select any color you want.

You're done!

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Recent Comments Widget For Blogger

The Recent Comments Widget for Blogger displays the recent blog comments on your blog's sidebar, showing a snippet of the last comments along with the title of the post to which the comment was made. If you want to encourage your readers in leaving comments on your blog, this is a widget I would recommend.

How To Install The Recent Comments Widget For Blogger

Step 1. Go to your Blogger Dashboard >> Layout >> Add a Gadget

Step 2. From the pop-up window, scroll down and choose the HTML/JavaScript option:

Step 3. Now copy and paste the below code in the HTML/JavaScript box:

<script style=text/javascript src="http://helplogger.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/recent comments widget.js"></script><script style=text/javascript >var a_rc=5;var m_rc=false;var n_rc=true;var o_rc=100;</script><script src=http://your-blog-name.blogspot.com/feeds/comments/default?alt=json-in-script&callback=showrecentcomments ></script><span id=rcw-cr><a href=http://helplogger.blogspot.com/2012/03/recent-comments-widget-for-blogger.html>Recent Comments Widget</a></span><style type=text/css> .rcw-comments a {text-transform: capitalize;} .rcw-comments {border-bottom: 1px dotted; padding-top: 7px!important; padding-bottom: 7px!important;} #rcw-cr {font-family: Arial,Tahoma;font-size:9px;padding-top:7px;display:block;} </style>

Step 4. Replace your-blog-name with your blog url.

Step 5. Click Save and you're done.

Hope you'll enjoy it!