Blogs at Penn State Community

This widget tool allows you to add headlines from another blog or news service to your sidebar.

Find the Feed Link

Blog headlines are stored in an RSS, ATOM or other XML file. If you are not sure how to identify a news feed link, see the TLT Sorting Out Blogs, Wikis and Newsfeeds page.

Add the Feed Link

1. Log on to http://blogs.psu.edu.
2. Click the name of the blog to enter it.
3. Click Create a Feed Widget in the lower right section of the page in the Plugin Actions menu.
   Note: If you do not see this option, click Main Menu at the top and re-enter your blog.
4. In the next window, enter or paste a URL in the Enter URL to QuickAdd field in the upper right then hit the Continue button.
   Note: Be sure to include the http:// prefix (not the feed:// prefix found in Safari)
   
5. Click Continue at the bottom of the screen to confirm the link and enter the next screen.
6. On the next screen, edit the Title of the feed as needed.
   
7. Select the number of entries you wish to show in the Display field then click Save.
8. To add another feed, click Create Another; otherwise click the white Main Menu link on the top of the menu to exit the feed widget.
   

Display the Feed

You must enter the Widget Manager to move the feeds to the sidebar. To do that:

1. From the Main Menu, click the name of the blog to enter it.
2. Click Templates in the left menu.
3. Click Manage My Widgets in the bottom Plugin Actions section. A list of available sidebar widgets are displayed.
4. Click the link for First Widget Manager. All available able widgets will be displayed.
5. Drag the feed widget (named after the feed) from the right hand Available Widget column to the left Installed Widgets column. Click Save Changes to exit.
   
6. Click Rebuild Site to post the changes.
7. Click View Site to see the links in the side menu.
   Note: If you do not see the links, make sure you have checked to see that Blogroll is set to display in the Widget Manager and that you have clicked Rebuild Site.

Edit Typos in Feed Title

If your Feed title is too long or has typos, do the following.

1. Click Templates in the left menu to see the list of available widgets, including feed widgets. The image below shows a widget for a Penn State Live feed.
   
2. Click the name for the feed widget.
3. Change the text in the Template Name field. Click Save then click Rebuild Site to post the changes.
4. Note: If you do not see the links, make sure you have checked to see that feed is set to display in the Widget Manager and that you have clicked Rebuild Site.