How to add a badge to a blog made with Blogger

This article is about how to add a badge that someone else gives you to a blog made with Blogger.

Sometimes, blog-owners run a blog-a-thon or a similar circle-of-blogs event.

One aspect of taking part is by showing a badge for the event on your own blog, so that your visitors are invited to take part and to view other participants' blogs too.

Usually who-ever is hosting the event gives you the code for the badge, and tells you to install it into your own blog. Sometimes they even tell you how to install it to your Wordpress blog - like this.

Fortunately, installing a badge to a blog made with Blogger is equally easy.

Installing a badge to Blogger

Decide where you want to put the badge. Traditionally badges go into the sidebar, but you could choose to put it into the header or footer, into the space above or below your posts, or even into an individual post.

Get the HTML code for the badge.
NB If the other party doesn't give you the code, or if their code is neither HTML or Javascript, then you may need to make it yourself using the approach described in How to make a Button for your Own Blog. But 99.99% of the time, they provide it.

Install the code into your blog the same way you would put any other 3rd party HTML or Javascript into it.

In most cases, this involves adding a HTML/Javascript gadget, pasting the code in, and then positioning it where you want it. But There are some cases when you will need to edit your template.

Job Done!
Yes, it really is that simple. A badge is simply a picture, and a piece of code which says "when this picture is clicked, go there" The hard work is in making the picture for the badge - installing it is usually very simple (unless you do something complicated and try to put the button in the middle of your post headers and footers.

A thought about copyright

As I've said before, copyright law applies to blogs, just like it applies to all created things. So of course it applies to badges, and the images used on badges.

However, because you are installing a badge which someone else has provided the code for and told you to use, it's safe to assume that you have their permission to use the image that they have provided on your blog.

But it's probably not a good idea to modify the badge code too heavily - for example to change the size of the image drastically, or to use a different picture.

Putting 3rd party HTML into your blog

Copyright, blogs and bloggers

How to make a Button for your Own Blog