“Could Not Detect a Feed” on Blogger: Checks Before Changing Your Theme

A Blog List message saying “Could not detect a feed for this URL” does not identify the cause by itself. Start with the exact address that failed. Avoid changing a theme or deleting a gadget until you know whether the feed itself is accessible.

Check access before changing the design

For a Blogger blog you own, check Settings → Site feed → Allow blog feed. Google lists Full, Until Jump Break, Short and Custom options; None turns off the site feed. Choose the amount of content you actually want to share. A private blog does not provide a working public site feed. Do not make private posts public merely to clear a gadget error.

For somebody else’s blog, you cannot change these settings. Record what you see and ask its owner whether a public feed is available.

Test the feed address separately

Replace yourblog.blogspot.com with the blog’s real address:

• Atom: https://yourblog.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default
• RSS: https://yourblog.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss

Open the address in a browser or feed reader. Record the final address and result. XML, a download prompt and a reader’s formatted display can look different; a familiar appearance alone is not proof that the contents are valid. A sign-in page, missing-page message or ordinary homepage gives you a different problem to investigate.

What you observe	What to check next	What it does not establish
A sign-in or permission page	Whether a public feed is intended and available	That posts were deleted
The feed address ends on another service	The saved Post feed redirect URL and its destination	That the Blogger theme is broken
A reader displays recent feed items, but Blog List rejects the blog address	Try the direct feed URL in the gadget and compare results	The exact cause of the gadget failure
Neither a reader nor the browser obtains the expected feed	Address spelling, access settings and redirects	That switching themes will repair it

Separate redirects from feed discovery

Blogger can send its post feed to another service through Post feed redirect URL. Before testing a change, copy the current value and note which subscribers depend on it. Change one thing at a time, record the result and restore the value if the test does not help. Avoid casually removing a working subscription route.

If a direct feed works while the homepage address fails in a gadget, the difference narrows the investigation to how that address is discovered or handled. It is not a reason to replace the whole theme immediately. Keep the existing gadget entry and settings recorded before any removal or re-addition.

A useful support report

Instead of “RSS is broken,” provide: the entered address; final address after redirects; exact error; whether the blog is public; whether another reader displays recent items; and the one change you tested. Share only public URLs and redact private account information.

For example, this invented report is specific enough to investigate: “The homepage address fails in Blog List. The direct RSS address displays three recent posts in another reader. No theme changes were made.” It suggests a narrower next test, not a confirmed diagnosis.

For general subscription checks, see our Blogger RSS guide. If a theme change becomes necessary, use the backup and rollback checklist first.

Source: Google Blogger Help: site-feed settings, addresses and redirects, checked October 9, 2026. The diagnostic sequence and example are editorial guidance, prepared with AI assistance; Advice Me has not reproduced this gadget error in a hands-on test.