How To Make Your Blog Private and Restrict Access in Blogger

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Blogger allows you to create 100 different sites per account. As a result, people often create too many demo sites to test their stuff like widgets or gadgets before releasing them in public. Those sites are not for the public users as they are like working stations where only inventions take place. This is the reason why, many developers want to restrict their blog from public users but not from their site contributors, authors and administrators. Therefore, today in this article, we will Show you How to Restrict Your Site Permission to Specific Readers in Blogger?

There is a handy option in Blogger located at Settings >> Basics >> Blog readers. This option would help you in restricting public users from accessing your site, but blog admins and authors can still access it only when they log into their Google account. It has three options i.e. Anybody, Only Blog Authors and Only these readers. We will try to evaluate these options comprehensively so that everyone can understand its functionality. 
By default, the sites permission is set to “Anybody” which means anyone can access your site. Anybody includes Human visitors, Robots, Crawlers and etc. This option is recommended for those who want keep their site to open for public. 

By Choosing “Only blog authors” option, your site would be restricted to the public users, but site authors and admins would continue to read it.  Other public users won’t be able to view your site instead they will see a message stating that this site is private. 

The Last option is “Only these readers”. This option would help you to restrict your site only those readers which you would choose. However, those readers have to login into their Google account before they can access the site. You have to send invitations to the readers through Emails. Keep in mind; you can only add more than 100 readers in one Private Blog. 

Now it’s up to you that what kind of permission you want to set on your website. If you choose to keep your site private then, it would display the following message to public.  However, site contributors would continue to read your site. 

This blog is open to invited readers only

 http://example.blogspot.com/

It doesn't look like you have been invited to read this blog. If you think that this is a mistake, you might want to contact the blog author and request an invitation.

You're signed in as example@gmail.com - Sign in with a different account
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The Editorial Team of MyBloggerLab consists of a group of Professional Blogger geeks Led by Syed Faizan Ali (Founder of MyBloggerLab).

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38 comments

March 17, 2013 at 8:08 AM

AnotherNice post from you,Syed.I have to ask one question.How to remove author link from blogger comment? pls help me.

Editorial Team MOD
March 17, 2013 at 8:25 AM

Well, thats not possible with the Blogger's Default Commenting System,

March 17, 2013 at 12:30 PM

Thanks syed bro

March 18, 2013 at 5:42 AM

Hey syed, can you help me to install breadcrumbs navigation in wordpress. But please note, I only want breadcrumbs for navigation not in Google results. Just like Templateism. :)

Editorial Team MOD
March 18, 2013 at 6:12 AM

We have already written a descriptive tutorial on it but it only supports Blogger.

http://www.mybloggerlab.com/2012/12/create-breadcrumbs-navigation-in-blogger.html

July 17, 2013 at 5:06 AM

Hi,

What should be done,if i would like to restrict the readers only to read but not to copy my post i.e., read only access? Is it possible for blogspot posts? Thanks in advance.

Editorial Team MOD
July 17, 2013 at 7:49 AM

That's not possible.

July 17, 2013 at 10:50 PM

How about I don't want let anyone read my blog?Because I don't add any email address there.

Editorial Team MOD
July 18, 2013 at 2:22 AM

Try using

Only blog authors

Your blog is restricted so that only blog authors can read it.
Other visitors to this blog will not be able to read any posts; instead they will get a message stating that this is a private blog

3SA
July 21, 2013 at 2:18 PM

Okay I have a question. I do not want to have a public blog so any and everyone can read it but I want it read. I don't have addresses to add people so I can't opt for private either so I wanted to know how to I let other bloggers read my blog without making it public or private? (If that makes sense, I hope so).

July 24, 2013 at 4:52 AM

Thanks for your response :) I remember I have seen a blog some months where I tried copying a post to my notepad, but was in vain. I could view the content but not copy it. So, I think its possible but not sure... Please share your view...

October 14, 2013 at 12:38 PM

what about restricting posters? is there a way, say, to restrict postings to 3 authors? and still allow anyone to read the blog.

further, can i set these posters even if they do not have google accounts?

October 14, 2013 at 12:41 PM

can i create a blog whee the readers are not restricted (ie anyone can read) but the authors are restricted to several people? also, if this is possible will these people be required to have gmail accounts??

thank you.

Editorial Team MOD
October 14, 2013 at 4:51 PM

Yes, you can add authors to your blog.

Go to Blogger >> Setting >> Blog Authors >> Invite

Editorial Team MOD
October 14, 2013 at 4:52 PM

Can't understand what you really mean here.

July 29, 2014 at 4:42 AM

My friend added me to her private only blog as a reader. I received an email from Blogger inviting me and I accepted. (I have a gmail account). I was able to view her blog. However, 2 days later I was no longer able to read it. I ge the "this blog is open to invited readers only" message. I checked with her and together we reviewed her settings, and my email is still listed as one that is an approved reader. Several of her grown children are having the same issue - they can get into it initially after accepting the invite, but then can't access it later. Can you help.

Editorial Team MOD
July 29, 2014 at 4:52 AM

Hi,

Please make sure that the blog is "open for invited readers only" Not set to "Blog Authors". Provide me with the screenshot of the setting you have put on your blogger privacy settings.

September 1, 2014 at 9:16 AM

Hi there i would like to ask whether is possible to restrict readers from a specific blogger page but not the entire blog

Editorial Team MOD
September 2, 2014 at 7:34 AM

Yes, you can password protect your posts

http://www.mybloggerlab.com/2012/05/how-to-protect-your-post-with-password.html

Ada
April 13, 2015 at 8:57 PM

Hi syed, I have a blog and I invited one reader only but I keep seeing 59 page views when I check my blog and it's ffrom different regions of the world. How is this possible, as at today, the blog is just one day old.

Editorial Team MOD
April 26, 2015 at 12:58 PM

Those views are of Google bots.

May 5, 2015 at 5:21 AM

That happened to my blog as well. So "private" blogs are scrolled/viewed by Google bots?

Editorial Team MOD
May 5, 2015 at 3:31 PM

Yes Google always check your site for updates.

Try Google Analytics that is fairly more accurate.

May 6, 2015 at 12:53 PM

Can I make our blog private by using only a password instead of typing in email addresses?
It's because some people using Yahoo or other accounts cannot access Blogger

Editorial Team MOD
May 7, 2015 at 7:46 AM

Yes you can password protect posts:

Tutorial Here -> How To Protect Your Post With Password in Blogger

July 25, 2015 at 10:25 AM

blog readers feature is disabled on me :(

this says something about google+

August 15, 2015 at 4:16 AM

How about I don't want let anyone read my blog?Because I don't add any email address there.permanent magazine

September 4, 2015 at 1:56 PM

I had a large blog following but went private on a new blog that I need open to about 500 people. Is this possible?

Editorial Team MOD
September 6, 2015 at 1:51 AM

Just open your blog for selective readers, You can use there email address to give access.

October 1, 2015 at 2:15 PM

I am having the exact same issue as Greg and Deborah above. I have selected "open for invited readers only" and entered their email addresses and saved the changes. They got the invite and were only able to access it once and then it tells them that they cannot access it again. I was hoping once they're invited once, they would have to be invited again. Please let me know!

December 11, 2015 at 6:34 AM

I'm thinking about taking my blog public. If I go public and then decide to change it back to private within a few months, do I have to re-invite the allowed readers by retyping all their email addresses and sending them new invitations to read my blog?

Editorial Team MOD
December 18, 2015 at 3:43 AM

Yes, You have to again send invitations if you revert back to private.

January 2, 2016 at 1:02 PM

I created a private blog but it doesn't include an opening message "This blog is open to invited readers only". Is there some setting required?

Editorial Team MOD
January 3, 2016 at 8:45 AM

Hi, Please choose

Private - Only these readers

January 3, 2016 at 2:38 PM

Yes, this is the setting I have. And there are 32 open invitations for readers (not authors or administrators)

April 4, 2016 at 4:45 AM

I tried to set my blog onto private, but blogspot does not give me the option to change the blog readers setting on my site.

May 12, 2016 at 8:07 PM

thank you

August 20, 2016 at 12:38 PM

Hi, having exact same problem as some of the people above;
I am having the exact same issue as Greg and Deborah above. I have selected "open for invited readers only" and entered their email addresses and saved the changes. They got the invite and were only able to access it once and then it tells them that they cannot access it again. I was hoping once they're invited once, they would have to be invited again. Please let me know!

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