Finding and reading blog posts
The blog at https://blogs.onflowads.com lists its posts newest first. You can also reach a post by section, topic, author or search. This page shows each way in and every part of a post.
Reading and searching the blog are open to everyone, with or without an account. Nothing on this page differs by plan.
The blog's home page and the Latest list​
Signed out — the blog's front page The home page is the same for every reader. 1 The Blog word on the main site's top bar brings you here. 2 Latest and one link per section. 3 The search box. 4 The featured post, with its section, date and reading time above the title. The heading Latest posts under it starts the rest of the list; scroll to see those cards.
The home page opens with one large card. It is the post the blog chose to feature, or the newest one. Under Latest posts the rest follow as cards, newest first.
Each card shows the post's section, its date, the reading time written as "N min read", the title, a short summary and "By author". A post in a language other than English also shows the language's name.
To move through the list, use Older posts, Newer posts or the page numbers under the cards. Later pages are headed "Posts, page N".
The first page can also show Most read, a short list of the posts opened most often lately. The list is absent when there is nothing to count yet.
Browsing blog posts by section, topic or author​
A section, a topic and an author each have their own page of posts. Each page is paged like the home list.
| What | How to open it | What the page shows |
|---|---|---|
| Section, a category of posts | Press a section in the row under the top bar, in the footer's Blog column, on any card, or in a post's trail | The word Section, the section's name and description, and its posts |
| Topic, a subject a post is marked with | Press a topic chip at the end of a post | The word Topic, the topic's name, and every post with that topic |
| Author, who wrote a post | Press the author's name on a card, under a post's title, or in the Written by box | The word Author, the author's name, role, short description and own links, and their posts |
The blog chooses its sections and topics and can rename them. A section, a topic or an author has a page only while at least one public post belongs to it.
Searching the blog​
- Type what you are looking for in Search, in the blog's bar under the top bar.
- Press Enter, or press the magnifier in the box.
- Read the Search page. It says "N posts for" followed by your words, and lists the matching posts. Posts with your words in the title come first.
- If the results do not fit one page, press More results. Previous results takes you back.
Search looks at the title, the summary and the text of public posts. Every word you type must be in the post as a whole word. Part of a word finds a post only when it is part of the post's title.
When nothing matches, the page says so and keeps your words in the box. Try fewer words, whole words or a different spelling, or browse the sections instead.
Signed out — a blog search that found nothing This is the answer when no post has every word you typed. 1 Your words stay in the box, so you can change them and press Search again. 2 The note suggests fewer or different words. See the latest posts takes you back to the blog's list.
The parts of a blog post​
A post's page always opens with the same parts in the same order, before the article itself starts.
Signed out — the top of a blog post Every post opens like this. 1 The trail: the blog, the section, this post. Press a part to go there. 2 The facts: when the post was published, the reading time, and a link to the comments when there are any. 3 On this page lists the post's headings. Press one to jump to it. As you scroll, the list marks the heading you have reached.
From top to bottom:
- A thin progress bar across the top of the page. It fills as you scroll through the post.
- The trail: the blog's name, the section, then the post's title.
- The title and the summary.
- The author: picture, name and role. Press the name to see the author's other posts.
- The line of facts. "Published date" and "N min read" are always there. "Updated date" appears only when the post was changed on a later day. "N views" appears only if the blog shows view counts. "N comments" appears, as a link down to the comments, when the post has any.
- "Also in:" followed by language names, when the post has translations. Each name opens that version.
- The cover picture, when the post has one.
Using On this page to jump around a post​
On this page is a post's contents list, made from its headings. Press a heading to jump to it.
On a wide screen it is a column on the left. It stays in view as you scroll and marks the heading you are reading. On a narrower screen it is a closed bar titled On this page above the post. Tap the bar to open it. It closes again after you pick a heading.
Not every post has one. A post with fewer than two main headings has no contents list, and the writer can leave it off.
What a blog post can contain​
A post is more than text. Depending on what the writer used, you may meet:
- Pictures. Tap one to enlarge it, unless the picture is itself a link. Press Close or the Escape key to return.
- Videos. A video first shows as a picture with "Play video: title". Press it and the player starts in the page. A video file may also offer Download the video.
- Telegram posts shown inside the article, each with the link Read this post on Telegram under it.
- Tables. A wide table scrolls sideways inside its frame.
- Question-and-answer blocks that open when you tap the question.
- A Key takeaways box and callouts titled Note, Tip, Warning or Good to know. A writer can give a callout another title.
- Samples of text with a Copy button. The button reads "Copied" for a moment after you press it.
- Files to download, shown as a link followed by the file's type and size.
What comes after a blog post​
After the last paragraph the page continues in this order. Each part is there only when the blog shows it.
- The post's topics, as chips.
- Share, the row of share buttons.
- The question "Was this post helpful?" with Yes and No.
- The Written by box about the author.
- An invitation box with a button such as Get started free, which leads to sign-up.
- The subscribe box for new posts by email.
- The comments.
- Keep reading, up to three more posts on a related subject.
- Newer post and Older post, each with the title of the post it opens.
The pages Sharing and rating blog posts, Getting new blog posts by email and Commenting on a blog post cover these parts in full.
Reading the blog on a phone​
Signed out — the blog's front page on a phone The same page, laid out for a narrow screen. 1 The sections row. Swipe it sideways to see every section. 2 The search box has its own line. 3 The featured post, with its picture above its text. Scroll down and the other cards follow, one a row.
On a phone the content is the same and the layout changes:
- Cards are listed one a row, and the main buttons, such as Subscribe, take the full width.
- The sections row scrolls sideways, and the search box sits on its own line under it.
- A post's trail drops the post's title and shows the blog and the section only.
- On this page is the closed bar above the post.
Old, moved and removed blog addresses​
Links to the blog keep working when a post moves. The old address of a moved post leads to its new address by itself.
An address typed with capital letters, or with a slash at the end, is corrected for you in the same way.
A post that was taken down for good says "This post is no longer available" at its old address. The second card below covers it.
If something goes wrong​
Find the message you see on the blog, or the thing that is not working while you read. Nothing on the blog costs money, so no failure here can charge you.
"Page not found"​
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Where you see it:
A blog page with the line "There is no page at this address. It may have moved, or the link may be mistyped." and the button See the latest posts.
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Plans affected:
Every plan, and readers without an account.
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Why it happens:
The link was mistyped or cut short, or the post is not public. It also appears for a page number past the end of a list, and for a section or topic that has no public post.
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How to fix it:
Press See the latest posts, or search the blog for the post's title. If the link came from a message, copy it again in full.
"This post is no longer available"​
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Where you see it:
A blog page with the line "It was taken down. The latest posts are one click away." and the button See the latest posts.
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Plans affected:
Every plan, and readers without an account.
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Why it happens:
The post was public once and has been removed for good. Its comments went with it.
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How to fix it:
The post cannot be brought back. Press See the latest posts, or search the blog for the subject.
"Nothing found for" followed by your words​
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Where you see it:
The Search page, in place of results, with the line "Try fewer or different words." and the button See the latest posts.
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Plans affected:
Every plan, and readers without an account.
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Why it happens:
No public post contains every word you typed as a whole word, and no title contains exactly what you typed.
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How to fix it:
Use fewer words. Type whole words, because part of a word only matches inside titles. Check the spelling, or browse the sections.
"Type a word or two about what you are looking for."​
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Where you see it:
The Search page, under the search box.
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Plans affected:
Every plan, and readers without an account.
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Why it happens:
The search box was sent with nothing in it.
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How to fix it:
Type one or two words in the box and press Search.
"Too many attempts. Please wait a minute and try again."​
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Where you see it:
In the browser tab, right after you search the blog. A line of plain text with this sentence replaces the Search page.
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Plans affected:
Every plan, and readers without an account.
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Why it happens:
Too many searches arrived in a short time, so this one was not run. Nothing else is affected.
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How to fix it:
Wait as the message says, press your browser's back button, and search again.
There is no contents list, or On this page looks closed​
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Where you see it:
A post. Above the article there is a closed bar titled On this page, or no contents list at all.
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Plans affected:
Every plan, and readers without an account.
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Why it happens:
On a narrower screen the list starts closed. A post with fewer than two main headings, or one whose writer left the list off, has none. Nothing is missing from the post.
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How to fix it:
Tap On this page to open it. It closes again after you pick a heading.
A video does not start in the page​
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Where you see it:
A post. Pressing "Play video: title" opens the video's own site in a new tab, or a video file shows Download the video.
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Plans affected:
Every plan, and readers without an account.
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Why it happens:
The player starts in the page only when scripts run in your browser. With scripts off, or stopped by a content blocker, the play button is an ordinary link to the video's own site. For a video file, your browser cannot play that kind of file.
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How to fix it:
Watch the video in the new tab. To play it in the page, allow scripts for the blog or pause the content blocker, reload, and press play again. For a video file, press Download the video.
"The blog is taking a moment"​
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Where you see it:
Any blog page, with the line "It could not be loaded just now. Please try again in a minute." and the button Go to Onflow Ads.
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Plans affected:
Every plan, and readers without an account.
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Why it happens:
The blog could not show its posts at that moment. Nothing was saved or changed.
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How to fix it:
Wait a minute and reload the page. If it lasts, open
https://onflowads.com/supportand tell support the address of the page and the time.
More fixes for opening, searching and reading are on Troubleshooting the blog.