Add an image "from a URL"

toolbar > insert image > Add Images > From a URL

A URL (Universal Resource Locator) is the unique address of a file on the Word Wide Web.

The image shows when the URL is right.

If you know the URL of an image file, and if that file is public, you can post it directly into your blog at Add Images > From a URL.

Add Images appears when you click the image tool in the toolbar on Blogger's editing page.

Update: The user interface has changed, so my screen shots and step-by-steps are no longer 100% valid. This option is now known simply as "by URL."

Unlike upload and from my phone, this option does not add or copy anything into the Album Archive. It uses the file you specify at its URL location.

Consequently, if that file is deleted or renamed or restricted or moved, it will leave a hole in your blog.

For this to work,

• you need to know the true url of the file
• the file must be public

I would also argue strongly that

• you should have the right to use the image

"I found it on the internet" is not a license for you to use an image.

The true URL

Some online photo albums, including Flickr, Google Photos, and the Album Archive, have multiple ways of displaying an image, each with its own URL.

Most of these won't work.

Fortunately, Blogger's "from a URL" has a built-in checker that shows the image if the url is correct, and an error message if it is not.

If the URL you entered does not pan out, you will have to locate the right one by clicking around. 

Typically these canonical URLs end with a suffix such as .jpg or .png.

The image must be public

Some photo-sharing sites, including Google Photos, allow the account holder to share and unshare images.

Private images often won't work on your blog in a way that others can see, even if you have viewing privileges. However, the rules vary from site to site.

Drag and drop alternative

In the past, I have relied on adding "from a URL" to insert photos that are in Google Photos in one of my other Google accounts (I have three; don't ask).

I may switch, however, to the drag-and-drop method, now that its bugs seem to be ironed out.

Upload • From this blog • From Google Album Archive • From your phone • From your webcam • From a URL • Drag & drop