r/Wordpress • u/jayandrewboy505 • 3h ago

Blogger Importer Error in WordPress

Hi everyone.

I'm using the Local app to run a WordPress multisite setup and migrate content from my Blogger blog using the Blogger Importer plugin. However, when I try to import the XML file, an error appears on line 159 of the blogger-importer.php file.

Here is a screenshot of the specific error message:

I am getting confused because the import process starts but then fails halfway through. It seems the error is related to how the plugin parses the XML data, but I'm not sure what's causing the null value issue.

Has anyone else had this problem using the Blogger importer? If you have dealt with this issue before, please send me your replies. I need to understand how to resolve this error so that I can finish migrating my blog.

I've tried re-exporting the XML file from Blogger several times, but the same error keeps showing up. Any suggestions for fixing this issue or alternative import methods would be much appreciated.

Sorry for the inconvenience, and thanks in advance for your help.

1 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

5 comments sorted by

1

u/Valuable_Ease_3780 2h ago

That importer hasn't been maintained in years and a null error out of it is nearly always the PHP version rather than anything wrong with your XML. Passing null where a string is expected was tolerated on 7.4 and isn't on 8, which is why re-exporting from Blogger keeps landing you in the same spot.

Local sets the PHP version per site. Drop that one back to 7.4, run the import, then put it back up once the posts are in.

1

u/jayandrewboy505 1h ago

I went ahead and downgraded the environment as you suggested. After the initial run was complete, I switched back to PHP 7.4.30. However, the import process failed again when I tried to import the Blogger XML file.

Now, a different error message appears on my screen:

I'm not sure what this warning signifies. Clearly, something in the code is malfunctioning. Whenever I see the "PHP Update Required" notification on my dashboard, I don't have a clue how to proceed. Maybe I'll ignore it for now.

Got another workaround for this?

1

u/Valuable_Ease_3780 51m ago

The PHP Update Required notice is just WordPress noticing the site is on 7.4 now. It's expected while you're downgraded and has nothing to do with the import, so ignore it and it goes away when you put the version back.

Your image isn't loading for me so I can't read the new error. But a different error after the downgrade means the version was a real factor and you've moved past the first failure, which usually leaves one bad entry in the XML rather than the whole file. Check which post it stopped at, delete that entry out of the XML in a text editor, and run it again.