Roame Quick Start Checklist

Use this checklist after Roame is installed. Build the destination structure and travel post formats early, then finish the homepage, styling and final checks.

1. Install Roame

• Install the Roame XML and confirm the homepage, a post and Blogger Layout load correctly before changing anything.
• Keep a backup of the previous theme and an untouched copy of Roame.xml.

2. Site identity

• Set your blog title or logo in the Header gadget.
• Check the blog description and header spacing.

3. Navigation and social links

• Build the Main Navigation and nested destination menu.
• Replace the demo navigation and footer social URLs.

4. Theme options

• Choose whether sticky navigation is enabled.
• Decide which page types should show the sidebar.

5. Destination labels and structure

• Use consistent country and region labels on posts.
• Keep the Destinations navigation hierarchy aligned with those labels.

6. Destinations Index

• Create /p/destinations.html with the supplied marker.
• Test country cards, continent filters and destination search.

7. Photo Essays and Travel Guides

• Use the reserved Essay label for photo-led stories.
• Use the reserved Guide label for destination guides and automatic in-page contents.

8. Homepage welcome and featured stories

• Replace the Welcome Note.
• Choose recent stories or one exact Blogger label for Featured Journeys.

9. Homepage destination sections

• Replace the four Explore by Destination cards.
• Customize Postcard from the Road and Homepage About the Author.

10. Newsletter and Instagram

• Connect the homepage/sidebar newsletter forms if you use them.
• Add your Behold JSON feed URL for the footer Instagram strip.

11. Footer and styling

• Replace footer About, navigation, Explore, Follow and Legal content.
• Finish colors, typography and spacing in Blogger Theme Designer.

12. Dark mode and translations

• Test light and dark mode.
• Choose a built-in language or enter manual fixed-text translations.

13. About and Contact pages

• Create /p/about.html and customize the compatible About starter layout.
• Create /p/contact.html and test the native Blogger contact form.

14. Reader tools

• Check search, sharing, comments, post navigation, related stories, lightbox, 404 and back to top.
• These mostly work automatically but should be tested once before launch.

15. Final test

• Run through the homepage, Journal, destination labels, special archives, posts, static pages and mobile navigation.
• Replace any remaining demo URLs or placeholder copy.