Welcome to the new era of the Python Insider blog! We've moved the entire operation to a more modern, community-friendly platform. In this Q&A, we cover everything you need to know—from why we left Blogger to how you can start writing for the blog. Whether you're a reader or a potential contributor, read on to discover what's changed and how to get involved.
Why did the Python Insider Blog move from Blogger?
Blogger served us well for many years, but it had one major limitation: to contribute, you needed a Google account and had to use Blogger's sometimes clunky editor. That's a higher barrier than we wanted for a community blog. The new setup is built on a Git repository, where posts are plain Markdown files. Now, if you can open a pull request on GitHub, you can write a post. No special accounts required—just a text editor and a GitHub account. This change opens up contributions to more community members, making the blog truly collaborative.
Where is the new blog now?
The Python Insider Blog has a shiny new home at blog.python.org. All old links from the Blogger version automatically redirect to the new URLs. Your RSS reader should pick up the new feed without any manual steps, but if something doesn't work, point it to blog.python.org/rss.xml. The entire site is backed by a Git repository, meaning every post has a version history and is open for community improvements.
What happened to all the old blog posts?
Every single post from the Blogger era—307 of them—has been migrated to the new platform. They now live as Markdown files under content/posts/, each in its own directory with a index.md file and any accompanying images. The migration preserved all content, authors, and dates. If you visit an old blog.python.org URL from before, you'll be seamlessly redirected to the corresponding new URL. So nothing is lost; everything you loved about the Python Insider Blog is still there, just in a more maintainable format.
How can I contribute a post to the Python Insider Blog?
Contributing is easier than ever. Here's the quick rundown:
- Fork the repository at github.com/python/python-insider-blog.
- Create a new directory under
content/posts/with a slug for your post. - Add an
index.mdfile with YAML frontmatter (title, date, authors, tags) and your Markdown content. - Place any images in the same directory.
- Open a pull request.
What technology powers the new blog?
Under the hood, the blog is built with Astro, a modern static site generator. It outputs clean, fully static HTML, which means fast loading times and reliable hosting. Styling is handled by Tailwind CSS. For developers who want a graphical interface, Keystatic CMS is available in dev mode—but it's entirely optional; raw Markdown is just fine. The entire build and deployment process runs through GitHub Actions, automatically updating the site whenever changes are merged. This stack keeps contributions low-friction and the site performant.
What about the RSS feed? Has it changed?
Yes, the RSS feed has a new URL: blog.python.org/rss.xml. Most feed readers will automatically detect the change, but if yours doesn't, simply update the feed address. The feed includes all new posts as they are published. If you spot any issues with the feed or missing entries, let us know via the repository's issues.
What should I do if I find broken links, missing images, or formatting errors?
Please file an issue on the GitHub repository. The migration from Blogger might have introduced a few glitches, and we want to fix them quickly. You can also submit a pull request with the fix yourself—the more the merrier. Community contributions are warmly welcomed, whether it's fixing a typo or improving an image alt text. Together we can keep the Python Insider Blog in top shape.