🌲 What is Blog Hiking?
Blog Hiking is a unique way to explore WordPress blogs by following trails of interconnected content. Search for any topic and discover blog posts from across the web, organized like hiking trails with different viewpoints and paths to explore.
🚀 Getting Started
- Enter a search term in the search box at the top (e.g., "travel photography", "cooking recipes", "web development")
- Click "Start New Trail" to begin your exploration
- Browse the results displayed as "Points of Interest" - each card represents a blog post
- Use the Trail Map sidebar to filter and navigate your results
🗺️ Understanding the Trail Map
The sidebar on the left is your navigation tool with three main sections:
📊 Elevation (Timeline)
Shows posts organized by year and month. Click on a year to expand and see months. Click on any month to filter posts from that time period.
🏕️ Nearby Sites
Lists the top blogs that appear in your search. Click any site name to enter Site Explorer mode and dive deep into that specific blog.
🏷️ Connecting Trails
Shows related keywords found in your results. Click "🏷️" to enter Keyword Junction mode where you can build new searches by combining keywords.
🔍 Three Ways to Explore
1. Results View (Default)
Browse all search results in a grid. Filter by month, sort by date, and discover content across multiple blogs.
2. Site Explorer
Focus on a single blog. View posts in a carousel, search within the site, and read full post content. Click "Full Post" on any card to load the complete article.
3. Keyword Junction
Analyze keywords from your results. See which words appear most frequently, which blogs use them, and build new search queries by selecting multiple keywords.
💡 Tips & Tricks
🎯 Narrow Your Search
Use the month filters or site filters to focus on specific time periods or blogs.
🔄 Clear Filters
When a filter is active, a "Clear Filter" button appears. Click it to see all results again.
⌨️ Keyboard Shortcuts
Press Enter in any search box to quickly start your search.
🔗 External Links
All "Visit this Site" and "View Original Post" links open in new tabs so you don't lose your place.
↔️ Carousel Navigation
In Site Explorer, use the arrow buttons or scroll with your mouse/trackpad to browse posts.
🎨 Understanding the Interface
Post Cards show the title, source blog, date, and excerpt. Click the title to visit the original post.
Tooltips appear when you hover over ? icons for quick help.
Active Filters are highlighted in the sidebar and show how many results are currently visible.
Back Button appears when in Site Explorer or Keyword Junction mode - click it to return to main results.
🤔 Troubleshooting
No results found? Try a different search term or make it more specific.
Site Explorer not loading posts? Some blogs may have API restrictions. The original search results will still be shown.
Full Post not displaying? Click "View Original Post" to read it on the source blog.
❓ Need More Help?
Click the ? button in the bottom-right corner anytime to reopen this guide. Happy hiking! 🥾
ℹ️ About & Credits
Blog Hiking is a discovery tool for exploring WordPress blogs across the web. This application searches and organizes blog content to help you find interesting posts and discover new blogs.
Data Sources
Blog content is sourced from:
- WordPress.com Search API - Provides initial search results across WordPress blogs
- WordPress REST API - Used for fetching full post content from individual sites (when available)
Technical Credits
- CORS Proxy by corsproxy.io - Enables cross-origin requests
- WordPress Search - Powered by WordPress.com search infrastructure
📝 Note on Content
All blog posts and content displayed in this application are property of their respective authors and sites. Blog Hiking provides a browsing interface but does not host or own any of the content shown. All "Visit this Site" and "View Original Post" links direct you to the original sources.
Privacy & Data
Blog Hiking does not collect or store any personal data. Your searches and browsing are not tracked or saved on any server. The only local storage used is to remember if you've dismissed the welcome banner.