MarsEdit Help | Solutions By Topic | Q&A

Getting Started

Setting up a weblog

When you first launch MarsEdit, it will ask you for details about your weblog. If you ever want to add another weblog, just choose the File > New Weblog… menu item.

After you enter the name of your weblog and the URL of its home page, MarsEdit will usually be able to figure out the rest of the settings it needs.

If MarsEdit doesn’t auto-detect the settings, refer to the Manual Configuration page for simple instructions on configuring popular weblog systems.

Downloading and browsing recent posts

If MarsEdit detected your weblog settings, your most recent posts will be downloaded automatically. To manually download recent posts, click the Refresh button in the toolbar.

Note: MarsEdit asks you for your weblog password, which is stored securely in the system keychain. For most weblogs, the username and password are the same as you use to login to your weblog from a browser. But for Movable Type weblogs, the username and password for MarsEdit is separate, and is called the "web services password."

When MarsEdit finishes downloading, the titles of your recent posts will appear in the table at the top of the main window. Select an item to see a preview of the full post in the bottom half of the window.

What to do if there’s an error

Usually the problem is with your network connection or a mis-configuration of your weblog settings.

The error message should include information from the weblog about the cause of the failure, though these messages are not always helpful.

  1. Double-check that you have the correct settings for your weblog. The Software, API Endpoint URL, and Blog ID fields must be correctly configured.
  2. Try searching the MarsEdit Forums with words from the error message. Many common configuration problems have been solved before by the MarsEdit community.
  3. If you’re still having trouble, feel free to contact us for assistance. We’ll be glad to help get you up and running!

A Note About Movable Type and TypePad Passwords

If you find that MarsEdit repeatedly displays the password authentication dialog, and you’re sure you’re typing it correctly, it’s possible you’re entering the wrong password for this purpose. These systems are unusual in that they require a separate, web services password when logging in from an application such as MarsEdit. To locate the password, log in to the system’s administration panel on the web, and look inside your user settings.