Complete Guide to WordPress Widgets: How to Add, Customize, and Manage

WordPress widgets are very helpful tools that let you add extra things to your website, separate from the main writing on the page. Think of them as special blocks you can place in certain spots on your site, like the sides (sidebars), bottoms (footers), or even tops (headers). They help you make your website do more without needing to write code yourself for many tasks. Widgets make it easy to add things like social media posts, contact forms, or lists of your newest articles.

In this article, you’ll learn all about WordPress widgets, including how to find and use the ones already in WordPress or add others using plugins. We’ll show you how to put widgets on your site using the settings page, the Customize screen, or even the block editor for specific pages.

By reading this guide, you’ll know how to really use WordPress widgets to make your site lively and look good. They are a simple way (often using drag-and-drop) to help visitors find what they need, get them involved, and reach your website goals.

What are WordPress Widgets?

In WordPress, widgets are snippets of content or modular elements that exist outside the main body of your posts or pages. Think of them as versatile building blocks that you can add to designated areas of your website to include specific features or content. They add functionality and extra content to areas like sidebars and footers.

Widgets contain information, navigation, or media that is separate from the content of an individual post or page. In many cases, a widget will display on every page of your site, although widget areas can also be registered for specific pages, such as the homepage.

You add a widget to your site by placing it into a widget area, which is typically created by your theme. Widget areas are tied to your site’s design and layout. Most WordPress themes include widget areas in the sidebar and footer, but some themes offer multiple widget areas in various locations, such as above or below the main content or in the header.

Widgets are especially useful for things you want visitors to see easily from any page. This could be a list of your most recent blog posts, a shopping cart if you sell things, or a button asking people to sign up or contact you (a call to action). Because they often use a simple drag-and-drop system, adding and using widgets is easy and often doesn’t require you to write code. They are a core WordPress feature for customizing these parts of your site.

Where to Find Widgets on WordPress

You can access and manage your widgets from within your WordPress dashboard.

Classic Themes

If you are using a classic theme:

1. Log into the WordPress Dashboard.
2. Navigate to Appearance > Widgets in the left sidebar.
3. On this screen, you’ll see your Available Widgets on the left. These are the widgets that are ready for you to add to your site. On the right side, you will see the widget areas (also referred to as sidebars) provided by your current theme, such as the sidebar, footer, or header.
   
   

Block Themes

If you are using a block theme:

Widgets can be found directly within the Site, Page, or Post Editor. You can view the available widgets by expanding the block inserter (the “+” button) at the top left corner of the screen and scrolling down.

Check out our detailed guide on Managing Widgets with the Block Editor.

Managing Widgets with Blocks in WordPress 5.8

How to Add Widgets on WordPress

WordPress provides built-in widgets, and you can also add more by installing plugins.

There are generally two main ways to add widgets to your site using a classic theme:

Using the Widgets Admin Screen

1. Log into the WordPress Dashboard.
2. Go to Appearance > Widgets.
   
   
3. From the list of widgets on the left (Available Widgets), you can drag and drop a widget into the desired widget area on the right.
   
   
4. Alternatively, you can click on the widget you want to add, select the widget area from the list that appears, and click the Add Widget button.
5. Once added to a widget area, you can drag widgets up and down to change their order. Widgets load and display on your site in the order they are listed in the widget area.

Did you know? You can use the Widgets screen in accessibility mode if you cannot use a mouse. Enable this mode via a link at the top right. You can then navigate using the Tab key and press Enter to interact with widgets and widget areas.

Using the WordPress Customizer

The Customizer allows you to see a live preview of your website as you add and arrange widgets, making it easier to visualize how they will look.

1. From the admin menu, go to Appearance > Customize. You can also access it from the admin bar on the live site by clicking Customize.
2. In the Customizer menu, click the Widgets option.
3. You will see a list of the widget areas available in your theme. Click on the widget area where you want to add a widget, then click the Add a widget button.
4. A list of all available widgets (built-in and from plugins) will appear. Click on the widget you want to add, and it will appear in the preview on the right.
5. In the Customizer, you can reorder widgets by dragging them up and down in the list on the left or by clicking the Reorder link and using the arrow icons. Remember to click the Publish button at the top left to save your changes before leaving the Customizer.

Adding Widgets in Block Themes

If you’re using a block theme, the process is slightly different.

1. From the WordPress admin panel, go to Appearance > Editor.
2. In the website preview, select your preferred widget area (e.g., Footer).
3. Click the + button (block inserter) and scroll down to the Widgets category.
4. Select the widget you want to add (e.g., Latest Posts).
5. The widget will appear in the preview area, and you can customize its settings.
6. Click Save when you’re done customizing.

Adding Widgets to Specific Pages

For classic themes, some themes might have widget areas specifically for pages like the homepage. In the Gutenberg editor for posts and pages, you can also add a widget directly into your content. Add a new block, select the Widgets block type, and choose from many available widgets. This is useful for adding forms, calls to action, or latest posts lists within your content.

Adding widgets from plugins follows a similar process once the plugin is installed and activated. After activating a plugin that provides widgets, they will appear in your Available Widgets list.

How to Edit Widgets on WordPress

Once you’ve added widgets, you can easily modify them.

1. Go to the Appearance > Widgets screen or the Appearance > Customize > Widgets area in the WordPress dashboard.
2. Find the widget you wish to edit within its widget area.
3. Expand the widget’s settings by clicking on its title or an arrow icon.
4. Edit the options provided by the widget. Settings can vary widely; some widgets have simple options like a title or number of items to display, while others might require configuration on a separate settings page provided by the plugin developer.
5. Remember to Save or Update the widget after making changes in the Widgets screen or Publish changes in the Customizer.

Rearranging the Order of Widgets

Widgets load in the order in which they are listed in the sections. If you wish to change the order of the widgets, simply drag the widgets under “Primary Widget” to the order you wish to have them display.

You can also move a widget from one widget area to another by dragging it in the Widgets screen.

How to Remove Widgets on WordPress

Removing widgets you no longer need is just as easy as adding them. There are two ways to remove a widget from a widget area:

Remove and Delete Widget Settings

1. Go to Appearance > Widgets.
2. Drag the widget from its current widget area on the right to the Available Widgets area on the left.
3. This action removes the widget from your website and deletes its settings.

Remove but Save Widget Settings

1. Go to Appearance > Widgets.
2. Drag the widget from its current widget area to the Inactive Widgets area, usually located towards the bottom of the Widgets screen.
3. This removes the widget from your website but saves its current settings. Widgets in the Inactive Widgets area can be easily dragged back into a widget area later if you decide to use them again without reconfiguring them.
4. If you switch themes, and your new theme has different widget areas, any widgets that don’t fit the new areas are automatically moved to the Inactive Widgets list by WordPress.

Permanently Delete a Widget

To permanently delete a widget (not just remove it from a widget area), you need to explicitly delete it from the Widgets screen or Customizer:

1. In the Widgets screen, find the widget and click the Delete link, usually at the bottom left of the expanded widget settings.
2. In the Customizer, find the widget in its area, expand its settings, and click the Remove link at the bottom left.

Examples of Widgets in WordPress

WordPress comes with several useful widgets pre-installed. Many more are available through plugins. Here are some common and popular examples:

• Recent Posts Widget: This is a very common widget, especially for blogs. It displays a list of your newest blog posts, encouraging visitors to browse your content. It comes pre-installed and lets you control the title and number of posts shown.
• Recent Comments Widget: Shows the latest comments on your site, highlighting audience engagement and providing links for visitors to join the discussion. It’s included with WordPress.
• Categories List Widget: A built-in option that lists all the categories used on your blog, helping visitors find content that interests them. You can often choose to display them as a dropdown or a list.
• Tag Cloud Widget: Displays a list of your site’s top 45 used tags in a tag cloud. The size of the tag text indicates how frequently the tag is used. This makes it easy for visitors to explore topics you write about often. It’s included with WordPress.
• Custom HTML Widget: A flexible built-in widget that allows you to add custom HTML code. This is useful for embedding third-party content or adding custom design elements.
• Archives Widget: Another built-in widget that displays links to your posts organized by month. It’s designed for blogs and allows visitors to navigate older content.
• Navigation Menu Widget: This widget allows you to select any custom menu you’ve created in WordPress and display it in a widget area. This is useful for creating secondary navigation menus in footers or sidebars.
• Image Widget: A pre-installed widget for displaying an image from your Media Library in a widget area. You can also make the image a link.
• Video Widget: Embeds a video from streaming services like YouTube or Vimeo directly into a widget area.
• Search Widget: Adds a simple search box to your site, making it easy for visitors to find content. It comes preloaded with WordPress.
• Call to Action Widgets: Used to prompt users to take a specific action, like signing up for a mailing list. While you can create one using the built-in HTML or Text widgets, plugins often provide dedicated call-to-action widgets.
• Social Icons Widget: Often added via plugins (like Jetpack or dedicated social media plugins), this widget displays icons linking to your social media profiles.
• Shopping Cart Widget: Common for e-commerce sites using plugins like WooCommerce, this widget provides quick access to the user’s shopping cart from anywhere on the site.
• Form Widget: Adds contact, signup, or other types of forms to your widget areas, usually requiring a plugin like Contact Form 7 or WPForms.
• Map Widget: Displays a map, helpful for businesses with physical locations. Plugins like WP Go Maps or embedding code via the Custom HTML widget are options.

Conclusion

While there are many widgets available, it’s best to focus on adding only the widgets you truly need to keep your site’s performance and user experience optimal. Often, up to five widgets are sufficient for most websites.

We hope this guide helps you effectively use and manage widgets to enhance your WordPress website! For more WordPress tips and tricks, check out our WordPress Education Channel.