More Widgets For Your Blog
Everyone loves widgets right? They allow you to add neat features to your blog and really make it your own. They are universal, because you can use them on all different themes, so no matter which theme you’ve used to represent your own personal style, widgets can help you round out the features that make your blog tick. Some of WordPress.com’s newer features like Following and Liking have needed some widget-love, so we’ve whipped up a few new ones to help you out. All of these widgets can be used immediately and added to one of your sidebars under Appearance → Widgets.
Blogs I Follow
The first widget, named Blogs I Follow, allows you to display a list of the blogs that you are following via the WordPress.com Reader. You can display the list as a grid of images representing the blogs or just a series of links. This widget is perfect for introducing your readers to the blogs that inspire and interest you.
Posts I Like
Next up, the Posts I Like widget displays an image grid or a linked list of posts that you have liked recently. This widget is a great way to expose your readers to specific posts and content that you really enjoy. It’ll stay automatically updated by only showing the most recent content you have liked.
My Community
The new My Community widget allows you to highlight all of the activity happening on your blog. You can show people who have commented, liked, or followed your blog, or any combination of the three.
Gravatar Profile
We have also added a Gravatar Profile widget that will automatically pull in your Gravatar profile information including your photo, bio, verified services, and custom links. There’s no need to type out your information again when you can automatically display it using Gravatar. Drop this widget in your sidebar and introduce yourself to your readers!
Top Posts & Pages
In addition to the four brand new widgets above, we have also expanded the functionality of the Top Posts & Pages widget. You can now toggle between measuring top posts by views or by likes. You can also choose to display the list as a simple text list, a list with images, or a more visual grid of larger images.
We hope you enjoy these new widget choices. Let us know what you think in the comments and be sure to continue to let us know what kind of widgets you’re interested in!
- July 17, 2012
- Widgets
WordPress.com News 
Could we get the image/grid option for the recent post widget too? And if it’s not too much to ask, could we get a widget that does the same as top posts, except with manual control over which posts are displayed?
Anyways, love this update! Thanks, all. ^ ^
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Hi, I’ll mark down your suggestions for both widgets. Thanks!
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Awesome! Really great widgets.
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Hi, my Top Post widget is now showing exactly 0 posts.
This makes no sense at all as all this has been happening since you have upgraded this widget. I believe there has to be a logical explanation of things. If my blog is the only blog which has been affected by this, than you should be able to investigate. I’ve been blogging here for 6 plus years and this is the only time I feel frustrated given that you are taking so long to reply to this critical piece of the blog.
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Guys, here’s another great and wonderful work of the WP team!
They are all to be congratulated! In this case, especially you, Justin! 🙂
Each day I am amazed at the new features of WordPress and is a daily pleasure blogging here!
Great job! 😉
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If you want ideas for new wigets, a random post one could be handy to let readers view almost forgotten (but good) old posts.
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I started using some of the widgets on my photo contest blog and there has been more involvement on my blog with all of the photo options on the widgets. I think these are some great features and I hope to see more continued improvements and additions to WP. Thanks.
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You guys at WordPress do an amazing job, I really like the Gravatar Profile, it’s a great time saver.
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I’m thinking that, regarding the My Community Widget, whether it shows three people across or two people across depends on the blog theme you’re using and the fixed width of your sidebar. Right? My widget would only show two across and took up more room than I wanted. But it’s a cool widget and I’m glad you created it. 🙂
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Love these- VERY interested in an instagram widget!!
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Great widgets, thanks for the additions! Would also love a Pinterest widget. Are you guys going to develop one of those soon?
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We’ve got it on a list of requested features already, but no set timeline on when it’ll be done 🙂
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I love it, Thnx You 🙂
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nice widgets! is there a giveaway widget that will work with wordpress.COM? I can’t seem to find one.
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That’s just awesome!! 🙂
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Where are the widgets I don’t see them, wanted to pick an interesting one??
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You can access your Widgets by going to your wp-admin and going to Appearance -> Widgets. Find the widget in the grouping on the left of the main screen and then drag it into a sidebar (on the right) to activate it.
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nice widget, its so perfect
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pretty cool. particularly the gravatar widget.
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I would add the ‘My Community’ widget straight away
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WHAT ABOUT A TRANSLATOR WIDGET???
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Hi Justin, here comes an idea for a new widget: I have the need to protect a collection of defined webpages with 1 password per user. I would prefer an automated solution where the user’s email address is the password. After registration the user should get an email notification granting the access with his email address as password.
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Idea: Could the actual Text Widget be redesigned to support HTML code running in an iFrame?
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iFrames will not be allowed because of security restrictions. https://wordpress.com/support/code/. You can add the allowed HTML code from that page to a text widget however.
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Glad to see these. I too would love to see a widget that allows us to link back to related posts within a blog to keep the reader engaged. And a question about the gravatar. is it then a workaround for the google+ author authentication issue?
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These are some cool new widgets, WordPress, thanks! 😀
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Very Nice!
When will we get a widget for Amazon Affiliates?
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Great Widgets..love this
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I’ve clicked the “show total number of followers” button, but the number doesn’t appear in the sidebar. Any idea why/how to get it there?
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This number currently only shows to users who are not already following your blog.
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Good Idea. I am new to wordpress, now if I could figure out how to get more views on my blogs I would be happy!
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This is great stuff, thanks. Could you work on an option for displaying recent posts with images next?
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great widget for me as a beginner in wordpress
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These are some widgets that will look very nice on my blog. Thank you WP. You continue to make lovely new things that are AWESOME! Thank so much!
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how to add with menus icon?…..thanks 🙂
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Amazing, thanks 😀
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Great Widgets! Is it possible to make an Instagram widget available for free WordPress accounts? …or does it already exist? Let me know! 🙂
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We will keep your suggestion in mind!
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I’ll use the “Posts I Like” widget right away. I was just wondering this morning how I could short-cut to link a post I read. Thanks!
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Good job and I love this!
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So awesome! Love them.
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NICE FEATURES!
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Great widgets…thanks.
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I use it, and I love it :o). Thank you for the post. Petra
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Very nice
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…new to wordpress..still gauging what I’LL REALLY NEED…but the community widget is inspirational…somehow!.
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Bwahahaha. I activated these widgets since it came out. I tried to look at my own blog today and found out that it shows nothing on my Community and Blogs I Follow. Hehehehe. Still, Great effort!
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Both of your widgets are displaying images under the widgets.
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I wanna try it 🙂
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These widgets are really amazing and add excellent blogosphere functionality to wordpress sites. I was a little disappointed with the new buttons on the reader, but the new widgets more than make up for it.
I can’t wait to use these widgets on my blogs!
Thanks, automattic!
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i luv the blogs i follow widget
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Why are you getting rid of the stats feature? I actually like knowing the impact of my writing. I’d like to know more about who else has seen it. Just curious.
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We are not getting rid of the stats feature. You can view your stats from the WordPress.com home page.
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That’s greatest widgets I’ve added in my site. It’s a great help.
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great widget
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Amazing widgets!
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