Jan 13, 2015 / Beginner

Widgets, Widgets, and More Widgets: A Roundup of Widgets Resources

All the information you’ll ever need to make your widget areas shine.

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/generated/501445202">Image</a> by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/generated/">Jared Tarbell</a> (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">CC BY 2.0</a>)

Widgets, those nifty little additions to your site, allow you to highlight important information, direct readers to the content you want them to see, and reinforce your site’s design (injecting a bit of color along the way).

We often hear from bloggers — beginners and veterans alike — who aren’t sure how to best use widgets on their site. If that sounds like you, here’s a roundup of some of our favorite posts on widgets (and the magical things they can accomplish). Just scroll down the list and visit the one(s) that address your current needs.

Get Widgety

If you’ve never used widgets and just want to learn a bit more about them and how they work before deciding what to do next, this quick intro is a great place to start. (Read more)

Widgets 101

Jumping into the thick of things, this post guides you through the basic uses of widgets (notably the Text Widget and Image Widget), and presents a few simple ways to customize them in order to enhance the visual appeal of your sidebar. (Read more)

Widgets 201

Here you’ll find all the info you need about image widgets — from the basics of creating one to suggestions on how to craft beautiful, customized widgets to suit your site’s look. (Read more)

Widgets 301

The final installment in the series, this post focuses on widgets that help you guide visitors to the content you want them to see, putting the spotlight on the Archives Widget, Category Cloud Widget, and About.me Widget. (Read more)

Create a Custom Image Widget: A How-To for Non-Designers

This is a great read if you already decided to use image widgets in your sidebar, but aren’t sure how to create those sleek designs you’ve seen on other sites. This hands-on, step-by-step tutorial will get you there in no time. (Read more)

Get the Most Out of Widgets: All Kinds of Images

While the Image Widget is the most common way to feature visuals in your widget areas, it’s by no means the only one. This post introduces a range of other image-focused widgets, from the Instagram Widget and Flickr Widget to the Gallery Widget. (Read more)

Get the Most Out of Widgets: Building and Showcasing Your Community

Widgets can be powerful tools to engage your audience and foster a sense of community on your blog. Here you’ll find helpful information on mainstays like the Follow Blog Widget, My Community Widget, and Top Posts & Pages Widget. (Read more)

Show (and Hide) Your Widgets

Widgets are highly versatile — and you have the power to determine which ones are displayed on each section of your site, depending on the content you wish to highlight (or tuck away). This post will show you how to set your widgets to appear only when and where you need them to. (Read more)

Taking Sides: The Tailor-Made Sidebar

Beyond individual widgets, you probably also care about the overall look and functionality of your sidebar as a whole. This post gives you an overview of the things you’ll want to consider as you design a sidebar that suits your needs. (Read more)

Feel free to share your widget-related advice and/or insight in the comments!

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  5. I must admit, I don’t look at them as often as I should – I use the Good Reads one and the text editor to showcase my Good Reads Book Challenge.

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  11. This is certainly the best well rounded post on widgets including some great links that I was able to utilize and learn even more. Thanks for the detail emphasized but easy to comprehend post! This truly is an asset in widget development.

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