This document discusses WordPress widgets and how they can be used to customize themes. Widgets allow modification of function and appearance and are configurable code snippets. Not all themes support widgets. Widgets can be added by dragging them from the available list onto widget areas. Common widgets include Archives, Categories, Links, and Text, which provide navigation, background content, and functionality. Widgets must have relevant content to be useful.

1. WordPress Widgets Kathy E Gill 1 February 2011

2. What Are Widgets? A “configurable code snippet" that makes it possible to modify function and appearance

3. Widgets & WordPress Themes Not all themes are widget-capable Themes vary in widget options, location

4. Single Widget Area

5. Multiple Widget Areas

6. Where Are Widgets? Access the widgets page from the Appearance Menu in your Dashboard.

7. Default Appearance - Single

8. Default Appearance - Multi

9. Monotone: No Widgets Supported

10. Editing Appearance Note: once you edit a widget area, the default widgets disappear Recommendation: before editing, take a screenshot of your theme Tip: if you don’t want anything to show up in a widget area, try adding a blank text widget.

11. Adding Widgets To add a widget, drag from the Available or Inactive Widgets area on the left onto the Sidebar area on the right. When you see a dashed line appear, you can drop the widget into place. Single widget area; image from WP.com

12. Multiple Widget Locations

13. Configuring Widgets Each widget has configuration options.Click on the triangle on the right side of the widget to configure. You’ll need to save only if you edit.

14. Ordering, Deleting Widgets Change the order of the widgets by dragging and dropping them in the sidebar area. Delete by dragging to the left or clicking the “delete” link on the configuration box. Note: design change is immediate – no “save” required

15. Screencast

16. Important Widgets (1/5) ArchivesNavigation. Provides access to old posts; a key characteristic of blog as a genre CategoriesNavigation. Provides access to posts by topic; a key characteristic of blog as a genre

17. Important Widgets (2/5) LinksAs Blogroll, Background. Provides insight into blog content, author; a key characteristic of blog as a genre Tag CloudNavigation, Background. Provides access to posts by keyword; requires reasonably large corpus to be useful.

18. Important Widgets (3/5) PagesNavigation. Provides access to pages; essential if sidebar is primary navigation. Category CloudNavigation, Background. Provides alternative access to posts by category; requires reasonably large corpus to be useful.

19. Important Widgets (4/5) Recent PostsBackground. Highlights most recent posts; useful when “more” tag not employed. Recent CommentsBackground. Highlights most recent comments; requires reasonably large corpus/frequent comments to be meaningful.

20. Important Widgets (5/5) TextMay be the most important widget; can hold text or HTML but no javascript. RSS LinksProvides access to post and comment RSS feed using orange button. Essential if there is no other RSS subscription link in the design.

21. Interesting Widgets (1/3) TwitterBackground. Displays tweets by handle. FlickrBackground. Displays photos from Flickr based on an RSS feed. DeliciousBackground. Display Delicious links by handle.

22. Interesting Widgets (2/3) Box.netFunctionality. Share files with your readers. MeeboFunctionality. Enables private IM chat. SocialVibeFunctionality. Support a charity.

23. Interesting Widgets (3/3) Blog SubscriptionFunctionality. Enables email alert when there are new posts. SocialVibeFunctionality. Support a charity.

24. Widgets That Require Content SearchUseless unless there is a large corpus. Top ClicksUseless unless there is a large corpus. Top Posts and PagesUseless unless there is a large corpus.

25. WordPress Widgets List and descriptions at WP.com: http://en.support.wordpress.com/topic/widgets-sidebars/ Even more widgets available for self-hosted WP accounts: http://codex.wordpress.org/WordPress_Widgets

26. For Portfolio Sites Consider adding links to Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter You will use Text Box. We’ll do one of these on Thursday.

28. Widgets = content (more or less)