Note: These steps may change in December 2022 when WordPress will no longer support the Classic Editor.
Widgets are content elements that can be added to the sidebar or footer of your blog or website. For example, there are widgets that include images, text, an RSS feed, etc. (see below). If your theme allows Widgets, you will see a “Widgets” link in the menu under appearance.
By default, your right side bar will have items such as Recent Posts, Recent Comments, Archives and Categories. These sections will automatically populate as people begin posting and commenting on your blog.
If you’d like to add other widgets to the sidebar or bottom bar, navigate to the Dashboard and click on Appearance > Customizer. In the Customizer, click on Widgets > Sidebar/Content Bottom to select the widget location. Click on Add a Widget and select the widget(s) you’d like to add. The selected widgets will be automatically added to the list of existing widgets. Change the order that the widgets appear by dragging the widgets up or down. Click Publish to save changes.
Some widgets that you might find particularly useful:
- Text: allows you to add text and HTML code to your sidebar or footer
- Image: allows you to add an image to your sidebar or footer
- Navigation menu: allows you to display site menus in your sidebar or footer