WordPress Widgets Guide & Usage

WordPress Widgets are independent sections of content that we can apply to any WordPress website area. See a WordPress widgets usage guide.

By Claudio Pires
Updated on July 25, 2022
WordPress Widgets Guide & Usage

WordPress Widgets are independent sections of content that can be present in any widgetized area by your theme. Although these widgetized areas are common with the name ‘Sidebars’ and are quite often located in the left or right-hand column, they can also be located anywhere within your site and are entirely dependent on the current theme as to their location.  Lots of themes use these widgetized sidebars in the footer area. In this article, we’ll share a simple-to-follow WordPress widgets usage guide.

Visualmodo WordPress themes add special WordPress widgets for your use, like social icons, contact info, and much more.

Please, review the updated WordPress widgets guide screen view in the video below.

Numerous widgets available by default allow you to add extra content to your sites, such as Recent Comments, Categories, or Custom Menus, just to name a few. New Widgets can also be present via plugins, and again, depending on what the plugin is in use, the extra functionality it brings to your site will vary.

WordPress Appearance – Widgets Guide

WordPress Widgets Guide & Usage
WordPress Dashboard > Appearance > Widgets < area.

The Available Widgets section contains all the widgets you may choose from. To populate one of your Sidebars, drag and drop a widget to the desired location. Once the Widget is dragged to a Sidebar, the widget will open up to allow you to configure its settings. So, click the Save button within the Widget to save your settings. So, an important part of the WordPress Widgets guide.

If you want to remove a widget from a Sidebar but save its settings for future use, drag it into the Inactive Widgets section. Finally, If you simply want to delete the Widget from your Sidebar, click the Delete link within the Widget.

The small arrow next to the Sidebar title will toggle the sidebar open and closed. In addition, If you drag and drop a widget onto a closed sidebar, the sidebar and widget will automatically open.

WP Dashboard
WordPress Widgets Guide

If you ever have questions or need help using widgets and WordPress usage guide, just click the comments tab below. We’ll be happy to help you out with it!

Navigation Widget

You can also use widgets to encourage users to browse your site. So, learn how to all at this WordPress widgets usage guide. There are several options: category or tag cloud widget and navigation menu widget.

The Navigation Menu widget allows you to create custom navigation menus. Moreover, the main navigation menu on your website and then add them to the widget area.

You can even add the main navigation menu to the widget area. However, this will only work if you have a small navigation menu using WordPress widgets on the guide or not.

Adding a navigation menu to your site’s footer can encourage people who reach the bottom of your post to browse your site. This is especially useful for mobile users who may need to scroll a lot to get back to the main navigation menu after reaching the end of the post.

Alternatively, you can use the built-in categories widget to display a list of categories on your website or use the tag cloud widget to make it easier for users to access tag archives.

Claudio Pires

Claudio Pires is the co-founder of Visualmodo, a renowned company in web development and design. With over 15 years of experience, Claudio has honed his skills in content creation, web development support, and senior web designer. A trilingual expert fluent in English, Portuguese, and Spanish, he brings a global perspective to his work. Beyond his professional endeavors, Claudio is an active YouTuber, sharing his insights and expertise with a broader audience. Based in Brazil, Claudio continues to push the boundaries of web design and digital content, making him a pivotal figure in the industry.