You don’t need to be a WordPress expert or know how to code if you want to improve the look of your website design and the way your content is presented as a whole. You need the right WordPress widgets to do the job for you.
This time, we will introduce you to these useful elements and show you how to add a widget to WordPress – including an overview of widget-related options that come with Qode Interactive themes.
What are WordPress Widgets?
Widgets represent a set of tools along with different WordPress themes and plugins. It allows you to add any feature that makes your website more attractive, functional and user-friendly. to your visitors.
However, you should not confuse widgets with plugins. So, the main difference between widgets and plugins is that plugins are pieces of software (like apps or plugins) that can perform numerous functions in your WordPress core, whereas widgets can only be added to certain areas of your website and are mostly aimed at improving its look and accessibility. However, many plugins also include widgets among their features.
You can use widgets to add items to predefined widget areas (sidebar area, footer area, etc.). A widget can be an image gallery, a list of popular posts, a social network feed, etc. it could be.
Besides the default widgets that bundle with the WordPress core or those that integrate with a particular WordPress theme, there are numerous third-party tools on the web that come with all sorts of useful widgets. But in the end, it all comes down to choosing the widgets you think will be most useful for your specific purposes.
Adding WordPress widgets to predefined widget areas is pretty easy. Let’s take a look at how you can do this in both a default WordPress theme and Qode themes.
Here’s what you’ll learn:
To find your widgets, go to: Appearance > Widgets In your WordPress admin dashboard.
Once there, you will see a list of all of them. Available Widgets (Like Gallery widget, Recent Comments widget, Archives, etc.).
On the right you will see all the available widget areas where you can place any widget you want. We should not forget that the widget areas you can use will depend on the theme you are using. So, if you come across a theme with only a few widget areas, you can always create a custom widget area to expand your possibilities.
Widgets can be added to your widget areas in different ways, easiest where you want them. Drag and drop from the list of available widgets on the left to the desired area on the right.
Alternatively, you can click on the widget itself and select one of the available widget areas from the drop-down menu. Then just Add Widgets button.
In case you need accessibility mode, you can activate it by clicking it. Enable accessibility mode The button located in the upper right corner of your screen.
When you do this, your Widgets screen will change slightly and a Add button that appears next to each widget. Clicking this button allows you to easily select a preferred widget area.
Besides adding widgets using the Widgets screen, you can also do this using the live preview function. go Appearance > Customize > Widgets and you will be able to add your widgets and see them live on your screen.
However, it’s important to note that you won’t be able to see all available widgets on this page, so we recommend adding your widgets to: Appearance > Widgets screen.
The process of removing widgets is quite easy. Over Appearance > Widgets page, you should Click on the title of a widget you want to remove. This action will expand the widget’s options. Next, click Erase button.
This will remove the widget and all its options from the widget area. However, if you do not want to lose the settings of the widget in question, you can drag and drop Inactive Widgets section instead (located in the lower left corner of the screen).
Finally, we should note that none of these actions will completely remove your widget from the list of available widgets. If you want, you can always add the widget you want from the beginning – both Available Widgets and Inactive Widgets list.
While the default installation of WordPress includes some basic widgets, many WordPress themes also come with their own list of unique, predefined widgets. Of course, this also applies to our own themes. Let’s take a look at some of the widgets that come with Qode themes and how to add them to your WordPress site.
Just like any other theme, you will find the list of widgets specific to Qode themes among all other widgets. Appearance > Widgetson the left side of the screen.
On the right you will see all the available widget areas where you can place your widgets. Unlike free WordPress themes, Qode themes come with a variety of ready-made widget areas. For example, if you are using the Bridge theme, some of its predefined areas include Top Left Header, Top Right Header, Right Footer, Footer Bottom Left, Right and Center, and the list goes on.
While most theme authors create and set up their own widgets and widget areas the same way, there is one particularly useful option that comes with Qode themes. Custom Widget Area. This option allows you to create your own custom widget areas that can be allocated anywhere on the page. when needed.
To demonstrate, we will create a new custom widget area named opening hours.
When the Opening Hours widget area appears in the widget area list, a [BHI] working hours overview widget (by drag-and-drop or by clicking on the widget itself and then Add Widgets).
Then you can add this custom field to any page you want with the help of the following. Sidebar with Widgets (an item you’ll find when using WPBakery Page Builder to edit your page):
You can select the field you want to add to your page using the drop-down menu. Sidebar Settings with Widgets (it will open as soon as you add a Sidebar with Widgets). From there you will be able to add this custom made area as well as any other widget area that comes with the Qode theme.
And this is how you add widget areas (and widgets) to any page on your site. When you’re done, you can also see a preview of your page.
final thoughts
WordPress widgets are incredibly useful tools that can be used and adjusted to suit your website’s specific needs. Besides their ability to improve the appearance of your site, they can also increase its practicality and ease of use. If the widgets that come with the default WordPress installation aren’t enough for your needs, tons of other available widgets can be found on the web.
belongs to us Qode themes are also, just like any other widget Appearance > Widgets screen and also includes many useful predefined widget areas. Whatever WordPress theme or set of widgets you use, we hope this tutorial will be useful.
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