Yo so I’m digging into this whole WordPress world right? And I found these awesome extra sidebar widgets that Jetpack has.
Basically they’re these little extra tools you can add to your website to make it look cooler and do more stuff.
But here’s the thing it seems like they’re a bit old-school.
They were designed for the “Classic Editor” which is like the older way of building websites.
Now we have this new “Block Editor” which is way more flexible and modern.
So these extra sidebar widgets might not be the best choice for everyone.
Want to learn more about how to use these extra sidebar widgets? Click here to check out the full guide! 🤯
Diving into Extra Sidebar Widgets
Want to learn more about how to use these extra sidebar widgets? Click here to check out the full guide! 🤯
So if you’re using the Block Editor you’re probably thinking “What’s the big deal about these old widgets?” Well Jetpack has these cool blocks that do pretty much the same thing but in a way that’s super easy to use.
Think of blocks like building blocks for your website they’re so much easier to drag and drop around and they look way better.
Bringing the Widgets to Life
If you wanna use these extra sidebar widgets you’ll need to enable them in your Jetpack settings.
Basically you head over to your WordPress dashboard go to Jetpack and click on “Settings.” Then you go to the “Writing” section and you’ll see a little toggle for “Make extra widgets available.” Flip that switch and you’re good to go! You can add these widgets to your website by going to “Appearance” -> “Widgets.”
The Classic Theme vs. The Block Theme
Here’s where things get a little interesting.
If you’re using a classic theme you can also add widgets through “Customize” -> “Widgets.” Classic themes are like the old-school way of designing websites while Block themes are built using the Block Editor.
If you’re using a classic theme you’ll probably want to stick with the extra sidebar widgets because they’re gonna be the most compatible.
But if you’re using a Block theme you’re probably better off using the Jetpack Blocks or the built-in Block Editor features.
The Hidden Widgets
Now here’s the thing about these extra sidebar widgets some of them are kind of hidden.
They’re not available by default so you gotta dig a little deeper to find them.
It seems like the WordPress team thinks these hidden widgets are not the best fit for the Block Editor.
They suggest using the built-in Block Editor tools or the Jetpack Blocks.
Contacting Support
But hey if you’re totally lost or just want someone to walk you through it you can always reach out to the support team.
They’re super helpful and can answer all your questions about these extra sidebar widgets and all the other cool stuff that WordPress has to offer.
The Widget Lineup
So let’s talk about some of these extra sidebar widgets.
It’s like a whole cast of characters with different superpowers! I’m not gonna lie it can be overwhelming at first but once you get the hang of it it’s pretty cool.
The Classic Editor Widgets
- The Blog Subscriptions Widget: This little guy lets people sign up for your blog posts. They can enter their email address and they’ll get a notification whenever you publish something new. It’s a great way to keep your readers engaged and make sure they don’t miss anything important.
- The Recent Posts Widget: This is a super easy way to show off your latest blog posts. You can customize how many posts you want to display and even add a title to the widget. It’s a great way to keep people browsing your content and finding new things to read.
- The Recent Comments Widget: This widget is all about highlighting the latest comments on your website. You can choose how many comments to display and even show the commenter’s avatar. It’s a great way to foster a sense of community on your website and make it more interactive.
- The Archives Widget: This one’s all about keeping things organized. It lets you display a list of your posts categorized by month or year. This helps people easily navigate through your website and find what they’re looking for.
- The Categories Widget: Like the Archives Widget it organizes your content but by categories. It helps users navigate your content and find blog posts relevant to their interests.
- The Tag Cloud Widget: This widget displays a list of all the tags you’ve used on your posts. The size of each tag reflects its popularity. It’s a fun and visually appealing way to show off your content.
- The Search Widget: This little guy lets people search your website for specific content. It’s a must-have for any website that wants to make sure users can easily find what they’re looking for.
- The Text Widget: This is like a blank canvas for you to add text HTML and even shortcodes to your website. It’s super versatile and lets you add whatever you want.
The Jetpack Blocks
Remember these are the modern replacements for the classic widgets.
And honestly they’re way more awesome.
They’re like the next level of website building tools.
- The Call to Action Block: This block is all about getting people to take action. You can add a button a headline and some text to encourage people to sign up for your email list buy your product or whatever your goal is. It’s super versatile and lets you create engaging calls to action.
- The Social Media Icons Block: This one’s perfect for showcasing your social media presence. You can add links to your profiles and customize the style of the icons to match your website’s design.
- The Featured Image Block: This block lets you add an eye-catching image to your website. You can choose an image from your media library or upload a new one. It’s a great way to add visual interest and make your website more engaging.
Staying in the Loop
One thing I’ve learned is that WordPress is always evolving.
New features and updates are released all the time.
So it’s important to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and best practices.
That way you can always use the best tools and techniques to create amazing websites.
Want to learn more about how to use these extra sidebar widgets? Click here to check out the full guide! 🤯