Widgets and sidebars in WordPress: what they are, and what changed with block themes

The short answer: a widget is a block of content you put in a fixed area of the site, such as the sidebar or footer (search, recent posts, categories, a text). In a classic theme you manage them under Appearance > Widgets. Block themes do not have those areas: the same is done in the Editor, with “templates” and “patterns”.

The most used widgets

Widget What it is for
Search A box for the visitor to search the site. Useful on a blog or a shop.
Recent posts / categories Show what is new and help navigation. On small sites they are often too much.
Custom text or HTML An address, opening hours, an image, a WhatsApp button. Be careful with outside code.
Subscription form Usually comes from a plugin. Ask for consent: Building an e-mail list legally.

How to add a widget

1 See whether your theme is classic or block: if there is no “Widgets” in the Appearance menu, it is a block theme.
2 In a classic theme, open Appearance > Widgets, choose the area (sidebar, footer) and press + to add the block you want.
3 Order and save. Open the site to see how it looks, on a computer and a phone.
4 In a block theme, open the Editor, choose the template or template part (footer, sidebar) and add the blocks there: Block theme or classic theme.
Every widget weighs. Those that load outside things (social networks, statistics, videos) make the site slower. Choose only those that help the visitor: Tag Manager and pixels. Never paste into a “Custom HTML” widget code you do not understand.
If the site is small, an almost empty sidebar is better than a full one.

Cannot find the widgets in your theme? Open a ticket with the address and the theme’s name.

Open a support ticket

SEE ALSO

Block theme or classic theme in WordPress: what is the difference and which to pick

Installing a WordPress theme

Google Tag Manager and tracking pixels: adding them without slowing your site

LiteSpeed Cache for WordPress: the first settings

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