Widgets

Widgets refer to features that can be placed in designated widgetized areas of your website. (They can also refer to dashboard widgets, which appear in your dashboard administration menu and are not visible to your visitors.) The most common place for widgets is the sidebar. Depending on your theme, you might also be able to add widgets to your header, footer, secondary sidebar, parts of your home page, or other areas.

Widgets can be added, removed, and configured by going to the Appearance > Widgets menu.

Changing the Width of the Search Box

On some themes, the search box is too wide, forcing the search button onto a new line. To shorten (or lengthen) the search box width, go to the My Custom CSS menu and add the following CSS code. You can change the pixel value as needed.

#sidebar .s, #sidebar #s {
     width: 180px;
}

Recommended Widgets

  • BlackStudio TinyMCE. This widget allows you to add content using the Visual Editor, similar to how you would add content on a page or post. You must activate the BlackStudio TinyMCE plugin.
  • Categories. This widget displays a list of your post categories. You can choose to display them as a list or as a drop-down menu, show post counts, and show the category hierarchy.
  • Genesis – Category Navigation Menu. This widget displays a list of your post categories. You can change the sort order and include/exclude certain categories. (Required: Genesis Framework)
  • Genesis – Featured Posts. If you have posts on your website, this widget gives you a lot of control over displaying your recent posts. (Required: Genesis Framework)
  • Search. This adds a search form to your website.
  • Simple Social Icons. This allows you to easily link to your social media profiles with the appropriate icons. You must activate the Simple Social Icons plugin.
  • Text. This widget allows you to add a plain or HTML-formatted text box. This is useful for adding third-party widget code, such as a Facebook Like box or a MailChimp or Constant Contact opt-in box.

Adding Third-Party Code into Widgets

You can add third-party widgets by pasting the HTML code provided by the third-party service into a new text widget.

Only do this with trusted, official sources. Using code from an untrusted source, such as a website you found through a Google search, could “break” your website or compromise your security.

Adding a Constant Contact Widget

Add a new text widget. Then follow the instructions on http://constantcontact.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/constantcontact.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=1641 to get the necessary HTML code from your Constant Contact account. Copy the HTML code and paste it in your text widget.

Adding a Facebook Like Box Widget

Add a new text widget. Then go to http://developers.facebook.com/docs/reference/plugins/like-box and input your Facebook page URL and display preferences. Click the “Get Code” button, then copy the iframe code and paste it in your text widget.