How to Activate WordPress Widgets
- 1). Open the "Plugins" menu on the left side of the WordPress dashboard and click "Add New" to search for widgets. Type a search term in the field at the top of the page and when you find the widget that you want to install, click the "Install Now" link. Click "OK" and "Activate Plugin" to confirm. If you have already installed the widget that you want to activate skip this step.
- 2). Open the "Appearances" menu on the dashboard and click "Widgets." This screen displays all of the widgets installed on your WordPress website. WordPress includes several widgets with different functions. If you have installed a custom theme for your website the theme may also include several widgets. Each one is displayed as a rectangle with rounded corners. The name of the widget is displayed inside the rectangle.
- 3). Locate the area where you would like to display the widget. Most WordPress themes have one sidebar, while some have several. If your theme has multiple sidebars, each should have a name describing its location in the design, such as "Home Page" or "Footer."
- 4). Drag the rectangle representing the widget that you want to install to the desired sidebar area on the right side of the page. If you have widgets installed already, an outline of a rectangle appears, allowing you to preview the widget's positioning. Release the mouse button when the outline is where you want the widget to be displayed. When you release the mouse button the widget expands to display its configuration options.
- 5). Use the fields and drop-down menus in the widget's configuration area to configure the widget and then click the "Save" button to activate it.