WordPress Widgets are very helpful tools built into the WordPress.com application. A Widget allows you to display content in your blog sidebar without having to know anything about html (computer coding for creating web pages).
Today’s Blog Tip Tuesday post will teach you how to add the Archive Widget (a list of your previous blog posts in chronological order) to a WordPress.com blog.
Step 1
When you are logged into your WordPress.com account, open your Dashboard and navigate to the Widgets link on the Appearance menu.
Step 2
A listing of all the Widgets available for your chosen WordPress.com theme appears on the left side of your screen. On the right side of the screen you can see the Widgets that are already activated.
Step 3
Click on the Widget of your choice and add to your sidebar (in the example above the Archives Widget is already activated) by dragging and dropping the Widget over to the Primary Sidebar.
Step 4
Click the arrow to activate a drop-down menu with options for the Widget (each Widget has different options that you can configure). With the Archives Widget, you can configure the title, the display of the post counts, and the display of the archives.
- Type in the title Archives
- Check the box beside show post counts to display the total number of posts published during that month.
- If you prefer a drop down menu display, check the box beside display as a drop down.
- Click the Save button. The options you’ve set are now saved.
- Click the Close link to close the Widget options menu.
Congratulations! You have now successfully installed the Archive Widget to your WordPress blog.
Marie Ennis-O’Connor BA, MIAPR, holds an Honours degree in History from University College Dublin. She is a graduate of the Irish Academy of Public Relations and has worked in a variety of PR roles over the past 12 years. Marie is editor of several award-winning blogs ranging from life sciences to health to business. She is a panel member of the newly established Bloggers International and is a regular contributor to Health Works Collective, an online community for thought leaders in international healthcare. She is a featured blogger on Webicina, an online service that provides curated medical social media resources in over 80 medical topics and over 17 languages, and has been awarded a top blogger accolade by Empowered Doctor.com and most inspiring writer by WegoHealth. Marie is also in demand as a trainer in social media marketing and travels the country teaching small business owners how to get online and maximise their online presence.
