How to Create and Customize WordPress Sidebars: A Comprehensive Guide

A WordPress sidebar is an area on a WordPress website alongside the main content, which displays extra information or a navigation menu. It’s usually a vertical column on either side of a page, but it can also be found in other places, such as under the footer.

Create WordPress Sidebars Using the Site Editor

The easiest way to add WordPress sidebars is via the site editor. However, this method is only possible using WordPress 5.9 or higher and a block-based theme.

Using a Block Pattern

A WordPress block pattern is essentially a layout template consisting of pre-defined blocks that you can edit to suit your content.

Creating a Sidebar from Scratch

Another way to add a sidebar in WordPress using the block editor is to set all individual blocks manually. This method involves creating a group of blocks consisting of columns for the query loop and the sidebar.

Create WordPress Sidebars Using Widgets

Creating WordPress sidebars using widgets is a convenient choice for non-technical users since you don’t have to deal with code.

Create WordPress Sidebars With WordPress Customizer

WordPress Customizer allows you to customize the elements of your WordPress themes, such as the menus, homepage settings, and sidebar widgets.

WordPress Sidebars – Left vs Right

Some argue that it’s best to put sidebars on the right since most people read from left to right. Our natural habit of reading makes us look at the top right corner of a page before scrolling down.

Top 9 WordPress Sidebars Plugins

Now that you know how to create a sidebar, it’s time to add some functionality. Luckily, WordPress has many widget plugins in its directory with various features to improve your custom sidebar functionality.

Top 5 Practical Uses of the Sidebar Area

Now that you know how to create a WordPress sidebar, where to place it, and what widgets to place inside it, let’s discuss the practical use of the sidebar itself.

Conclusion

Sidebars are an excellent way to display additional information that people may want to know, such as links to related articles, the author’s bio, and signup forms. You can add sidebars using three methods – through the new site editor, Widgets menu, or WordPress Customizer.

There are also many widgets and widget plugins for sidebars on the market, but keep in mind that you should only install useful ones.

Adding a sidebar in WordPress can also depend on the theme you use. While default WordPress themes don’t usually include sidebars, many third-party themes support them.

Take this information into consideration, and use it to make the right choice for your site. Design your sidebar in a way that you think will work best for your website. Good luck!

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