That can be done just as well in the block editor itself. At least, in the case of adding content or functionality to specific pages. However, the need to use it for workaround purposes has all but disappeared. It provided a way to do something that wasn’t possible with the Classic Editor. When you think about it, the WordPress sidebar has served as both a standalone feature and a workaround. Going Back to the Original Strength of the Sidebar This begs the question: what, if any, role does the sidebar have in modern WordPress themes?
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Not to mention the fact that Full Site Editing (FSE) allows headers, footers and everything in-between to be tweaked via the editor. The line has become blurred, if not altogether erased. The result is that you no longer need a sidebar in order to add widget-like functionality. Sidebar content is no longer limited to just a list of posts, a search field, or login form.Īt the same time, the block editor makes it possible to use content that was previously limited to sidebars – anywhere within a page. On the one hand, it adds a layer of flexibility that was missing. Now, virtually any Gutenberg block can be used in a sidebar. Widgets looked and worked like nothing else in the back end. There used to be a clear separation between widgets and other WordPress content types. That is until Gutenberg came along.īlurring the Lines between Widgets and Blocks If you wanted that sort of functionality in the editor, it would require the use of a page builder plugin. And, while I’m not aware of any direct correlation, it’s not hard to see at least some philosophical similarity between the “classic” Widget screen and the block editor.ĭuring its heyday, the sidebar ended up being the most flexible part of a WordPress theme – and it was built right into core. It was like blocks before there were blocks, people.
Want to curate a list of recent posts? It’s easily within reach – without having to utilize a single bit of code. Want to list all of the tags on your site? You can use the Tag Cloud widget.
Then there was the advanced functionality. This was miles away from simply typing content into a box and formatting it. You had the ability to drag and drop individual widgets, reposition them however you like, and add new ones with a click.
Whereas the Classic Editor was a basic WYSIWYG experience, the Widgets screen almost seemed futuristic. Namely, it was the antithesis of the old Classic Editor. Perhaps there’s a little life left in this old friend, after all.Įxplore All Themes & Plugins The Most Flexible Part of a WordPress Themeįor many years, the sidebar brought something unique within the confines of WordPress. From there, it’s on to some potential ideas for a new era. Today, we’ll take a quick trip back in time and examine what has made the sidebar so special. Now that the WordPress Widgets screen has adopted a UI similar to that of the Gutenberg block editor, it’s worth wondering what the future holds for this theme staple. Not only will you see them on the left or right side, but within footers and content areas as well.īut things are changing. Through the help of a plugin or theme, you can even display a sidebar or specific widgets based on things like the current page, post type, and user login status.Īnd, despite its name, a sidebar can be placed virtually anywhere within a template and arranged vertically or horizontally. It houses various widgets that can be consistently displayed throughout a website. How has it survived this long? For one, it continues to serve a useful purpose.
It seems that, no matter how the content management system (CMS) evolves, the sidebar has triumphantly (and, perhaps defiantly) come along for the ride.
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The WordPress sidebar has been a mainstay feature of both free and commercial themes.