What are gadgets you say? Gadgets are all of the fun things you can add to the sidebar of your blog to spice it up and showcase your interests. Today’s tutorial will explain how to add & remove sidebar gadgets.
Adding Sidebar Gadgets
Step 1:
To add a gadget, first go in your dashboard to Layout > Add a Gadget.
Step 2:
A pop-up window will appear with a list of (at this writing) 28 different gadgets. There are also tabs on the left, that if clicked on, will reveal hundreds of more gadgets.
Step 3:
Click the blue “+” button to add the gadget to your blog. Enter in the information each gadget asks for and then be sure to click save. The best way to see what a gadget does is by adding it to your blog and playing around with it. If you don’t like it, you can simply remove it. Here are descriptions of some of the most popular gadgets:
- Blog Search = adds a search bar to your sidebar that helps readers easily search for specific content on your blog
- HTML/JavaScript = this is what you use to add external coding to your blog sidebar for things such as music players, buttons, etc.
- Profile = adds a profile area with photo and bio to your sidebar
- Blog Archive = lists an archive of all of your blog posts to make it easy for readers to search for things
- Image = adds a graphic or photo to your sidebar
- Labels = shows a list of labels/categories for your blog to make it easy for readers to find content for a specific category
- Link List = adds a list of your favorite sites to help your readers easily navigate to them
- Text = adds a basic text box to your sidebar where you can list information
- Popular Posts = automatically pulls your most popular posts with a featured image so your readers can easily access those posts
Step 4:
Once all of your gadgets have been added, you can rearrange their order by clicking on the gadget you want to move and dragging it into the position you want it.
Removing Sidebar Gadgets
Step 1:
In the Layout tab of your dashboard, find the gadget you wish to remove and click Edit. Then simply hit the Remove button to remove that gadget.
If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments or shoot us an email: [email protected].
Cynthia says
Awesome! I wish this post had been around when I started blogging. Excellent information, thank you!
The Loops says
I'd really like to know how to make a follow me button.
Oskar says
I can't find the E-mail subscription button you listed above. Can you tell me how to locate it?
Pam (Oskar too)
Pet Blogs United
Lauren says
Hi Pam!
The email subscription gadget isn't a simple gadget through blogger. You have to add a third party HTML code. I believe this tutorial will show you how to do it.
http://www.simplebloggertutorials.com/2010/05/how-to-add-email-subscription-box-in.html
Let us know if you have any further questions!!
Lauren says
@The Loops
For a follow me gadget follow the steps til you get to step 3. The follwers gadget is located in the pop up window and is about the 4th one down.
If you want a follow me button, like a social networking button you can place an add on order and we'll be happy to make one for you!
Anitra says
I did exactly as you said and it’s still not showing on my blog. It shows in the layout section that I added several gadgets but it doesn’t show on my blog. I just recently purchased a template. Thanks for your help.
Anitra says
ok so a few are working now and the ones that werent working (labels and blog archive) werent showing up because i hadnt made any posts yet.
Shella says
I try to do the way you describe to us but still it not showing my actual blog that I create on it, Now I am fade up to using my blog the gadgets, Now I recently get other choices with your help, hope it works for me.
Marfikla says
Is the way to add widget on a static page instead of sidebar ?
Kate says
It isn’t impossible but I believe there is no easy way to do so. It would require you to have special template with sidebar build into static page.