Adding a sidebar in WordPress is one of the easiest ways to improve your website’s functionality and user experience. Whether you want to highlight recent posts, add a search box, display ads, or include social media links, a sidebar helps you organize that information in a clean, accessible space.

In this beginner-friendly tutorial, we’ll walk you through exactly how to add a sidebar in WordPress, step by step. You’ll also learn how to create a custom sidebar, what to do if your WordPress sidebar is not showing, and how to use sidebar plugins for even more flexibility.

Let’s dive in!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A sidebar in WordPress is a vertical column—usually displayed on the left or right side of your page content—where you can insert widgets, menus, ads, and other features.

how to add sidebar in WordPress
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Common uses for a sidebar include:

  • A list of recent blog posts
  • Categories or tags for easy navigation
  • A search bar to help users find content
  • Email newsletter signup forms
  • Banner ads or affiliate links
  • Social media icons for easy following

Sidebars are managed through WordPress widgets, and most modern themes allow you to customize what appears in these areas.

Step 1: Check If Your Theme Supports Sidebars

Not every WordPress theme includes a sidebar by default. Here’s how to check if yours does:

  1. In your WordPress dashboard, go to Appearance > Widgets.
  2. If your theme supports sidebars, you’ll see a widget area labeled Sidebar, Right Sidebar, or something similar.
  3. Alternatively, go to Appearance > Customize and select Layout or Widgets to see if sidebars are included in the layout options.

💡 Tip: If your current theme doesn’t support sidebars, consider switching to a more flexible theme like Astra, OceanWP, or GeneratePress—all of which are free and sidebar-friendly.

Step 2: Add Widgets to Your Sidebar

Once you’ve confirmed your theme supports sidebars, the next step is to populate them with content using widgets.

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Here’s how to do it:

  1. Navigate to Appearance > Widgets.
  2. On the left, you’ll see a list of available widgets (e.g., Search, Recent Posts, Categories).
  3. On the right, you’ll see your Sidebar widget area.
  4. Drag and drop any widget into the sidebar area.
  5. Customize the widget (e.g., rename it, adjust the number of items to display).
  6. Click Save.

You can add as many widgets as you want, but be mindful not to overcrowd the sidebar—it should be useful, not overwhelming.

Step 3: Using the Block Editor to Add a Sidebar

If you’re using a block-based theme (like those created with the Gutenberg editor), adding sidebars works a bit differently.

How to add a sidebar with the Block Editor:

  1. Go to Appearance > Editor (this opens the Site Editor).
  2. Select the template you want to modify (like “Single Post” or “Page”).
  3. Click the + button to add a new block.
  4. Add a Columns block and select a 2-column layout.
  5. Use one column for your content and the other as a custom sidebar.
  6. Insert widgets (blocks) such as Search, Categories, or Shortcode for custom tools.

This approach gives you total control over layout and design, but it requires more manual setup.

Step 4: How to Create a Custom Sidebar in WordPress

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Do you want different sidebars for different pages, posts, or categories? You’ll need to create custom sidebars.

Method 1: Using a Plugin

The easiest way to create custom sidebars is with a plugin. We recommend:

🔌 Custom Sidebars – Dynamic Widget Area Manager

How to use it:

  1. Install and activate Custom Sidebars from the Plugins page.
  2. Go to Appearance > Widgets.
  3. Click Create a new sidebar and name it.
  4. Add widgets to your custom sidebar.
  5. Go to the page or post where you want this sidebar.
  6. On the right-hand side under “Sidebar,” select the custom one you just made.

This is perfect for showing different content on different pages, like specific offers on product pages or author bios on blog posts.

Method 2: Manually Adding via Code (Advanced Users)

You can also create sidebars manually by editing your theme’s functions.php file, but this is only recommended if you’re comfortable with code and using a child theme.

function my_custom_sidebar() {
    register_sidebar( array(
        'name' => 'My Custom Sidebar',
        'id' => 'custom-sidebar',
        'before_widget' => '<div class="widget-area">',
        'after_widget' => '</div>',
        'before_title' => '<h3>',
        'after_title' => '</h3>',
    ));
}
add_action( 'widgets_init', 'my_custom_sidebar' );

After registering, update your theme’s template files (e.g., page.php) with:

<?php if ( is_active_sidebar( 'custom-sidebar' ) ) : ?>
    <?php dynamic_sidebar( 'custom-sidebar' ); ?>
<?php endif; ?>

Step 5: Fix Sidebar Not Showing in WordPress

Sometimes, your WordPress sidebar doesn’t show up even after adding widgets. Here are the most common reasons—and fixes:

❌ Problem: Theme Doesn’t Support Sidebars

✅ Solution: Switch to a sidebar-compatible theme or use a block layout with columns.

❌ Problem: Wrong Template Being Used

✅ Solution: Check if the page/post is using a full-width or no-sidebar template. Change it under Page Attributes in the editor.

❌ Problem: Plugin Conflict

✅ Solution: Deactivate recently added plugins to identify conflicts.

❌ Problem: Custom CSS or Code

✅ Solution: Revert recent changes to functions.php or style.css if applicable.

🔍 You can also try temporarily switching to a default theme (like Twenty Twenty-Four) to isolate the issue.

how to add sidebar in WordPress

Step 6: Use Sidebar Plugins for More Control

Here are some top-rated sidebar plugins for WordPress that give you more control:

🔹 Widget Options

  • Control widget visibility by page, post, device, or user role
  • Add animations, custom IDs, and classes
  • Hide widgets on mobile for better UX

🔹 Content Aware Sidebars

  • Assign different sidebars to specific content types
  • Schedule widget visibility
  • Compatible with WooCommerce and Custom Post Types

🔹 WP Sticky Sidebar

  • Make your sidebar “sticky” so it scrolls with users
  • Great for CTA buttons, ads, or newsletters
  • Lightweight and responsive

These tools help you create a more dynamic, flexible sidebar experience.

A sidebar should be helpful—not distracting. Here are some best practices:

  • ✅ Prioritize important content (search bar, CTA, recent posts)
  • ✅ Limit the number of widgets—avoid clutter
  • ✅ Make it mobile-responsive or hide on mobile
  • ✅ Use consistent styling for fonts and colors
  • ✅ Test different sidebar layouts to see what works
how to add sidebar in WordPress

How to Add Sidebar in WordPress Specific Pages Only

Want a sidebar on your blog posts but not your homepage or landing page? You can set this up using:

  • Page templates with or without sidebar support
  • Plugins like Elementor, which allow sidebar widgets on any page
  • Custom sidebars as covered above

This allows full flexibility and keeps your pages clean and focused.

Conclusion

Adding a sidebar in WordPress is a simple way to boost site navigation, showcase key content, and improve user engagement. Whether you’re using the widget area, the block editor, or a custom sidebar plugin, there’s a method that fits your workflow.

To recap:

  • Check if your theme supports sidebars
  • Use widgets to add content
  • Create custom sidebars for flexibility
  • Troubleshoot layout issues easily
  • Use plugins for dynamic control

Now that you know how to add and customize a WordPress sidebar, go ahead and make your site more useful, beautiful, and user-friendly.

If you’ve made it this far, you now know how to add a sidebar in WordPress using widgets, plugins, or the block editor—even if you’re just starting out. Sidebars are a powerful way to improve site navigation, highlight key content, and boost user engagement.

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