Build flexible widgetized pages
Sidebar and Widget Manager expands where WordPress widgets can be used. Instead of limiting widgetized sections to the sidebars and footers supplied by a theme, you can create widget areas and place them in page or post content. You can also add a sidebar to a template file when working with the relevant WordPress function.
The plugin is intended for users who want to create distinctive page layouts without coding knowledge for the main setup process. Its administration area is designed to fit into the core WordPress interface, providing a familiar place to create widget areas and manage their contents.
Create and place custom sidebars
You can create custom sidebars, also described as widget areas, and use them on as many pages or posts as needed. The source describes sidebar creation as unlimited, allowing the same approach to scale across different content layouts.
After creating a sidebar, insert its shortcode in the page editor wherever the widget area should appear. You can use the Insert Sidebar Shortcode button in the editor or copy and paste the sidebar shortcode directly. Once the shortcode is in place, open the widgets section at Appearance > Widgets and add widgets to the new sidebar.
Responsive layouts with the grid manager
Sidebar and Widget Manager includes the OTW Grid Manager Light component for building responsive layouts. The interface uses rows and columns, allowing you to arrange sidebars within a page content area. Add rows, create columns in those rows, and insert the relevant sidebars into the columns.
This drag-and-drop approach is useful for pages that need more structure than a standard content column. For example, a page can combine text with selected widget areas, or use several columns to organize different widget groups. The layout can be created through the interface rather than by writing a custom layout from scratch.
Use cases
- Place widgets directly inside page content.
- Add widget areas to posts or pages where a theme does not provide a suitable section.
- Create responsive arrangements using rows and columns.
- Reuse custom sidebars across multiple pages and posts.
- Build page-specific layouts with different widget combinations.
Advanced placement
Advanced users can add any sidebar created with the plugin to any part of a WordPress site. The documented method is to use the sidebar shortcode together with the WordPress do_shortcode function in a theme template file. This provides an option for placing a widget area beyond the page editor when template-level control is required.
Installation and setup
Install the full Sidebar and Widget Manager version in WordPress, then create a custom sidebar or widget area. Add widgets through Appearance > Widgets, and place the sidebar shortcode in the desired page or post content. To create a responsive arrangement, use the OTW Grid Manager Light component to add rows, columns, and sidebars. Advanced users can follow the documented shortcode and do_shortcode approach for template files.
