WordPress for Dummies 2: How to Turn a Graphic Into a Widget

Posted by Jan Ross on August 22, 2011

If you have read this post, then you know that I am the original WordPress Dummy and am basically just fumbling my way along, figuring things out as I go. One thing I learned recently was how to put a graphic with a link over there on the side of my blog.

Now, if you just read that and thought how you already know how to do this and it’s so easy and you just can’t believe that someone does not already know how to do that – geeze, just step away. Step away.

Are they gone?

Good, now it’s just those of us who are WordPress Dummies.

No offense.

OK, so you have a graphic and you want to link it. I actually just did this today with a Travelhoppers graphic because I wanted to put a link to a site where I will be writing. Requisite plug for myself. Anyway, I had the graphic. It looked like this.

I opened up “Add New Post” and inserted that graphic into it. Then I went to the Travelhoppers site and copied and pasted the url. Back to the open post with the graphic. Put your mouse pointer on the graphic and click on the link graphic above the post (the little chain). Now paste that url you copied. Make sure you tell it to open in another page (Open Link in a New Window/Tab) – this is always a good policy. I hate when I have to back up to get back to something I was reading; most people do.

OK, now you have your graphic with a link.

Switch over to HTML instead of Visual up there on the right of your post and you have all the code you need. Copy this. Now, save that post just in case you screwed something up. Like you ever do that.

Look way over on the left there and click on “Widgets”. When you get there, one of your Widget choices should be “Text”. Open that and paste in that code you copied. Then choose where you want that widget to go. Save it.

It should appear on your blog now.

If not, you screwed something up.

Now, aren’t you glad you saved that post?

Seriously, let me know if you have problems. After 20 years as a teacher, it’s fairly hard to come out of teacher mode.