In WordPress, a sidebar is a section of a website’s layout that is usually located on the left or right side of the main content area. The sidebar is typically used to display additional content, such as links to other pages, widgets, or advertisements.
WordPress themes often include pre-designed sidebars that can be customized by site administrators to display different types of content. In addition to the pre-designed sidebars, site administrators can create their own custom sidebars using WordPress plugins, such as the Custom Sidebars plugin.
Sidebars can contain a variety of different types of content, such as:
Navigation menus: Site administrators can create custom navigation menus that can be displayed in the sidebar, allowing users to easily navigate to different pages on the site.
Widgets: WordPress includes a variety of widgets that can be added to the sidebar, such as recent posts, archives, search bar, social media icons, and more. Many third-party widgets are also available through plugins.
Advertisements: Site administrators can use the sidebar to display advertisements for products or services, often using third-party advertising networks like Google AdSense.
Calls-to-action: The sidebar can be used to display calls-to-action, such as sign-up forms for newsletters or email lists.
Related content: Site administrators can use the sidebar to display related content, such as recent posts, popular posts, or content that is related to the current page or post.
Site administrators can also choose to display different sidebars on different pages or sections of the site, allowing them to tailor the content to the specific needs of each page. For example, a blog post may have a different sidebar than a product page or a landing page.
In summary, a sidebar is a section of a website’s layout that is used to display additional content. WordPress includes pre-designed sidebars that can be customized by site administrators using widgets and other content, and custom sidebars can also be created using plugins. Sidebars can be used to display a variety of content, including navigation menus, widgets, advertisements, calls-to-action, and related content, and can be tailored to the needs of different pages or sections of the site.