Blogger How 5 - Add Widgets and Hacks To Template

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Blogger How is Blogger Tutorial Series from How We Blog. In this series, I will guide you step by step building your first blog with Blogger, spread it to the world, and then you can earn money from it.

Part 5 of this series:

Blogger How 5 - Add Widgets and Hacks To Template

What is a Widgets?

At first, we need to know what widget is. Widgets, default name in Blogger is Gadget, enable bloggers to add more features, functions and anything they want to their blog in an easy way. A blog widget is created to be used with blogging platform like Wordpress, Typepad, Tumblr. Blogger currently supports many widgets which Google calls Gadgets.

A Blogger Widget

There is two types of widget, one is default and developed by Google, you can add it in Blogger Layout Manage. One is written by third-party coders who want to add more cool features to Blogger. Third-party widgets usually added under HTML Widget but sometimes it need to be edited direct in template code.

Where are widgets in a template?

Widgets usually locate at the sidebar and footer sometimes. A widget can be placed at top or bottom of post section. Read BH2 - Blogger Structure for more information.

How to add default Widgets to Blogger?

At Layout section, you can see a lot of "Add a Gatget". Each link allows you to add a widget at each section corresponding to it's location. Some popular official widgets are Google Follower, Translate, Popular Posts, Link List, Blog Archive, Label and the most used, HTML/Javascript.

How to add third-party Widgets to Blogger?

From Blogger: just click Add a Gadget link, then choose More Gadgets. About 800 widgets have been verify and vetted by Blogger.

Add a Blogger Gadget

From Code: most of third-party widgets require adding code to a HTML/Javascript widget (official widget by Blogger).
Automatically: there will be a button, if you click on this you will open a new window name "Import Page Element", in this you can choose blog to add this widget in (if you have more than one), Title of this widget, and click Add Widget to add this to your blog. To make it clear, you can click button below and see by yourself (don't worry, you don't have to add this widget).

<a href="http://htmlmaker.blogspot.com">Blogger Tutorials</a>

Add Widget To Blogger Automatically

What is Blogger Hacks?

Blogger Hacks have a same mission with Blogger Widgets, this is add more cool feature and better user experience on your blog. But Blogger Hacks need to be added directly in template code. This mean it's harder to use and harder to remove. Some examples for Blogger hack are Breadcrumb for Blogger, Auto-Readmore for Blogger, Blogger Related Post etc.

How To Add Blogger Hacks?

Most of Blogger Hacks are well instructed by developer. But you also need knowledget about Blogger Template and Blogger HTML Editor to follow these instructions.

Are Third-party Widgets and Hacks Safe?

As you know, third-party widgets and hacks add a lot of code into blog template, then it's very dangerous even if one infected code exists. But don't worry too much, most of widgets and hacks are written by good developers and safe to use. For security reasons, make sure the script publisher is trustworthiness and immediately remove widget if you realize something weird with your blog.

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