The 10 Best Website Widgets for Blogs in 2021

No programming needed to enhance your blog

by
Ryan Dube
Ryan Dube
Writer
Ryan Dube is a freelance contributor to Lifewire and former Managing Editor of MakeUseOf, senior IT Analyst, and an automation engineer.
our editorial process
Ryan Dube
Updated on January 04, 2021

If you run your own blog, one of the easiest ways to enhance the site is by installing cool widgets. Widgets let you embed features such as calendars, comments, social feeds, and much more into your blog without any programming knowledge needed. We've gathered 10 of the best website widgets of 2021 so you can make your blog truly shine easily and quickly.

01
of 10

Share Your Events: Google Calendar

Embedded Google Calendar on a blog, an example of a blog-enhancing widget
What We Like

  • Easy to implement.

  • Create multiple calendars.

  • Free.

What We Don't Like

  • Very little customization.

  • Clunky editing

  • Difficult to fit site theme.

If you want to share important dates or events with your readers, a public Google Calendar is a great tool.

To embed a public Google calendar into your blog, go to the Google Calendar site, select Calendar Settings and scroll down to Integrate Calendar. Select and copy the embed code and paste it into your site.

Keep in mind that the embed code defaults to a width of 800 pixels, so make sure you embed it in a place with enough space.

02
of 10

Count the Days: Free Countdown

Blog countdown timer, an example of a blog-enhancing widget
What We Like

  • Simple form.

  • Customize background and text.

  • Easy to fit into blog.

What We Don't Like

  • Limited customization.

  • Few fonts.

  • Iframe embed doesn't work on all blogs.

If you have an important event coming up, what better way to build excitement around it than to publish a countdown timer?

The Time and Date website offers a free widget to embed on your blog that displays a real-time countdown to your event.

Setting up the countdown timer is simple with a form that allows for easy background and text customization.

03
of 10

Get Subscribers: Newsletter Subscription Forms

Email subscription form on a blog, an example of a blog-enhancing widget
What We Like

  • Easy to configure.

  • Copy and paste.

  • Signups managed by service.

What We Don't Like

  • Not always easy to match site.

  • Limited customization.

  • Requires subscription.

If you have a blog, you'll want to stay in touch with your readers. Building a strong newsletter subscription list is a great way to do that.

To run a newsletter, subscribe to a good newsletter-management platform such as Aweber, featured here, or MailChimp, MadMimi, Constant Contact, or Drip.

Regardless of which platform you go with, these services provide a customizable widget to embed a newsletter signup form into your website.

04
of 10

Share Your Tweets: Twitter

Embedded Twitter widget
What We Like

  • Simple.

  • Copy and paste.

  • Blends easily.

What We Don't Like

  • Few customization options.

  • May not suit all sites.

  • Can't filter content.

Twitter is one of the most popular social networks, so it makes sense that bloggers would want to share their social feed right from their own website.

Twitter offers a simple publication page where you just type the Twitter feed you want to display and copy the embed code.

Paste the embed code anywhere on your blog to insert the Twitter feed.

05
of 10

Embed Posts: Facebook

Embedded Facebook post, an example of a blog-enhancing widget
What We Like

  • Easy to install.

  • Simple to customize.

  • One-page setup.

What We Don't Like

  • Very few customization options.

  • Basic widget design.

  • Requires manual embed in individual articles.

While Facebook removed the ability to embed your entire Facebook feed into other sites, you can embed specific Facebook posts.

Just go to the post you want to embed, select the three-dot menu at the upper right of the post, and select Embed. Copy and paste the code that appears and add it to your blog.

A common use for this widget is in the footer of a blog post. Embedding a related Facebook post encourages readers to click on your Facebook page and engage with your community.

06
of 10

Get Likes: Embed a Facebook Like Button

Embedded Facebook page Like box, an example of a blog-enhancing widget
What We Like

  • Improves reader engagement.

  • Promotes your Facebook page.

  • Simple to set up.

What We Don't Like

  • Basic customization options.

  • Very simple design.

  • Minimal user interaction available.

A great way to grow your Facebook community is to embed a Facebook Like box on your blog's main page. Place it in the sidebar of your blog so that it shows up on every page on the site.

Setting up this widget is simple. Visit the Facebook Developers Like Button Configurator page and paste your Facebook page URL into the URL to Like field. Select Get Gode, copy the embed code, and paste it into your blog's sidebar widget.

Once you've pasted the code, the widget will allow anyone visiting your blog to visit and like your Facebook page.

07
of 10

Display Your Comments: Disqus

Disqus website, an example of a blog-enhancing widget
What We Like

  • Displays reader engagement.

  • Very simple to install.

  • Encourages visitors to comment.

What We Don't Like

  • Very basic customization.

  • Difficult to blend with blog.

  • Requires the use of Disqus.

Including comments on your blog is a great way to encourage engagement with your readership, and Disqus lets you embed a recent comments widget into the sidebar of your blog.

Visit the website to learn how to install the Disqus comments widget and see other engagement options.

Disqus requires that users register and sign up for a plan. Pricing varies, though there is an ad-supported Basic option.

08
of 10

Sell Things: PayPal Button

Paypal donate button on a blog, an example of a blog-enhancing widget
What We Like

  • Easy to embed.

  • Fast installation.

  • Create multiple buttons.

What We Don't Like

  • Button wizard can be complicated.

  • PayPal only payments.

  • Reader must trust PayPal.

Whether you want to sell merchandise or accept donations, PayPal button widgets are the perfect solution.

Set up and customize a PayPal button and then paste the button embed code into the sidebar, footer, or header of your site.

To set up your PayPal button, log in to your PayPal account and select Manage Buttons under Seller Tools on the right. Select Create New Button under Related Items. Work through the customize wizard and then copy the embed code and paste it into your blog.

09
of 10

Get Feedback: Free Contact Form

Free feedback form installed, an example of a blog-enhancing widget
What We Like

  • Free.

  • Simple form.

  • Customizable.

What We Don't Like

  • Multiple-step installation.

  • Not easy to customize.

  • Limited use for free.

Providing readers with a simple form to send you feedback or questions is a great way to stay in touch with fans and followers

FreeContactForm.com lets you install a very simple feedback form on your website. You're allowed up to 1,000 views a month with the free version, while the paid versions allow for a larger audience.

Visit FreeContactForm.com to learn how to install your free feedback form.

10
of 10

Display Videos: YouTube

Displaying YouTube video in the sidebar, an example of a blog-enhancing widget
What We Like

  • Simple to embed.

  • Saves site bandwidth.

  • Enhances site.

What We Don't Like

  • YouTube only.

  • Limited customization.

  • WordPress only.

Embedding YouTube video widgets into your blog is a simple process. Inside a page itself, just paste the URL of the YouTube video, and the video will embed into the page.

However, if you want to embed a small video into your sidebar, you'll need to use the embed tag like this: 

[embed width="200" height="225"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5nIwd9AAzE[/embed]

Paste the YouTube video link into that code, and adjust the width and height to suit where you're trying to fit the small embedded version of that video.

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