As a website designer for small businesses, part of our sales pitch is that we use WordPress.  And WordPress, with a bit of basic training, is conducive to DIY website updates.  With one exception – those danged Widgets.  No part of WordPress REQUIRES so much as a basic knowledge of HTML – except those danged Widgets.  Or do they?

Let’s take a look.

It is true that the WordPress Widgets do not include a visual editor – there are plugins that will do it, but they have mostly been problematic – but there is a simple workaround for the DIYer.

Let’s go step by step.

Step 1: Go to APPEARANCE -> WIDGETS and find the widget area that you want to edit.  Copy the code within the widget area.

Step 2: Go to Posts -> New Posts and right-click to open the link in a new tab.  Once the new post editor opens in the new tab, make sure you are in TEXT mode (as opposed to VISUAL MODE).  Paste the code that you previously copied from the widget.

Step 3: Switch back to VISUAL MODE.  You should now see a visual representation of what was in the widget area.  Make the desired edits using the default WordPress post visual editor.  Keep in mind that typically widgets have a specific width limitation whether in a sidebar, footer, etc.  Adjust images accordingly.  Once your edits are complete, continue with Step 4.

Step 4: Switch to TEXT mode and copy the html code for the edits you just made.  Return to the other browser tab where the “old” widget code exists.  Remove the old code and paste the new code.  Click the big blue SAVE button and you’re good to go.  Review the relevant page with the relevant widget included to make sure it looks like you want it to look.

Congrats!  You’re now an HTML expert without having to know what HTML even stands for.