Published on Aug 2, 2025 4 min read

How to Effortlessly Add Social Media Icons to Your WordPress Sidebar

Adding social media icons to your WordPress sidebar is a fantastic way to engage your visitors and enhance user interaction. With a simple click, these icons provide quick access to your social media profiles on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Since sidebars are visible on every page, these icons are always easy to find, enhancing your site’s user-friendliness and saving visitors’ time. WordPress offers simple and code-free ways to add these icons.

Why Add Social Media Icons to Your Sidebar?

Including social media icons on your sidebar is a strategic step to broaden your reach. These small buttons enable users to easily navigate to your social media pages, making it simple for them to stay updated with your latest posts, news, and events. Given the widespread daily use of social media, these icons significantly boost your website’s value by making it more interactive and visually appealing. A sidebar ensures these icons remain accessible, maintaining a clean design that invites visitors to connect and engage with your content.

How to Add Social Media Icons to Your WordPress Sidebar

Adding social media icons to your WordPress sidebar can be done through various methods. Each method offers a unique level of control and customization.

Method 1: Using a WordPress Plugin

Adding a social media widget via a WordPress plugin is straightforward and efficient. Plugins expand your site’s capabilities with additional features. Here’s how you can do it:

Step 1: Choose a Plugin

Navigate to your WordPress dashboard and click on Plugins > Add New. Search for “social media icons” to find various options. Popular plugins include:

• Social Icons Widget by WPZOOM
• Simple Social Icons
• Smash Balloon Social Photo Feed

Choose a plugin with a high number of active installs and good ratings. For beginners, Simple Social Icons is recommended.

Step 2: Install and Activate the Plugin

Click Install Now on your chosen plugin. Once installed, click Activate to make the plugin ready for use.

Step 3: Add the Social Icons Widget to Your Sidebar

Go to Appearance > Widgets and find the widget added by your plugin. Drag this widget to your sidebar. For instance, if using Simple Social Icons, drag it to the sidebar section.

Step 4: Customize Your Icons

Click the widget to access its settings. Enter your social media URLs and customize the icon size, color, and alignment if the plugin allows. Ensure you add your LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other profiles. Save your changes.

Step 5: Verify Your Website

Visit your website to ensure the social media icons are visible and functioning correctly by clicking each icon to check they link to the correct profile.

Method 2: Adding Social Icons Using a Menu

For more customization, create a custom menu of social links to neatly display your profiles.

Step 1: Create a New Menu

Navigate to Appearance > Menus and click Create a New Menu. Name it, such as “Social Menu”, and click Create Menu.

Step 2: Add Custom Links

Under “Custom Links” on the left, enter your social profile URLs and link text. For example:

• URL: https://www.facebook.com/yourprofile
• Link Text: Facebook

Click Add to Menu and repeat for all your social profiles.

Step 3: Save the Menu

After adding all links, click Save Menu.

Step 4: Add Menu to Sidebar Widget

Go to Appearance > Widgets, find the “Navigation Menu” widget, and drag it to the sidebar. Select your “Social Menu” from the dropdown and save.

Step 5: Add Icon Fonts (Optional)

Though text links are standard, you can use the “Menu Icons by ThemeIsle” plugin to add icons. After installing, return to your menu to assign icons to each link.

Method 3: Using a Custom HTML Widget

For complete design control, manually add icons using HTML.

Step 1: Get Social Media Icons

Find free social media icon sets online. Sites like FontAwesome offer free icons. Upload icons to the WordPress media library or use existing URLs.

Step 2: Copy the HTML Code

Here’s an example of HTML code for Facebook and Twitter icons:

<a href="https://www.facebook.com/yourprofile" target="_blank">
  <img src="https://example.com/facebook-icon.webp" alt="Facebook Icon" width="32" height="32">
</a>
<a href="https://twitter.com/yourprofile" target="_blank">
  <img src="https://example.com/twitter-icon.webp" alt="Twitter Icon" width="32" height="32">
</a>

Step 3: Add a Custom HTML Widget

Go to Appearance > Widgets, find the “Custom HTML” widget, and drag it to your sidebar.

Step 4: Paste Your HTML Code

Paste the HTML into the widget content box and save.

Step 5: Verify Your Website

Visit your site to ensure the icons display correctly and link to your social pages.

Conclusion

Adding social media icons to your WordPress sidebar is a user-friendly and effective way to boost engagement. Whether you choose a plugin, custom menu, or HTML widget, each method provides flexibility to match your expertise level. These icons make it easy for visitors to find and follow your social pages, enhancing your online presence and credibility. Start implementing these steps today to increase your website’s interactivity and readership.