Category Archives: WordPress Plugins

15 Most Popular Digital Products You Can Sell Online in 2023

03.03.2023Beginners Guide, blogging, digital products, Easy Digital Downloads, ecommerce, make money blogging, make money online, memberpress, membership site, online store, recommend plugins for wordpress, selling digital products, selling online courses with wordpress, wordpress blog posts page, WordPress Plugins, WordPress ThemesEditorial Staff

Are you looking for popular digital product ideas to sell online?

In today’s creator economy, there are many opportunities to make money online. You can sell items like music files, videos, blog posts, eBooks, software, apps, podcasts, premium content, and more.

In this article, we will share the most popular digital products that you can sell online.

Most popular digital products you can sell online

What are Digital Products?

A digital product is essentially anything that you can buy, download, and use on a device such as a computer or mobile phone. For example, ebooks, software, videos, music, online courses, and more can be digital products that you can purchase at an online store.

They are delivered to you electronically, usually through a direct download in your user dashboard or in an email with a download link inside. In general, you can easily access them anytime or anywhere.

Why Sell Digital Products Online?

Digital products have a lot of advantages compared to selling physical products.

First, you don’t have to worry about keeping inventory and meeting supply or demand requirements. Once you create a digital product, you can sell it again and again.

This also relieves you of any storage issues. Some physical products need to be kept at a warehouse and may require special storage conditions like refrigeration, which can be costly. On the other hand, you don’t have to worry about storing your digital products.

Besides that, you get to generate a passive income stream with digital goods and easily grow your sales. They also help reach a wider audience across the globe, as people from around the world can buy your digital products.

That said, let’s look at some of the most popular digital products you can sell online today.

1. eBooks

eBooks are a great digital product to have, and you can write about any topic you like. The best part, once you’ve created an ebook, you can simply market it and earn passive income.

Now, if you have a WordPress blog or write articles regularly on any other platform, then you can repurpose the content for your ebook.

For instance, your most popular guides would already have enough content to be converted into an ebook. Or you can combine several blog posts into an ebook about a particular topic.

Once you’re done with the writing part, you can then add the ebook to your WordPress site so people can download it.

You can follow our guide on how to create and sell ebooks in WordPress from start to finish.

2. Online Courses

The next most popular digital product you can sell is online courses. People are always looking to improve their skillset and learn new things.

You can use this opportunity to share your expertise and teach other people through a virtual classroom. For example, if you’re a fitness instructor, then you can create an online course and teach people different exercises.

The best part, you need very little investment and no technical knowledge to create online courses.

There are many tools in the market that can help you get started in no time. All you need is a domain name for your site, WordPress website hosting, and a learning management system (LMS) plugin.

LMS software like MemberPress or Thrive Apprentice makes it super easy to create interactive courses without editing code. Plus, you can manage students and course material, offer quizzes, and more.

You can learn more by following our guide on how to create and sell online courses in WordPress.

3. Premium Memberships

Just like ebooks and online courses, a membership website is another simple way of making money online. You can sell premium memberships with access to exclusive content and community features.

For example, you can lock specific guides, cheat sheets, interviews, videos, podcasts, newsletters, and other content behind premium memberships.

On the other hand, you can offer exclusive entry to different communities, like a forum, Slack channel, or Facebook group, through a membership site.

What’s great about memberships is that you don’t have to rely on advertising revenue. You can allow your website visitors to support your site and generate continuous income.

There are many membership plugins and tools you can use to get started. For instance, MemberPress lets you restrict access to content, integrate different payment services, create unlimited membership levels, allow drip content, and more.

To start selling memberships, you can see our step-by-step guide on creating a WordPress membership site.

4. Tutorials and Guides

You can also sell individual guides and tutorials as digital products. This is a great way to earn more money if you have long articles or multiple blog posts on a particular topic.

Simply turn your guides into a downloadable file like a PDF document. You can then charge a fee to visitors who are willing to purchase your content.

For example, let’s say you have a detailed guide on email marketing. You can turn that guide into a PDF file and sell it as a digital product.

There are many WordPress eCommerce platforms you can use to sell digital products. We recommend using Easy Digital Downloads because it is beginner friendly, offers a shopping cart, easily integrates with payment gateways, and more.

You can learn more by going through our guide on how to sell digital downloads on WordPress.

5. Spreadsheets

Spreadsheets are another type of digital product you can sell on your website and generate revenue. You can create all types of useful spreadsheets for your audience.

For example, let’s say you have expertise in search engine optimization (SEO). You can create a technical SEO checklist for beginners and offer that as a paid spreadsheet. Similarly, you can create checklists, templates, calculators, lists, and other types of spreadsheets.

The best part is that you don’t need any investment to create a spreadsheet. Plus, it helps offer evergreen content that can you use to generate leads and a passive income stream.

You can check out our guide on how to sell spreadsheets online for more details.

6. WordPress Plugins

You can also create WordPress plugins and sell them as digital products.

WordPress is open-source software, and it powers over 43% of the website on the internet. There are over 60,000 WordPress plugins that include free and paid options. This shows that there is a huge potential to create a plugin that generates revenue.

Usually, you need basic coding knowledge like PHP, CSS, HTML, and JavaScript to write a plugin. For more details, you can see our step-by-step guide on how to create a WordPress plugin.

You can also hire a developer to help you create a plugin. There are many WordPress developer job websites where you can post an opening and hire the right talent for a specific project.

If you’re willing to take on a DIY project, then you can also use a plugin called Pluginception. It lets you create a WordPress plugin from the WordPress dashboard. To learn more, please follow our guide on how to create a WordPress plugin using a plugin.

7. Software and Mobile Apps

Just like WordPress plugins, you can also create software and mobile apps. There are many SaaS (software as a service) products that you can create for any niche. It can be productivity software, workout apps, games, and more.

Usually, SaaS products have a recurring subscription. This means that you’ll need to generate income on a monthly or annual basis.

Since creating such software and apps requires specific skills, you might need to hire developers. This process can be expensive because you’ll need investment for creating software or purchasing an existing one ($15,000 and upwards).

As an alternative, you can convert your WordPress websites into mobile apps and monetize them. There are tools and plugins that can turn your site into an app. For example, let’s say you have a membership site. Converting it into an app will help you attract mobile users and sell it as a digital product.

On the other hand, you can also join affiliate programs and earn a commission on each sale. You can create a WordPress blog to review different software and apps and promote them as affiliates. Or you could create an online store using affiliates.

For more information, check out our ultimate guide to affiliate marketing for beginners.

8. Website Themes

Similarly, you can make WordPress themes and sell them online. Themes are necessary for every WordPress user, and often users look for themes that offer specific features and customization options.

There are many platforms where you can sell website themes. Some of these include Enavto, Themeforest, CodeCanyon, and Creative Market.

You can also list a free version of your theme on the WordPress.org theme directory. From here, you can encourage users to upgrade to a premium version to unlock more features.

We recommend selling the digital products on your own websites instead of a marketplace like Envato because they charge a large commission on every sale without much benefit.

You can use an eCommerce solution like Easy Digital Downloads to create your own digital store.

9. Digital Art and Graphics

If you’re a graphic designer or an artist, then you can create a variety of digital products and sell them online.

For example, you can create logos, design templates, original digital artwork, clip art, patterns, brushes, backgrounds, icons, fonts, shapes, and more.

Besides that, creating assets for different photo editing software like Adobe PhotoShop, Canva, Affinity Designer, and Affinity Photo can also help you make money online.

To get started, please follow our guide on how to sell digital art and graphics online.

10. Photographs

Another great digital product you can sell online is photography. Many people look for images that they can use for their WordPress websites and blogs.

There are different types of photos you can sell. Some of these include stock photos, event pictures, portraits, drone images, backgrounds, and more.

Now, you can sell your images to different stock photo sites, like Shutterstock, 500px, iStock Photo, Adobe Stock, and more. Each of these websites has a payment structure where they’ll share a percentage of direct sales or give you a royalty fee.

On the other hand, you can create your own photography website and sell your images there. This way, you don’t have to share the profits with another third party and have more control over your images.

To help you get started, check out some useful WordPress plugins for photographs.

11. Videos

Videos are the next digital products on our list that you can sell online.

For example, videos like drone footage, stock videos, online training, product reviews, video game reviews, and gameplay footage are some of the ideas you can use to create a video-based digital product.

One of the easiest ways of monetizing your videos is by creating a video membership site. This way, you don’t have to rely on ad revenue from other platforms and get recurring payments from users who pay to access your content.

12. Recipes

Are you a chef, a home cook, or a food blogger? If you do, then you can sell recipes as digital products.

The food industry is worth trillions of dollars and is very competitive. However, you can find a niche that your audience likes and share recipes to earn money.

For instance, you can start a food blog and offer premium recipes for subscribers. Or you could combine multiple recipes into an ebook and sell that as a digital product.

Plus, you can offer cooking courses and other premium content by creating a membership site. We recommend MemberPress for this sort of site, as it’s the best plugin for that on the market.

13. Podcasts

Podcasts are audio shows that users can subscribe to. They are generally made up of audio files that listeners can download or stream to listen to.

There are many topics you can create a podcast on. For example, if your topic is music, then you can narrow it down to a specific genre. Similarly, if you’re into sports, then you can create a podcast on football.

Another great way of selling podcasts is by inviting industry experts and serving it as a masterclass. You can charge a premium or only offer these podcasts to members to generate income.

Many podcasters rely on their communities supporting them, whether that’s through a service like Patreon or creating their own membership site.

For more details, you can follow our guide on how to start a podcast and make it successful.

14. Professional Services and Coaching

You can also sell your expertise as a digital product and help other businesses.

For example, if you’re a copywriter, graphic designer, social media expert, developer, fitness coach, legal professional, translator, SEO expert, offer technical support through live chat, or any type of consultant, then you can offer your services to others for a fee.

Now, you can sign up for different freelancing websites like Upwork, or create your own site. From here, simply market your expertise on social media platforms and build a following to get more projects and clients.

15. Research and Data

Do you conduct industry-wide surveys, polls, and research? If yes, then you can create digital products and sell the research data.

Many businesses are looking for insights into their industry. They want to better understand their audience and find out what they like or don’t like.

You can carry out research on popular topics, collaborate with companies, or simply run a survey to gather data. After that, you can create a report, add it to your website, and sell it to consumers.

If you have a membership website, then you can also offer research and data to subscribers.

For examples, see some of our research articles we offer for free here at WPBeginner:

Bonus: Plugins and Tools to Market Your Digital Products

Now that you know some of the most popular digital products to sell online, you’ll also need to market them to your customers.

Here’s a list of WordPress plugins and tools that you can use to promote your product and boost conversions:

OptinMonster – It is the best lead generation and popup plugin for WordPress. You can create different campaigns and use smart targeting rules to promote digital products and increase conversions.
WPForms – This is the best WordPress form plugin. You can use it to create an order form, payment form, and more.
All in One SEO (AIOSEO) – The plugin helps you optimize your website for search engines. This way, you get to improve search engine rankings, attract more organic visitors to your site, and boost sales of your digital products.
MonsterInsights – It is the best Google Analytics plugin for WordPress. Using the plugin, you can track your digital products performance, which files get the most downloads, uncover the most popular products, and track eCommerce revenue without editing code.
PushEngage – This is a push notification software for WordPress and allows you to send personalized web notifications to customers about new products, promotions, sales, etc.
WP Simple Pay – You can collect online payments on your website using this plugin. The best part, you don’t have to set up a shopping cart to sell digital products while using WP Simple Pay.

We hope this article helped you find the most popular digital products to sell online. You may also want to see our guide on low-cost and easy online business ideas that make money and the best email marketing tools to promote your digital products.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post 15 Most Popular Digital Products You Can Sell Online in 2023 first appeared on WPBeginner.

How to Display Instagram Photos in WordPress Sidebar Widget

03.03.2023Gallery, instagram, instagram wordpress plugin, instagram wordpress widget, Pinterest, smash balloon, Widgets, WordPress PluginsEditorial Staff

Do you want to display your Instagram photos in the WordPress sidebar?

Your Instagram posts make great content for your website. By creating an Instagram feed, you can keep your site fresh and interesting while also promoting your Instagram account.

In this article, we’ll show you how to display your Instagram photos and videos in the WordPress sidebar widget.

How to display Instagram photos in WordPress sidebar widget

Why Add an Instagram Feed to Your WordPress Site?

With more than a billion monthly active users, Instagram is a great place to promote your products, services, and blog posts.

Depending on your industry, Instagram may even be the most important part of your social media strategy. For example, Instagram is particularly popular among top fashion blogs, cooking, lifestyle, and photography websites.

However, people won’t see your Instagram posts if they only visit your website. This can make it difficult to grow your Instagram following and get engagement on your photos and videos.

With that being said, it’s a good idea to add an Instagram feed to your WordPress website. By showing your latest posts, you can promote your Instagram account in an engaging and eye-catching way.

This will get more traffic to your Instagram page and encourage visitors to interact with your posts by leaving comments, clicking on the ‘Share’ button, and more.

The feed will also update automatically every time you make a new Instagram post, so it’s a great way to keep your website fresh.

That being said, let’s take a look at how to easily display Instagram photos in the WordPress sidebar widget.

How to Install an Instagram Photos Plugin

The best way to display Instagram photos in a WordPress sidebar or similar widget is by using Smash Balloon Social Photo Feed. This free plugin lets you show photos from one or more Instagram accounts in a fully customizable feed.

After creating a feed, you can add it to the sidebar using either a shortcode or block.

In this guide, we’ll be using the free version of Smash Balloon, as it has everything you need to embed an Instagram feed. However, there’s also a Pro version that allows you to display hashtag feeds, add Instagram shoppable images in WordPress, and more.

Before getting started, you’ll need to connect your Instagram account to a Facebook page. If you have a personal Instagram account, then you may also want to turn it into a business account, as this allows Smash Balloon to show your Instagram bio and header automatically.

For step-by-step instructions on how to do both of these things, check out our FAQ section at the end of the post.

When you’re ready, go ahead and install and activate the Smash Balloon Social Photo Feed plugin. For more details, see our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

How to Connect an Instagram Account to WordPress

After activating the plugin, it’s time to connect your Instagram account to WordPress. Simply go to Instagram Feed » Settings and then click on ‘Add New.’

How to create a new social media feed using Smash Balloon

With Smash Balloon Pro, you can create feeds from tagged posts and hashtags, or even create a social wall with content from lots of different websites, including YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter.

Since we’re using the free version, simply select ‘User Timeline’ and then click on ‘Next.’

After that, you’ll need to choose the Instagram account where you’ll get the photos from.

To get started, click on ‘Add Source.’

Connecting Instagram to your WordPress website

On the next screen, choose whether you want to display photos from a personal or business Instagram account.

If you check the box next to ‘Personal,’ then Smash Balloon won’t include the Instagram avatar and bio in your header by default. However, you can always add the avatar and bio manually in the plugin’s settings.

Connecting a personal or business Instagram account to WordPress

After choosing ‘Personal’ or ‘Business,’ go ahead and click on ‘Login with Facebook.’

You can now check the Instagram account that you want to use and click on ‘Next.’

How to display an Instagram feed on your WordPress website

After that, check the box next to the Facebook page that’s linked to your Instagram account.

With that done, go ahead and click on ‘Next.’

Smash Balloon will now show a popup listing all the information it will have access to and the actions it can perform.

To restrict Smash Balloon’s access to your Instagram account, click any of the switches to turn it from ‘Yes’ to ‘No.’ Just be aware that this may affect the photos and videos that you can embed on your WordPress blog or website.

With that being said, we recommend leaving all the switches enabled.

When you’re ready, click on ‘Done.’

You’ll now see a popup with the Instagram account you just linked to WordPress.

Simply check the box next to the account and then click on ‘Add.’

Smash Balloon will now take you back to Instagram Feeds » All Feeds automatically.

To create a feed, simply check the box next to your Instagram account. Then, click on ‘Next.’

How to create an Instagram social media feed

The plugin will now create an Instagram photo feed for your website, and then open that feed in the Smash Balloon editor.

How to Customize Your Instagram Photo Feed

You can use the editor to fine-tune how Instagram photos look on your website.

On the right, you’ll see a preview of your Instagram photo feed. On the left-hand side are all the settings you can use to customize the photo feed.

Most of these settings are self-explanatory, but we’ll quickly cover some key areas.

To start, you can change the feed layout and add padding by selecting ‘Feed Layout’ from the left-hand menu. As you make changes, the preview will update automatically, so you can try different settings to see what works best for your Instagram photo feed.

Smash Balloon's Instagram feed layout settings

By default, Smash Balloon shows the same number of posts on desktop computers and mobile devices.

You can preview how the Instagram feed will look on desktop computers, tablets, and smartphones using the row of buttons in the upper-right corner. By testing different layouts, you can create an Instagram feed that looks great, no matter what device the visitor is using.

Previewing your social media feed on mobile, tablets, and desktop

Smartphones and tablets typically have smaller screens and less processing power, so you may want to show fewer photos and videos on mobile devices.

To do this, simply type a different number into the ‘Mobile’ field under ‘Number of Posts.’

Showing a different number of photos on mobile and desktop

By default, the Facebook feed shows fewer columns on smartphones and tablets, compared to desktop computers. This helps your photos and videos fit comfortably on smaller screens.

After testing the mobile version of your WordPress website, you may be unhappy with how the columns look on smartphones and tablets. If this is the case, then you can show fewer columns by changing the numbers in the ‘Columns’ section.

Showing a different number of Instagram columns on different devices

When you’re happy with the changes you’ve made, click on the ‘Customize’ link.

This will take you back to the main Smash Balloon editor, where you can explore the next settings screen, which is ‘Color Scheme.’

Adding a different color scheme to an Instagram feed in WordPress

By default, Smash Balloon uses a color scheme inherited from your WordPress theme, but it also has ‘Light’ and ‘Dark’ themes that you can use.

Another option is creating your own color scheme by selecting ‘Custom’ and then using the controls to change the background color, edit the button color, change the text color, and more.

An Instagram feed with a custom color scheme

By default, Smash Balloon adds a header to your feed, which is your Instagram profile picture and the name of your page. To change how this section looks, click on ‘Header’ in the left-hand menu.

On this screen, you can change the size and color of the header, and show or hide your Instagram bio.

Adding a header to the Instagram feed on your WordPress website

Sometimes, you may want to show a different profile picture. For example, your Instagram avatar may clash with your WordPress theme.

To do this, simply click on ‘Add Image’ under ‘Show custom avatar.’

You can then either choose an image from the WordPress media library or upload a new photo from your computer.

Similarly, you can show a different bio. For example, you may want to introduce your Instagram feed or encourage people to follow you for more great content.

To replace the Instagram bio, simply type into the ‘Add custom bio’ box.

Creating a custom social media bio for your WordPress website

Smash Balloon automatically analyzes your Instagram photos and displays them at the best resolution. While we recommend using these default settings, it is possible to make the images bigger or smaller.

To change the image size, click on ‘Posts’ from the left-hand menu. Then, select the ‘Images and Videos’ option.

Changing Smash Balloon's image and video resolution settings

You can now choose between thumbnail, medium, and full-size using the dropdown menu.

If you’re unhappy with the results, then you can return to this screen at any point and select ‘Auto-detect (Recommended)’ from the dropdown menu.

Smash Balloon's automatic resolution detection

By default, Smash Balloon adds a ‘Load More’ button to the bottom of your Instagram feed, which allows visitors to scroll through more of your photos and videos.

Since it’s such an important button, you may want to customize it by selecting the ‘Load More Button’ option from the left-hand menu.

Customizing the social media Load More button

Here, you can help ‘Load More stand out by changing its background color, text color, and hover state.

You can also change the button’s label by typing into the ‘Text’ field.

Adding your own messaging to the Instagram button

Another option is to remove the button completely by clicking the ‘Enable’ toggle. In this way, you can encourage people to visit your Instagram by limiting the number of posts they can see on your website.

If visitors like what they see, they may decide to follow you on Instagram using the ‘Follow on Instagram’ button that Smash Balloon adds automatically.

With that in mind, you may want to help the button stand out by selecting ‘Follow Button’ in the left-hand menu.

Here, you can change the button’s background color, hover state, and text color.

Customizing the social media follow button

By default, the button has a general ‘Follow on Instagram’ label.

You can replace this with your own messaging by typing into the ‘Text’ field.

How to create a custom Instagram photo feed for your WordPress website

When you’re happy with how the Instagram feed looks, don’t forget to click on ‘Save’ to store your changes. You’re now ready to add the Instagram feed to your WordPress sidebar widget.

How to Add Your Instagram Photos in WordPress Sidebar Widget

You can add your feed to the sidebar or similar section using the Instagram Feed block.

If you’ve created more than one feed using Smash Balloon, then you’ll need to know the feed’s code.

Simply go to Instagram » All Feeds and then copy the value in the ‘Shortcode’ column.

In the following image, we’ll need to use instagram-feed feed=1.

Adding Instagram photos and videos using a code

With that done, go to Appearance » Widgets in the WordPress dashboard.

Then click on the blue ‘+’ button.

In the search bar, type in ‘Instagram Feed’ and select the right widget when it appears.

WordPress has a built-in Instagram widget, so make sure you choose the one that shows the official Instagram logo.

After that, simply drag the widget onto the area where you want to show the Instagram feed, such as the sidebar or similar section.

The widget will automatically show one of the feeds you created using Smash Balloon.

To show a different feed instead, simply type the feed’s shortcode into the ‘Shortcode Settings’ box and then click on ‘Apply Changes.’

Adding an Instagram feed to WordPress using shortcode

You can now click on the ‘Update’ button to make the widget live. For more information, please see our step-by-step guide on how to add and use widgets in WordPress.

If you’re using a block-enabled theme, then you can add an Instagram feed to the sidebar using the full-site editor. To get started, simply go to Appearance » Editor.

Adding an Instagram feed using the full-site editor

In the editor, simply click to select the sidebar section and then click on the ‘+’ button.

You can then start typing in ‘Instagram Feed’ and select the right block when it appears.

Adding an Instagram feed to a block-enabled WordPress theme

By default, the full-site editor will show one of the Instagram feeds you created using Smash Balloon. To show a different feed, simply add the shortcode following the same process described above.

When you’re happy with how the Instagram feed looks, click on ‘Save’ to make your changes live.

How to Display a Specific Instagram Photo in WordPress

Sometimes you may want to show a specific Instagram post on your website. This might be your most popular photo, an evergreen post, or even a social media contest that you’re currently running.

A single Instagram post, embedded in WordPress

In the past, you could easily embed an Instagram post in WordPress using a protocol known as oEmbed. However, Facebook changed the way that oEmbed works, so you can no longer easily embed Instagram photos in WordPress.

The good news is that Smash Balloon can fix the Facebook and Instagram oEmbed issue. This allows you to easily embed a specific Instagram post in any page, post, or widget-ready area, such as the sidebar.

To enable this feature, simply go to Instagram Feed » oEmbeds. You can then click on the ‘Enable’ button.

Enabling the Facebook and Instagram oEmbed feature

After that, go to Appearance » Widgets and click on the blue ‘+’ button.

In the search bar, type in ‘Embed’ to find the right block.

When the ‘Embed’ block appears, drag it onto the area where you want to show the photo.

In the ‘Embed’ field, simply paste the URL of the Instagram post that you want to show on your website. Then, click on ‘Embed.’

Adding an embed block to your WordPress website

WordPress will now show the specific Instagram post.

If you’re happy with how it looks, then click on ‘Update’ to make it live.

Publishing an Instagram photo in a sidebar widget

Now, if you visit your website, you’ll see the Instagram post live.

If you’re using a block-enabled theme, then you’ll need to add specific Instagram posts using the full-site editor.

To do this, simply enable Smash Balloon’s oEmbed feature and get the Instagram post’s URL by following the same process described above.

After that, open the full-site editor by going to Appearance » Editor in the WordPress dashboard. Once you’re inside the full-site editor, click on the ‘+’ button in the sidebar section and then type in ‘Embed.’

Adding an Embed block using the full-site editor (FSE)

When the right block appears, click to add it to the sidebar.

You can then add the URL for the post you want to embed and click on the ‘Embed’ button.

Adding an Instagram feed using an Embed block

The full-site editor will now show the Instagram post.

If you’re happy with how it looks, then click on ‘Save’ to publish this photo or video to the block-enabled sidebar.

Adding a specific Instagram post to a block-enabled sidebar

FAQs About Displaying Instagram Posts in WordPress

Smash Balloon makes it easy to create a custom Instagram feed or even display specific Instagram posts on your WordPress website.

That being said, here are some of the most frequently asked questions about showing Instagram posts on WordPress.

How Do I Create an Instagram Business Account?

Smash Balloon can display photos from either a personal or business Instagram account.

However, Smash Balloon can’t automatically fetch the Instagram avatar and bio from a personal Instagram account. Instead, you’ll need to add the avatar and bio manually in the plugin’s settings.

With that being said, you may want to check whether you have a personal or business account, and then switch to a business account if necessary.

To do this, simply visit your Instagram account and click on the lined icon in the side menu.

Checking whether your Instagram page is a business or personal account

After that, click on ‘Settings.’

If you don’t have a business account, then this screen will show ‘Switch to professional account’ as the last option.

How to switch to a business Instagram account

If you currently have a personal account and want to switch to a business account, then simply click on this link.

How Do I Connect a Facebook Page to an Instagram Account?

Before you can display Instagram photos in WordPress, you’ll first need to connect your Instagram account to a Facebook page.

To do this, head over to the Facebook page that you want to use and then click on ‘Settings’ in the left-hand menu.

Once you’ve done that, click on ‘Linked Account.’ You can now select ‘Instagram’ and click on the ‘Connect’ button.

Linking an Instagram business account to a Facebook page

Facebook will now show all the actions it can perform, and the information it can access.

If you’re happy with this, then click on the ‘Connect’ button.

Just be aware that the people who manage your Facebook page may be able to see your Instagram messages and respond to them. If you want to stop this and keep your messages private, then click to disable the slider.

When you’re ready to move to the next screen, click on ‘Confirm.’

Restricting access to your Instagram messages

This opens a popup where you can type in your Instagram username and password.

After that, click on the ‘Log in’ button.

After a few moments, you’ll see a message saying that your Instagram and Facebook accounts are now connected.

We hope this article helped you learn how to display Instagram photos in a WordPress sidebar widget. You may also want to see our guide on how to create a custom Facebook feed in WordPress, or see our expert pick of social proof plugins for WordPress and WooCommerce.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Display Instagram Photos in WordPress Sidebar Widget first appeared on WPBeginner.

How to Add Product Questions And Answers in WooCommerce

01.03.2023Product Q&A, woocommerce, woocommerce plugins, wordpress plugin, WordPress PluginsEditorial Staff

Are you looking to add a product question and answer section in WooCommerce?

Adding a Q&A section enables customers to ask questions about the product before buying it, and see the questions and answers of other customers. This helps recover abandoned cart sales and improve customer engagement in your store, and reduce support requests.

In this article, we’ll show you how to easily add product questions and answers in WooCommerce.

How to add product questions and answers in WooCommerce

Why Should You Add Product Q&A in WooCommerce

You may have noticed the product question-and-answer section on popular eCommerce websites like Amazon, Target, Best Buy, and more.

Adding a product questions and answers section allows customers to ask questions about a product right there on the product page.

You or your customers can then answer that question and it becomes visible to all other new customers who may have the same question in mind.

Over a period of time, your product page will have its own frequently asked questions section, which will help increase sales and reduce abandoned cart rates.

Adding a question and answers section to your online store also allows you to curate user-generated content which improves your WooCommerce product search rankings.

That being said, let’s see how you can easily add product questions and answers to WooCommerce.

1. Adding a Product Q&A Section Using a Premium Plugin

For this method, we will be using the YITH WooCommerce Questions and Answers plugin.

It is a premium plugin and comes with more features to easily add an engaging Q&A section with a better user experience.

First, you need to install and activate the YITH WooCommerce Questions and Answers plugin. For more instructions, please see our step-by-step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, go to the YITH » License Activation page and enter your license key. You can find this information under your account on the plugin website.

Activate your YITH plugin with the license key

Don’t forget to click on the Activate button after entering your license key.

Next, you need to go to the YITH » Questions and Answers page to configure plugin settings.

From here you need to scroll down to the ‘Question Approval’ option and simply toggle the switch to ‘Yes’.

Once you do that, the questions on the product pages will have to be approved by an administrator before they are displayed on your WooCommerce store.

Toggle the switch next to the Question Approval field

Next, you need to scroll to the ‘Show on Product Tabs’ option.

Here, you need to toggle the switch to ‘Yes’ so that the plugin will automatically add a ‘Questions and Answers’ section to product pages.

Toggle the switch next to the Product on tab field

After that, don’t forget to click the ‘Save Options’ button to store your changes.

Now, you need to switch to the ‘Advanced Settings’ tab.

From here, simply toggle the ‘Vote Question’ switch to ‘Yes’ if you want to allow users to vote on product questions.

Next, you can choose if you want to get an email notification once a question is submitted on your website.

Simply select the ‘Notification in HTML Email’ option from the dropdown menu next to the ‘New question notification’ field.

Tip: To ensure email deliverability you need to use an SMTP server. See our guide on how to fix WooCommerce not sending emails issue.

Similarly, you can also choose the ‘Notification in HTML Email’ option in the ‘New answer notification’ field if you want to receive an email once a question is answered on your site.

Configure the New question notification field settings

Your user can also receive a notification once the question submitted by them is answered.

To enable this, you need to toggle the switch next to the ‘User Notification’ option to ‘Yes’.

After that, you can review other settings. The default options would work for most websites but you can change them if needed.

Finally, don’t forget to click on the ‘Save Options’ button to save your changes.

You can now visit your website to see the Questions & Answers section appear on your product pages.

From here, your customers can submit their questions.

Moderating Questions and Adding Answers

You will receive an email notification for new questions submitted by the users. You can also view them by visiting the Questions & Answers » All discussion page.

You can sort entries here by ‘Content not approved’ or ‘Unanswered Questions’.

You can also take your mouse over a question and click ‘Approve’ to make it live.

To add an answer to a question, you can simply click on the ‘Edit’ link below that question. On the edit screen, scroll down to the ‘Your Answer’ section to answer the question.

Repeat the process if you have more unanswered questions.

This is how the product questions and answers section looked on our demo store.

2. Adding a Product Q&A Section Using a Free Plugin

If you want to use a free plugin to add a product Q&A section to your WooCommerce store, then this method is for you.

First, you need to do is install and activate the Product Questions & Answers for WooCommerce plugin. For more instructions, see our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, click the Product Q&A menu from the WordPress admin sidebar which will direct you to the ‘Product Q&A Settings’ page.

From here, simply check the ‘Load More’ option if you want to add a ‘load More’ button to your product Q&A section.

Adding this button will allow customers to load older questions and reduces the page load time if a product gets a ton of questions.

Next, you need to choose a page size.

This means that you need to select a default number of questions that are shown in your Q&A section.

All the other questions will be hidden from view. Users will be able to access those questions after clicking the ‘Load More’ button.

You can also change the text used for the ‘Load More’ button to anything you like. For instance, you can call it ‘Load more questions’.

Next, you need to choose a layout for your product Q&A section from the dropdown menu next to the ‘Layout’ option.

You can choose the ‘Normal’ option if you want to display the Q&A section in paragraphs.

On the other hand, you can also display your questions as an Accordion menu. This means users will need to click on a question to view the answer.

Once finished, don’t forget to click the Submit button at the bottom to save your settings.

Managing Product Question and Answers

After plugin configuration, simply visit any product page on your store. You’ll notice a new Q&A tab added there.

Clicking on it will display the ‘Q&A’ section where customers can submit their questions.

You will receive an email notification when a user submits a question.

Now, to answer customer questions, you need to go to the Products » All Products page from the WordPress admin dashboard.

From here, simply click the ‘Edit’ button under a product to open up its’ ‘Edit Product’ page.

Next, you need to scroll down to the ‘Product Data’ section and click the ‘Q&A’ tab from the left column.

Here, all the questions submitted on that specific product’s page will be displayed.

Now, you need to simply type the answer to a customer query in the ‘Answer’ field.

If you want to delete a question because it’s inappropriate or irrelevant to your product, then you can also do that by clicking the Delete icon on the right corner of each question.

You can also uncheck the ‘Approve’ option if you don’t want to display the question on the product page.

After you have answered the product questions, go to the top of the page and click the ‘Update’ button to save your changes.

Now, you can visit the product page to see the Questions and Answer section in action.

We hope this article helped you learn how to add product questions and answers in WooCommerce. You can also check out our top picks for the best WooCommerce plugins to grow your store, and our beginner’s guide on how to add web push notification to boost sales.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Add Product Questions And Answers in WooCommerce first appeared on WPBeginner.

How to Easily Organize Media Uploads by Users in WordPress

27.02.2023Media Library, media uploads by users, user uploads in wordpress, wordpress media, WordPress Plugins, wp users media, wpcodeEditorial Staff

Do you want to organize media uploads by user in WordPress?

If you run a multi-author website, then you may want to restrict each author’s media library access to only their own uploads. This can prevent an author from accidentally deleting another user’s images, and help keep subscriber-only content private.

In this article, we’ll show you how to organize media uploads by users in WordPress.

Why Restrict Author Access to Media Uploads?

If you have a multi-author WordPress blog, then people might be uploading lots of different images. This can make it difficult for an author to find the right image, or they might delete or edit another person’s media file by accident.

This can cause all sorts of problems including poor productivity, lots of extra work for site admins and editors, and a complicated editorial workflow.

This unlimited access can also be a privacy concern. For example, if you’re working on a new product or idea, then other authors might see confidential images in the media library before you make a public announcement.

If you have a WordPress membership site, then contributors and subscribers may be able to access premium media files they shouldn’t have access to. For example, if you sell online courses then a contributor might use their media library access to download premium PDFs and other course materials, without buying a subscription.

That being said, let’s take a look at how to restrict who can see media uploads inside your WordPress admin area. Simply use the quick links below to jump straight to the method you want to use.

Method 1. Organizing Media Uploads by Users With a Plugin (Quick and Easy)

The easiest way to restrict access to media uploads is by using the Frontier Restrict Access plugin.

This free plugin checks whether a user has the edit_others_posts permission, which allows them to edit another user’s posts.

By default, this ability is granted to everyone who has the site admin or editor role. If you want to change this, then you can add or remove capabilities to user roles in WordPress.

If the user doesn’t have this permission, then once this plugin is activated, they won’t be able to access another user’s files in the WordPress media library. This allows you to organize media uploads by users, without restricting access for admins and editors.

This plugin works out of the box and there are no settings for you to configure, so you can simply install and activate the Frontier Restrict Access plugin. For more details, see our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Method 2. Organizing Media Uploads Using Code (Advanced)

Another option is to restrict access to files in the media library using code. This method requires you to add a code snippet to your WordPress blog or website, so it isn’t the most beginner-friendly method. However, you won’t need to install a separate plugin just to organize your media uploads.

Often, you’ll find guides with instructions to add custom code to your WordPress theme. However, this isn’t recommended as mistakes and typos in your code can cause common WordPress errors, or even break your site completely.

That’s why we recommend WPCode.

WPCode is the best code snippets plugin used by over 1 million WordPress websites. It makes it easy to add custom code in WordPress without having to edit the functions.php file.

For this method, we’ll be adding code that checks whether the user has the edit_others_posts permission. If they don’t have this permission, then the code snippet below will stop them from accessing other people’s files in the WordPress media library.

The first thing you need to do is install and activate the free WPCode plugin. For more details, see our step-by-step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, head over to Code Snippets » Add Snippet.

How to add custom PHP snippets to your site using WPCode

Here, simply hover your mouse over ‘Add Your Custom Code.’

When it appears, click on ‘Use snippet.’

Adding a custom code snippet to WordPress

To start, type in a title for the custom code snippet. This can be anything that helps you identify the snippet in the WordPress dashboard.

After that, open the ‘Code Type’ dropdown and select ‘PHP Snippet.’

Restricting access to the media library using WPCode

In the ‘Code Preview’ area, paste the following code snippet:

add_filter( 'ajax_query_attachments_args', 'user_show_attachments' );
 
function user_show_attachments( $query ) {
    $user_id = get_current_user_id();
    if ( $user_id && !current_user_can('activate_plugins') && !current_user_can('edit_others_posts
') ) {
        $query['author'] = $user_id;
    }
    return $query;
}

Next, just scroll to the ‘Insertion’ section. WPCode can add your code to different locations, such as after every post, frontend only, or admin only.

We want to use the custom PHP code across our entire WordPress website, so click on ‘Auto Insert’ if it isn’t already selected. Then, open the ‘Location’ dropdown menu and choose ‘Run Everywhere.’

Running custom PHP code across your website using WPCode

After that, you’re ready to scroll to the top of the screen and click on the ‘Inactive’ toggle, so it changes to ‘Active.’

Finally, click on ‘Save Snippet’ to make the PHP snippet live.

How to restrict access to media files using code

Now, users will only have access to the files they upload to the WordPress media library.

We hope this article helped you better organize media uploads by users on your WordPress site. Next, you can check out our ultimate WordPress security guide or see our expert pick of the best contact form plugins for WordPress.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Easily Organize Media Uploads by Users in WordPress first appeared on WPBeginner.

How to Disable Emojis in WordPress (Step by Step)

26.02.2023disable emoji in wordpress, wordpress emoji, wordpress emoticons, WordPress Plugins, wordpress smiliesEditorial Staff

Are you looking to disable emojis on your WordPress site?

Emojis are small icons that are used to express feelings or emotions. WordPress loads additional CSS and a JavaScript file to add emoji support and some users may want to remove it to improve performance and speed.

In this article, we’ll show you how to easily disable emojis in WordPress.

What Are Emojis?

Emojis are the tiny icons or smileys used on the internet.

Originating from Japan, emojis have made their way into the Unicode character set and are now supported by desktop computers as well as iOS and Android mobile devices.

The emojis feature was first introduced in WordPress 4.2 and the primary reason for adding this feature was to add native support for Chinese, Japanese, and Korean language character sets.

By default, WordPress loads an additional JavaScript file and some CSS to add emoji support.

You can see it by viewing your website’s source code or by using the Inspect tool.

However, some site owners may want to disable this extra emoji support to boost WordPress speed and performance by not downloading additional code and scripts.

Note: When we say disabling Emoji in WordPress, we mean disabling the extra checks and scripts used by WordPress to handle Emojis. You can still use Emoji on your site, and the browsers that support them will still be able to display them.

Having said that, let’s take a look at how to easily disable Emoji support in WordPress.

Method 1. Disabling Emojis in WordPress Using Code

For this method, we’ll be using a custom code snippet to disable emoji support in WordPress.

You can add this code snippet to your WordPress theme’ functions.php file or a site-specific plugin. However, a tiny error in the code could easily break your website and make it inaccessible.

To avoid this, we recommend using WPCode. It is the best code snippets plugin for WordPress and offers the safest way to add custom code to your site without breaking it.

First, you need to install and activate the WPCode plugin. For more instructions, see our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

After activation, simply go to the Code Snippets » All Snippets page from the WordPress admin dashboard.

From here, you need to click the ‘Add New’ button at the top.

This will take you to the ‘Add Snippet’ page.

From here, take your mouse over to the ‘Add Your Custom Code (New Snippet)’ option and then click the ‘Use snippet’ button.

This will bring you to the ‘Create Custom Snippet’ page. You can start by typing a name for your code snippet. It can be anything you like.

After that, you need to select ‘PHP Snippet’ as your ‘Code Type’ from the drop-down menu present in the right corner.

Type a name for your code snippet and choose PHP as code type

Now all you need to do is copy and paste the following code in the ‘Code Preview’ box.

/**
 * Disable the emoji's
 */
function disable_emojis() {
 remove_action( 'wp_head', 'print_emoji_detection_script', 7 );
 remove_action( 'admin_print_scripts', 'print_emoji_detection_script' );
 remove_action( 'wp_print_styles', 'print_emoji_styles' );
 remove_action( 'admin_print_styles', 'print_emoji_styles' ); 
 remove_filter( 'the_content_feed', 'wp_staticize_emoji' );
 remove_filter( 'comment_text_rss', 'wp_staticize_emoji' ); 
 remove_filter( 'wp_mail', 'wp_staticize_emoji_for_email' );
 add_filter( 'tiny_mce_plugins', 'disable_emojis_tinymce' );
 add_filter( 'wp_resource_hints', 'disable_emojis_remove_dns_prefetch', 10, 2 );
}
add_action( 'init', 'disable_emojis' );

/**
 * Filter function used to remove the tinymce emoji plugin.
 * 
 * @param array $plugins 
 * @return array Difference betwen the two arrays
 */
function disable_emojis_tinymce( $plugins ) {
 if ( is_array( $plugins ) ) {
 return array_diff( $plugins, array( 'wpemoji' ) );
 } else {
 return array();
 }
}

/**
 * Remove emoji CDN hostname from DNS prefetching hints.
 *
 * @param array $urls URLs to print for resource hints.
 * @param string $relation_type The relation type the URLs are printed for.
 * @return array Difference betwen the two arrays.
 */
function disable_emojis_remove_dns_prefetch( $urls, $relation_type ) {
 if ( 'dns-prefetch' == $relation_type ) {
 /** This filter is documented in wp-includes/formatting.php */
 $emoji_svg_url = apply_filters( 'emoji_svg_url', 'https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/2/svg/' );

$urls = array_diff( $urls, array( $emoji_svg_url ) );
 }

return $urls;
}

After that, scroll down to the ‘Insertion’ section to choose an insert method for your code.

Simply select the ‘Auto Insert’ mode so that the code can be automatically executed on your site upon activation.

Now go back to the top of the page and toggle the switch on the right from ‘Inactive’ to ‘Active’.

Finally, click the ‘Save Snippet’ button to save your custom code snippet.

Click the Save Snippet button to save changes

That’s all, you have successfully disabled emojis in WordPress.

Method 2. Disable Emojis in WordPress Using a Plugin

For this method, we’ll be using a plugin to disable Emojis in WordPress.

First, you need to install and activate the Disable Emojis plugin. See our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin for more instructions.

The plugin works out of the box and there are no settings for you to configure.

Upon activation, it will automatically disable emoji support from your WordPress site.

We hope this article helped you learn how to disable Emojis on your WordPress site. You may also want to check out our guide on how to create a custom Facebook feed in WordPress and our article on how to add web push notifications to your WordPress site.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Disable Emojis in WordPress (Step by Step) first appeared on WPBeginner.

How to Create Compact Archives in WordPress

24.02.2023compact archive plugin review, compact archives, compact archives plugin for wordpress, compact wordpress archives, compress archives, compress wordpress archives, condense archives, condense wordpress archives, wordpress, wordpress archives, WordPress PluginsEditorial Staff

Do you want to create compact archives on your WordPress website?

If you have been blogging for a few years, then the list of your posts might have become too long to fit in your WordPress sidebar. This will make your sidebar look cluttered which won’t be good for your site presentation

In this article, we’ll show you how to easily create compact archives in WordPress.

How to create compact archives in WordPress

Why Do You Need Compact Archives in WordPress?

Adding an archive in WordPress allows you to easily display your previously published content on your website for users to go through.

By default, WordPress offers an ‘Archives’ block and widget that can be added to the sidebar of your WordPress blog.

However, the ‘Archives’ block only allows you to display your archives as a long list or a dropdown menu.

A list will make your site look cluttered while a dropdown can be easily overlooked by users as it isn’t as noticeable.

By creating compact archives, you can easily display your archives in the WordPress sidebar without taking up much space. You can also display them on your about page or even create a dedicated Archives section.

That being said, let’s take a look at how to easily add compact archives in WordPress.

How to Add Compact Archives in WordPress

You can easily create compact archives in WordPress using the Compact Archives plugin.

First, you need to install and activate the Compact Archives plugin. For further instructions, check out our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Now, the plugin offers three styles to display compact archives on your website.

Style 1. Relaxed three-letter month initials

Style 2. Compact Monthly Initials

Style 3. Numeric Block

There are multiple ways to easily display compact archives on your website.

In this tutorial, we will be showing you all four methods and you can choose the one that you like the most.

Method 1. Add Compact Archives in WordPress Posts or Pages

It is super easy to add compact archives to your WordPress page or post because the plugin comes with an easy-to-use block that you can add to your post or page.

For this tutorial, we will be creating a new page for compact archives.

Simply head over to the Pages » Add New page from the admin sidebar. Once a new page opens up in the block editor, you can start by typing a name for your page.

Next, you need to click the ‘Add Block’ (+) button at the top and search for the ‘WPBeginner’s Compact Archvies’ block.

Upon locating it, simply click on the block to add it to your page.

Add the Compact archives block to a page

Next, you need to choose a style for your archives from the Block Settings panel on the right corner of the screen.

Simply choose a style of your liking from the dropdown menu below the ‘Select Archive Type’ option.

Select an archive type from the dropdown menu

You can also choose if you want your archive text to be capitalized or Uppercase.

For that, you need to open the dropdown menu below the ‘Transform Text’ option.

Select the archive text from the dropdown menu

Once you’re satisfied with your choice, simply click the ‘Publish’ or ‘Update’ button at the top.

This is how your archives page will look.

You can also display your archive as a widget on your website.

Adding the Compact Archives Block in Full Site Editor

If you’re using a block-based theme on your website, then you’ll have to add the ‘ WPBeginners’ Compact Archives’ block using the full site editor.

First, you need to visit the Appearance » Editor page from the admin sidebar to launch the FSE.

From here, you need to click the ‘Add Block’ (+) button on the top-left corner of the screen to open up the block menu.

Next, you need to simply locate and add the ‘WPBeginner’s Compact Archvies’ block to your preferred place on the website.

Add the compact archives block in the FSE

Once you add the block, you can configure its’ style and text settings from the Block Settings panel on the right.

Finally, don’t forget to click on the ‘Save’ button at the top to store your settings.’

Configure the Compact archives settings in FSE

Your compact archives will look like this.

Adding the Compact Archives Block Using Widgets

If you’re not using a block-based theme, then this method is for you.

First, you need to visit the Appearance » Widgets page from the admin sidebar.

Once there, simply click the ‘Sidebar’ tab to expand it.

Now, you need to click the ‘Add Block’ (+) button in the sidebar tab.

This will open up the ‘Widget Block Menu’ where you need to search for the ‘WPBeginner’s Compact Archive’ block.

Upon locating it, simply click the block to add it in the sidebar section.

Add the compact archives block in the sidebar

Once the ‘Compact Archives’ block is added you can change the style and text of your archive by configuring the settings from the Block Settings panel on the right.

Don’t forget to click the ‘Update’ button at the top to save your changes.

Configure the block settings of the compact archives and click Update button

This is how your website sidebar will look upon adding the ‘Compact Archvies’ block.

Method 3. Displaying Compact Archives in Template Files

If you are making a custom WordPress theme or want to display archives in a theme template file, Compact Archives comes with handy template tags that you can use.

Simply add the following template tag to your code.

<ul> <?php compact_archive(); ?> </ul>

After adding the tag, compact archives will be added to your page.

However, if you want to add a style to your archive, you can do so by adding the following template tag in your code.

<ul>
<?php compact_archive($style='initial', $before='<li>', $after='</li>'); ?>
</ul>

For example, $style == 'initial' will display only month name initials and should fit right inside a sidebar. Using$style == 'block', will fit the main column of a page. Using $style == 'numeric', will display numeric months.

Method 4. Add Compact Archives to Your HTML Sitemap

If you want to create an HTML sitemap page for your in WordPress, then you can also display compact archives on your HTML sitemap page.

First, you will need to install and activate the All in One SEO for WordPress plugin. For more details see our article on how to install a WordPress plugin.

All in One SEO is the best WordPress SEO plugin on the market. It allows you to easily optimize your website for search engines.

It also comes with an HTML sitemap feature that allows you to easily add an HTML sitemap to your WordPress site.

It is a premium plugin but you can also use the free version called All in One SEO Lite. The free version has fewer features but it includes HTML sitemaps.

Upon activation, the plugin will launch the setup wizard. Simply follow the on-screen instructions to set up the plugin or see our guide on how to properly set up All in One SEO for WordPress.

Once finished, you now need to visit the All in One SEO » Sitemaps page from the admin sidebar.

From here, you need to click on the ‘HTML Sitemap’ tab and make sure that the ‘Enable Sitemap’ toggle is turned on.

Next, you need to choose how you want to display your HTML sitemap.

For this tutorial, we will be choosing the ‘Gutenberg Block’ option.

If you choose this method, then you’ll have to add the “AIOSEO – HTML Sitemap” block to any page where you wish to display your HTML sitemap.

Next, you need to scroll down to the ‘Compact Archives’ option in the ‘HTML Sitemap Settings’ section.

Here, you need to simply toggle the ‘Compact Archives’ switch to ‘Enabled’.

Now your HTML sitemap will be displayed in a compact date archive format.

Finally, don’t forget to click on the ‘Save Changes’ button to store your settings.

Next, open up a page where you want to display the HTML sitemap from the admin sidebar.

From here, simply click on the ‘Add Block’ (+) button at the top and then add the ‘AIOSEO-HTML Sitemap’ block to your page.

Finally, don’t forget to click the ‘Publish’ or ‘Update’ button to save your changes.

Your compact archives HTML Sitemap will look like this.

We hope this article helped you learn how to easily create compact archives in WordPress. You may also want to see our guide on how to easily create an email newsletter in WordPress and our top picks of the best social media plugins to help promote your website.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Create Compact Archives in WordPress first appeared on WPBeginner.

How to Enable / Activate WordPress Plugins from the Database

20.02.2023Plugin activation with WordPress database, Tutorials, wordpress, wordpress database, WordPress Plugins, wordpress tutorialEditorial Staff

Are you looking to enable or activate plugins from the WordPress database?

If you are unable to access your WordPress admin area and need to activate a plugin to restore your access, then you can do that from the WordPress database.

In this article, we will show you how to easily activate your WordPress plugins using the database.

How to enable/activate WordPress plugins from the database

When Should You Activate WordPress Plugins Using Database

A number of common WordPress errors can prevent a website owner from accessing the WordPress admin area. In most of those situations, the user is looking to deactivate WordPress plugins without admin access.

However in some situations, a website owner may need to activate certain plugins to restore access to their WordPress website.

For example, let’s assume an error is stopping you from accessing your WordPress dashboard, and you have found a plugin that can fix that error.

Luckily, WordPress stores the active plugins information in your WordPress database. This means you can manually enter this information directly in the database and tell WordPress to activate a plugin.

The only condition is that the plugin must be installed on your WordPress site. Which means that it should be present in the plugins folder on your WordPress website.

With that being said, let’s see how you can easily enable/activate a plugin using the database.

Step 1. Find Your Database Name Using the Hosting Control Panel

To activate your WordPress plugins using phpMyAdmin, first, you need to find out your WordPress database’s name.

Now, to find the name of your database, you need to log in to your web hosting dashboard. For this tutorial, we will be using Bluehost.

If you are using a different hosting company, then your WordPress hosting dashboard may look slightly different.

Once you are on the cPanel, scroll down to the ‘Files’ section and click the ‘File Manager’ option.

This will open up the File Manager in a new window. Here you simply need to locate and click the public_html folder from the left column.

This will open up all the files that are stored in the public_html folder. Now, you simply need to locate and click the folder with your site’s name on it present under the ‘Name’ column.

Go to the publich_html file and find your site name

Some users may instead see their WordPress files and folders installed inside public_html folder.

After you have opened up your WordPress site’s file, locate the wp-config.php file under the ‘Name’ section and right-click on it.

This will open up a menu where you need to select the ‘View’ option.

This will open up the wp-config.php file in a new window where you can locate your database details.

We recommend that you copy and paste your database details including username and password into a notepad on your computer.

Now you’ve successfully found your database’s name, let’s move to our next step.

Step 2. Locate Active Plugins Option via PhpMyAdmin

After you have found out the name of your database, you need to go back to your WordPress hosting control panel.

Once there, scroll down to the ‘Databases’ section and click the ‘phpMyAdmin’ option.

Click the phpMyAdmin option in the cPanel

This will launch the phpMyAdmin app in a new browser tab.

Note: Before you make any kind of changes, please make sure to create a complete backup of your database. It will come in handy if anything goes wrong with the process.

Next, you simply need to click the ‘Database’ tab from the navigation menu present at the top of the page.

Now, simply locate your WordPress database and click on the browse button to expand it.

This will show your WordPress database tables.

Here, you will simply need to locate wp_options table and click browse next to it.

Note: By default, WordPress uses wp_ as the prefix for table names. Your WordPress database table may have a different table prefix.

Inside the wp_options table, you’ll need to find the row where option_name is set toactive_plugins.

After that, click on the Edit link next to it.

This will open up a box where you can manually enter details to activate a plugin.

Step 3. Activate a Plugin Using phpMyAdmin

WordPress stores the active plugins information in a special format so that it can be programatically accessed by the software.

In order to tell WordPress which plugins to activate, we’ll need to use that same format.

First, we’ll start by entering the option_value as a:1: and then open up the curly bracket ({).

We are entering this value as 1 because we only want to activate one plugin. You have to change the value to the number of plugins you plan on activating.

Next, we will be entering i:0; after the curly bracket. Here we are essentially assigning a serial number to our plugin.

Remember to always assign numbers starting from 0 instead of 1.

Next, we will be entering the number of characters present in the plugin’s name and the php file name of the plugin that we’re about to activate.

For that, we will type s:24: in the box. Keep in mind that the number of characters will differ for each plugin based on the characters in the plugin directory and file name.

For instance, we are activating WPForms in this tutorial which has 24 characters in its name including the file name of the plugin as stored in our file manager.

Next, you just need to type the plugin’s directory name. You can find it by visiting the /wp-content/plugins/ folder using the File Manager app.

Don’t forget to add quotation marks before typing the plugin’s directory name.

After the /, you need to enter the plugin’s file name. This is usually the file with similar name inside the plugin folder.

Now, go back to phpMyAdmin and type the name of the plugin and then close the quotation marks.

After that, simply add a semi-colon (;) and close the curly brackets (}). The final value in this example would look like this:

a:1:{i:0;s:24:"wpforms-lite/wpforms.php";}

This is how it will look once you’re done.

Next, simply click the ‘Go’ button to execute the command.

Now go visit your WordPress dashboard and head over to Plugins » Installed Plugins.

Your plugin has been successfully activated.

Now let’s say you want to activate two more plugins.

First you will need to change the number of plugins. After you will adjust each entry for the plugin that you want to activate.

Here is an example:

a:3:{
i:0;s:47:"all-in-one-seo-pack-pro/all_in_one_seo_pack.php";
i:1;s:35:"insert-headers-and-footers/ihaf.php";
i:2;s:24:"wpforms-lite/wpforms.php";
}

Note: We have added line breaks here to make the code look more readable. You need to make sure that there are no line breaks or spaces in your code. Otherwise, it wouldn’t work.

We hope you learned how to activate a plugin using the database. You may also want to see our guide on how to add social media feeds to WordPress, and our comparison of the best domain registrars in the world.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Enable / Activate WordPress Plugins from the Database first appeared on WPBeginner.

How to Use the SEO Writing Assistant in WordPress to Improve SEO

17.02.2023semrush seo writing assistant, seo writing checklist, WordPress Plugins, wordpress seo writing, wordpress seo writing assistantEditorial Staff

Many of our readers ask us how to write better content for SEO. Some ask whether or not they should focus on Yoast SEO’s green light.

Well, when it comes to SEO content optimization, we use a different SEO writing assistant. It helps us optimize our content for SEO, so we can rank higher in search engines.

In this article, we will show you how to use the SEO Writing Assistant in WordPress to improve SEO and create better content for your website.

What is SEO Writing Assistant?

The SEO Writing Assistant is a content optimization tool created by Semrush, one of the best SEO tools on the market. It allows you to check your content in real-time for SEO suggestions and improve the overall SEO score of the content on your WordPress website.

Here is how it works:

You enter your focus keywords to generate content templates based on the top 10 results for that phrase.
You instantly get semantically-related keywords to include in your article.
You improve your content with a readability score based on rival results.
You optimize your article headline for SEO.
You adjust the article length based on the average length of top results.
You check for plagiarism without leaving your website.
You check the content’s tone to make it sure sounds natural and casual.

It is an extremely useful tool and can help you improve the SEO as well as writing style across your website. If you manage a multi-author site, then it allows authors to follow the same SEO best practices across all content.

Having said that, let’s take a look at how to use the SEO Writing Assistant to improve your SEO and get more search traffic to your website.

Setting Up Semrush’s SEO Writing Assistant in WordPress

The first thing you need to do is visit the Semrush SEO Writing Assistant website and click on ‘Create new template’ button.

You will be now asked to log in or create a free account.

Semrush offers a basic free account with just 1 free content recommendation.

You will need to sign up for or upgrade to a paid Semrush subscription to get all features. This is totally worth it, and a free 7-day trial is available for paid plans.

Once you log in, you will be able to use the SEO Writing Assistant from Semrush’s website.

You can type your content or import it from the web, provide target keywords, and select the language and location of your target audience.

Using Writing Assistant From the Semrush Website

When you press the ‘Get recommendations’ button, Semrush will analyze the content and make suggestions.

However, you can also use the SEO Writing Assistant inside your WordPress dashboard. You simply need to connect the SEO Writing Assistant tool to your WordPress site.

First, you’ll need to install and activate the Semrush SEO Writing Assistant plugin. For more details, see our step-by-step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, you need to edit an article that you want to optimize for SEO. On the post edit screen, scroll down until you see the new ‘Semrush SEO Writing Assistant’ section below the content editor.

Using the SEO Writing Assistant in the WordPress Content Editor

It will show you basic readability and SEO score. To get the full picture, you need to click the ‘Log in’ link and sign in to your Semrush account.

Once signed in, you’ll be asked to give permission. Click the ‘Approve’ button to continue.

Give Permission for WordPress to Use Your Semrush Login

Now that you have connected the plugin to your Semrush account, you can generate SEO recommendations for our article.

You can enter your target keywords by typing them into the ‘Keywords’ field or by clicking the ‘Extract from text’ button. If you need help finding the right keywords, then see our beginner’s guide on how to do keyword research for your WordPress site.

Using the SEO Writing Assistant in WordPress

After that, you should click the ‘Get recommendations’ button and Semrush will analyze your content.

It will start by giving the post an overall score.

By default, the following sections offer simple summaries. You can switch to a more detailed report by clicking the hamburger icon at the top right of the Semrush SEO Writing Assistant, and then selecting ‘Switch layout’ from the menu.

Checking Target Keywords Using Semrush SEO Writing Assistant

You can now scroll down to the SEO report. Semrush will check the top 10 results for the given keywords to generate a list of semantically related keywords that you can include in your content.

SEO Writing Assistant SEO Keyword Details

Keywords already included in your article will appear with a green background. You can go ahead and start adding missing keywords to your existing content where applicable or expanding your content to add new sections when necessary.

As you write, the tool will also adjust the readability and article length scores to match the average scores of top results.

Checking Tone of Voice Using Semrush SEO Writing Assistant

All SEO experts and marketers advise using a casual tone for all your articles. Search engines consider this conversational tone to be more engaging and useful for most audiences.

Now the problem is that sometimes it becomes harder to maintain a casual tone throughout the article.

SEO Writing Assistant comes with a ‘Tone of Voice’ checker. This AI-powered tool checks your content’s tone and gives it a score ranging from formal to casual.

SEO Writing Assistant Tone of Voice Details

Most articles fall somewhere in between, so don’t worry if it says your article has a neutral tone.

You will also see a list of your most casual sentences. You can consider rewriting these so they are less casual.

Checking Internal Links Using Semrush SEO Writing Assistant

Links play a crucial role in SEO and the SEO Writing Assistant helps you keep track of links inside your article.

It will let you know if your article does not have an optimal number of internal links. It will also check for external links and links to your homepage.

SEO Reporting Assistant Reports Issues With Links

This tool comes in handy if you have other authors working on articles. Editors can quickly see if the article includes internal links to other posts on your website.

Checking Plagiarism in WordPress with SEO Writing Assistant

If you are hiring writers to contribute articles to your blog, then you’ll need to make sure that the articles they are submitting are original content.

Normally, editors and website owners use plagiarism checkers like Grammarly, CopyScape, or Google to see if an article is original.

The SEO Writing Assistant makes this easier with a built-in Plagiarism Checker tool.

Using the SEO Writing Assistant Plagiarism Checker

The downside is that even with the paid plans, you can only perform a limited number of checks.

If you need more, then you can buy additional checks from your subscription page on the Semrush dashboard.

Getting a Perfect SEO Score for Your Article

As you implement suggestions provided by the SEO Writing Assistant tool, your overall score will improve as well.

The overall score bar takes into account all the parameters and suggestions shown by the plugin. You need to make sure that each line on the chart turns green for better SEO rankings.

However, sometimes the plugin may suggest LSI keywords that may not fit in your content. You can safely ignore them instead of stuffing them into your article.

Remember that while these SEO tools provide recommendations, you know your audience better than these tools ever can. Keep your users in mind and make sure that they find your content useful and engaging.

Tracking Your SEO Performance in WordPress

Once you have started using SEO Writing Assistant for a while, you may want to track how it is affecting your website’s positions in search.

We have a detailed guide on how to track your website’s keyword rankings with Semrush and other tools.

You may also want to keep an eye on your top content using Google Analytics. The best way to do this is by using MonsterInsights. It brings your Google Analytics reports into WordPress and displays them in a human-readable format.

We hope this article helped you learn how to use SEO Writing Assistant in WordPress to improve SEO. You may also want to learn how to create automated workflows in WordPress, or see our list of the best social media plugins.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Use the SEO Writing Assistant in WordPress to Improve SEO first appeared on WPBeginner.

YaySMTP Review: Get More Emails into Your Customers’ Inbox

17.02.2023Email, WordPress Plugins, YaySMTPTeam WPLift

Are you tired of your WordPress site’s automated emails ending up in users’ spam folders or not being delivered at all? Have you experienced issues with sending and receiving emails from your site? If so, you’re not alone. Many website owners struggle with these problems, which can be frustrating and time-consuming to resolve. But what [...]

How to Properly Disable Lazy Load in WordPress (Step by Step)

16.02.2023disable lazy load in wordpress, lazy load in wordpress, Tutorials, WordPress Plugins, wordpress tutorial, wpcodeEditorial Staff

Do you want to disable lazy loading in WordPress?

By default, WordPress comes with a lazy load feature, which delays downloads for images and other media to improve page load speed.

However, for some websites, it may affect user experience by not displaying images and media right away.

In this article, we’ll show you how to easily disable lazy load in WordPress both using a code method as well as a plugin method.

How to properly disable lazy load in WordPress

What is Lazy Loading?

WordPress first introduced lazy loading images in WordPress 5.5. Later it extended the lazy load feature to iframes embeds (e.g. YouTube videos, Spotify, and other embeds).

This practice helps improve your website’s speed and performance by quickly loading content and the visible area first.

A faster website is not just good for users, but it is also good for SEO. Search engines like Google consider speed as an important ranking factor.

Apart from images and embeds, you can also easily lazy load comments and Gravatars to further improve page load speed.

Lazy loading can be seen in action by right-clicking on an image and selecting the Inspect tool in your browser.

This will split your browser screen and show you the HTML source code. From here, you’ll be able to see the “loading=lazy” attribute added to the image.

Now normally, we don’t recommend disabling lazy load due to its overall benefits for your WordPress website. Turning it off can result in slower website speed, lower conversion rates, and lower SEO rankings.

However, sometimes lazy loading can affect the user experience for some websites.

For instance, if you run a photography website where images are the most significant aspect of your content, then lazy loading them may ruin the user experience for your customers.

In other cases, you might be using a different lazy loading solution and just want to turn off the default WordPress lazy load.

That being said, let’s see how you can easily disable lazy load in WordPress.

Method 1. Disable Lazy Load in WordPress Using WPCode (Recommended)

You can simply disable the lazy load feature in WordPress by adding a custom code snippet to your theme’s functions.php file.

However, keep in mind that the smallest error while adding the code can result in breaking your website and making it inaccessible to your users.

This is why we recommend using the WPCode plugin to add custom code to your site.

It is the best custom code snippets plugin that makes it super easy for beginners to safely add custom code to their website.

First, you need to install and activate the WPCode plugin. See our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin for more instructions.

Upon activation, go to the Code Snippets » + Add Snippet page.

This will take you to the ‘Add Snippets’ screen where you’ll see a bunch of ready-to-use code snippets that you can add to your website.

From here, you need to click the ‘Use Snippet’ button under the ‘Add Your Custom Code (New Snippet)’ option.

Once you’re on the ‘Create Custom Snippet’ page, you can start by typing a name for your code snippet.

It can be anything that will help you identify the code snippet and what it does.

After that, select ‘PHP Snippet’ from the dropdown menu next to the ‘Code Type’ option.

Now, copy and paste the following PHP code in the ‘Code Preview’ box.

add_filter( 'wp_lazy_loading_enabled', '__return_false' );

This is how the code will look after it is pasted in the ‘Code Preview’ box.

After adding the code, scroll down to the ‘Insertion’ section.

Here, simply choose ‘Auto Insert’ as the insertion mode. This will ensure that your custom code is automatically executed everywhere on your website once you activate the snippet.

Next, you need to scroll to the top of the page and simply toggle the ‘Inactive’ switch to ‘Active’.

After that, don’t forget to click the ‘Save Snippet’ button to save and execute your custom snippet.

Once activated, this custom code snippet will disable the lazy loading feature on your WordPress website.

You can test by right-clicking on an image and selecting Inspect from the browser menu.

In the HTML code for the image, the loading=lazy attribute will now disappear.

Method 2. Disable Lazy Load in WordPress Using a Plugin

If you don’t want to add code to your site, then you can use the Disable Lazy Load plugin.

The only thing you need to do is install and activate the Disable Lazy Load plugin. For more instructions, check our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

The plugin works out of the box and does not require any configuration. Once activated, it will automatically disable the lazy load feature on your site.

We hope this article helped you learn how to properly disable lazy load in WordPress. You may also want to see our guide on how to optimize WordPress images for better page load times, or see our pick of the best WordPress image compression plugins.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Properly Disable Lazy Load in WordPress (Step by Step) first appeared on WPBeginner.

What are Digital Products?

Why Sell Digital Products Online?

1. eBooks

2. Online Courses

3. Premium Memberships

4. Tutorials and Guides

5. Spreadsheets

6. WordPress Plugins

7. Software and Mobile Apps

8. Website Themes

9. Digital Art and Graphics

10. Photographs

11. Videos

12. Recipes

13. Podcasts

14. Professional Services and Coaching

15. Research and Data

Bonus: Plugins and Tools to Market Your Digital Products

Why Add an Instagram Feed to Your WordPress Site?

How to Install an Instagram Photos Plugin

How to Connect an Instagram Account to WordPress

How to Customize Your Instagram Photo Feed

How to Add Your Instagram Photos in WordPress Sidebar Widget

How to Display a Specific Instagram Photo in WordPress

FAQs About Displaying Instagram Posts in WordPress

Why Should You Add Product Q&A in WooCommerce

1. Adding a Product Q&A Section Using a Premium Plugin

2. Adding a Product Q&A Section Using a Free Plugin

Why Restrict Author Access to Media Uploads?

Method 1. Organizing Media Uploads by Users With a Plugin (Quick and Easy)

Method 2. Organizing Media Uploads Using Code (Advanced)

What Are Emojis?

Method 1. Disabling Emojis in WordPress Using Code

Method 2. Disable Emojis in WordPress Using a Plugin

Why Do You Need Compact Archives in WordPress?

How to Add Compact Archives in WordPress

Method 1. Add Compact Archives in WordPress Posts or Pages

Method 2. Add Compact Archives as a Widget

Method 3. Displaying Compact Archives in Template Files

Method 4. Add Compact Archives to Your HTML Sitemap

When Should You Activate WordPress Plugins Using Database

Step 1. Find Your Database Name Using the Hosting Control Panel

Step 2. Locate Active Plugins Option via PhpMyAdmin

Step 3. Activate a Plugin Using phpMyAdmin

What is SEO Writing Assistant?

Setting Up Semrush’s SEO Writing Assistant in WordPress

Checking Target Keywords Using Semrush SEO Writing Assistant

Checking Tone of Voice Using Semrush SEO Writing Assistant

Checking Internal Links Using Semrush SEO Writing Assistant

Checking Plagiarism in WordPress with SEO Writing Assistant

Getting a Perfect SEO Score for Your Article

Tracking Your SEO Performance in WordPress

What is Lazy Loading?

Method 1. Disable Lazy Load in WordPress Using WPCode (Recommended)

Method 2. Disable Lazy Load in WordPress Using a Plugin