{"id":565,"date":"2022-11-11T12:39:56","date_gmt":"2022-11-11T17:39:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/?p=565"},"modified":"2025-08-10T23:00:26","modified_gmt":"2025-08-11T03:00:26","slug":"wp-categories-widget-customizing-wordpress-themes-w-sidebar-dropdown-menus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/11\/wp-categories-widget-customizing-wordpress-themes-w-sidebar-dropdown-menus\/","title":{"rendered":"WP Categories Widget: Customizing WordPress Themes w\/ sidebar Dropdown menus"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-559 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/WP-Categories-Widget-500x238.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"238\" srcset=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/WP-Categories-Widget-500x238.jpg 500w, https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/WP-Categories-Widget-768x366.jpg 768w, https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/WP-Categories-Widget.jpg 857w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>I have recently started this Self-Hosted WordPress blog at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hostinger<\/a>, and my longtime favorite Rowling theme just didn&#8217;t work right there. The <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.com\/theme\/rowling\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rowling<\/a> theme works great on 3 WordPress.com blogs, but for some reason it was missing some dropdown menus, and some important custom settings not available for the same version when downloaded for my Self-Hosted WordPress blog.<\/p>\n<p>Searched lots of free themes, but none were offering what I was looking for <strong>*<u>OR<\/u>*<\/strong> simply didn&#8217;t work for me, and I then decided to check out some premium themes. At some point during that premium theme search I came across the <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/themes\/multipurpose-blog\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Multipurpose Blog<\/a> theme &#8216;s free version, <i>loved the look<\/i>, but it was missing some things, IMHO. <i>However<\/i>, liked it well enough to check out their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.buywptemplates.com\/themes\/multipurpose-blog-wordpress-theme\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Multipurpose Blog Pro<\/b><\/a>, and wid a coupon code they were offering it was only $29.25.<\/p>\n<p>It was missing some dropdown menu widgets that I like, <i>so another search began<\/i>, this time for dropdown plugins\/widgets&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/11\/wp-categories-widget-customizing-wordpress-themes-w-sidebar-dropdown-menus\/#%E2%80%98Spinning%E2%80%98_in_%E2%80%98Da_Plugin_%E2%80%98Zone%E2%80%98_%F0%9F%8C%80\" >&#8216;Spinning&#8216; in &#8216;Da Plugin &#8216;Zone&#8216; \ud83c\udf00<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/11\/wp-categories-widget-customizing-wordpress-themes-w-sidebar-dropdown-menus\/#Creating_a_new_Menu_%E2%80%93_what\" >Creating a new Menu \u2013 what?!?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/11\/wp-categories-widget-customizing-wordpress-themes-w-sidebar-dropdown-menus\/#WP_Categories_Widget\" >WP Categories Widget<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/11\/wp-categories-widget-customizing-wordpress-themes-w-sidebar-dropdown-menus\/#Conclusion\" >Conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%98Spinning%E2%80%98_in_%E2%80%98Da_Plugin_%E2%80%98Zone%E2%80%98_%F0%9F%8C%80\"><\/span>&#8216;<i>Spinning<\/i>&#8216; in &#8216;<i>Da<\/i> Plugin &#8216;<i>Zone<\/i>&#8216; \ud83c\udf00<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>This search started out much more difficult than the entire theme search was, and continued so until yesterday when I finally found the <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/wp-categories-widget\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>WP Categories Widget<\/b><\/a> by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wp-experts.in\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WP-EXPERTS.IN TEAM<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Am still planning on adding a monthly Archive dropdown widget, but still have about 3-weeks left before I&#8217;ll have 2-months of archives showing. Saw a blog the other day that had a long vertical list of 60 or so monthly archives!? I don&#8217;t need dropdown menus for everything, but that 60+ lines of sidebar Front page was distracting &#8216;n looked horrid, IMHO.<\/p>\n<p>Part of the &#8216;<i>Spinning<\/i>&#8216; has been caused by the need to create menus before getting a plugin\/widget to work&#8230;<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Creating_a_new_Menu_%E2%80%93_what\"><\/span>Creating a new Menu \u2013 <em>what<\/em>?!?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-560 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/create-menus-1024x548.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"343\" srcset=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/create-menus-1024x548.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/create-menus-500x268.jpg 500w, https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/create-menus-768x411.jpg 768w, https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/create-menus.jpg 1130w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&#8216;<i>Stuff<\/i>&#8216; like that is probably why most WordPress.com bloggers never give Self-Hosted WordPress blogging a try, and <i>who can blame them<\/i>!? \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n<p>The &#8216;<i>Spinning<\/i>&#8216; really gets going after hours of searching for a plugin\/widget, then having to give them a try, after trying to create a new menu for the widget, and then finding out that the dropdown widget doesn&#8217;t work <b>*<\/b><u><b>OR<\/b><\/u><b>*<\/b> you did something wrong because you had no clue what you were doing. \ud83c\udf00<\/p>\n<p>Also, one plugin\/widget might work well wid Tags but not wid Categories!? Oh, <i>almost forgot this one<\/i>, some widgets may not work on the sidebar!?! \ud83c\udf00<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"WP_Categories_Widget\"><\/span>WP Categories Widget<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Getting the <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/wp-categories-widget\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>WP Categories Widget<\/b><\/a> (by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wp-experts.in\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WP-EXPERTS.IN TEAM<\/a>) to work quickly yesterday made my week!!! \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n<p>Used an earlier Category menu I had created for several failed widget attempts. Went something like this in the Customizer:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-561 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/customizer-229x500.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"229\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/customizer-229x500.jpg 229w, https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/customizer.jpg 319w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 229px) 100vw, 229px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Then:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-562 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/wp-widget.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"346\" height=\"296\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>That installed the dropdown Categories widget:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-563 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/cat-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"311\" height=\"302\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Then click &#8220;Select Category&#8221; when you&#8217;re ready:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-564 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/cat-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"367\" height=\"420\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>It worked! <b>\\o\/ \u2018<\/b><i><b>Hippity hip Hoorah<\/b><\/i><b>\u2018 \\o\/<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>That plugin\/widget was the hardest to find of the successful widgets so far. Just have to keep working at it if you&#8217;re inexperienced like me. Developers &amp; Programmers just type in some code &#8216;n get it to work, but they worked hard to get to that point.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/span>Conclusion<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>I&#8217;m <u>really liking<\/u> this Self-Hosting WordPress at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hostinger<\/a>, and my new <a href=\"https:\/\/www.buywptemplates.com\/themes\/multipurpose-blog-wordpress-theme\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Multipurpose Blog Pro<\/b><\/a> theme is finally close to where I wanted it! Not bad for about 8-days of hard work, IMHO.<\/p>\n<p>On WordPress.com I <em>was &amp; am<\/em> limited to what the Theme offered, but the Rowling theme has worked well for me. Had never imagined paying for a theme until I moved to Hostinger, but that $29 has been well worth it for me.<\/p>\n<p>Before <em>closing &#8216;n posting<\/em>, here is what another free plugin is showing for this post:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-584 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/aioseo-score.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"294\" height=\"356\" \/><\/p>\n<p>That&#8217;s the <a href=\"https:\/\/aioseo.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>All in One SEO<\/strong><\/a> (AIOSEO) showing a 79\/100 score for this post; <em>however<\/em>, I don&#8217;t actually know what that means, but it looks pretty good! \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>A Blogger &#8216;n Theme need to get along wid each other!<\/em> \ud83d\ude09<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I have recently started this Self-Hosted WordPress blog at Hostinger, and my longtime favorite Rowling theme just didn&#8217;t work right there. The Rowling theme works great on 3 WordPress.com blogs, but for some reason it was missing some dropdown menus, and some important custom settings not available for the same version when downloaded for my &#8230; <a title=\"WP Categories Widget: Customizing WordPress Themes w\/ sidebar Dropdown menus\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/11\/wp-categories-widget-customizing-wordpress-themes-w-sidebar-dropdown-menus\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about WP Categories Widget: Customizing WordPress Themes w\/ sidebar Dropdown menus\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":5,"footnotes":""},"categories":[30,32,17,31],"tags":[29,28,33],"class_list":["post-565","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blogging","category-hostinger","category-musings","category-wordpress","tag-blogging","tag-technology","tag-web-hosting"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/565","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=565"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/565\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1583,"href":"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/565\/revisions\/1583"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=565"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=565"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=565"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}