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WordPress already includes a Social Icons block, so you usually do not need a plugin. Add the block where your theme renders its sidebar: use Appearance > Widgets with a classic theme, or the Site Editor with a block theme. Then add each network, paste its complete profile URL, and adjust the layout for mobile screens.
Choose the right WordPress editing route
Your theme determines where a sidebar-like area is edited. A conventional sidebar is not guaranteed: some themes use a footer, a template part, or another layout instead.
| Active theme | Where to edit | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Classic theme with widget areas | Appearance > Widgets | A theme-defined area named Sidebar, Primary Sidebar, or a similar label |
| Block theme | Appearance > Editor (Site Editor) | The template, template part, or pattern that contains the sidebar-like region |
Classic themes expose widget areas chosen by the theme. The block-based Widgets editor can place blocks alongside legacy widgets in those areas; see WordPress’s block-based Widgets Editor documentation and widget-area documentation. Block themes intentionally omit the traditional Widgets screen, so edit the relevant template or template part in the Site Editor.
Add Social Icons in a classic theme’s sidebar
- In the WordPress dashboard, open Appearance > Widgets.
- Select the available Sidebar (or similarly named) widget area. If there is no sidebar area, check the theme’s other areas or its documentation.
- Click the + inserter, search for Social Icons, and select the block. You can also type
/social iconsin a paragraph block and press Enter. - Inside the Social Icons block, click its + control. Choose a network from the list, or search the inserter and browse all available services.
- Select the new icon, enter the complete URL for the matching profile—for example,
https://www.example.com/your-account—and press Enter. Repeat for each account. - Use the block settings to set orientation, wrapping, alignment, spacing, icon size, labels, colors, style, and whether links open in a new tab. Save the widget area.
WordPress documents this block’s insertion and settings in its Social Icons block guide.
Add Social Icons with a block theme
- Open Appearance > Editor to launch the Site Editor.
- Open Templates, Patterns, or Template parts, depending on where the theme builds the sidebar-like region. Select the appropriate page template or reusable part and preview it to identify the correct location.
- Insert a Social Icons block at that location. Search for it in the inserter, or type
/social iconsand press Enter. - Use the block’s internal + button to add the required services, then enter each full profile URL and press Enter.
- Configure layout and appearance in the block and its settings panel, then click Save. Preview a post and a page at narrow widths before publishing.
If the theme does not call the region “sidebar,” place the block in the template part or pattern that visually serves that purpose. Changes to a shared template part can affect every page that uses it.
Enter and verify every profile link
Each icon is only useful when it points to the intended account. WordPress says it defaults to HTTPS when no protocol is specified, but a complete URL reduces the chance of linking to the wrong profile. After saving:
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- Open the front end in a logged-out or private window.
- Click every icon and confirm the destination, account name, and protocol.
- Check that a new-tab setting behaves as intended and that keyboard focus is visible.
- Test the sidebar at phone width so icons do not overflow or push content off-screen.
Control the sidebar’s appearance and behavior
The Social Icons block supports more than a row of logos. Depending on the current WordPress version and selected service, use these controls:
- Orientation and wrapping: switch between horizontal and vertical arrangements and allow icons to wrap on narrow screens.
- Size: choose an icon size that remains easy to tap without overwhelming the sidebar.
- Labels: display text labels when logos alone may be ambiguous.
- Alignment and spacing: match the block to the sidebar’s content width and theme spacing.
- Color and style: use the theme’s palette or a contrasting treatment that preserves legibility.
- New-tab behavior: enable it only when that matches your site’s navigation conventions.
The inserter is the authoritative list of services available on your installation. Common choices documented by WordPress include Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, TikTok, Threads, X, WhatsApp, and YouTube, among others.
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When the built-in block is enough—and when it is not
| Need | Best fit | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Links to ordinary social profiles | Core Social Icons block | Included with WordPress and provides profile URLs plus layout and styling controls. |
| A service missing from the inserter | Plugin or custom implementation | Core cannot add a platform that your installation does not offer through its current inserter. |
| Special behavior beyond profile links | Plugin or custom implementation | Use another solution only when you need functionality the core block does not provide. |
WordPress developer documentation identifies core/social-links as the parent block and core/social-link as an individual icon block. It documents custom social icons beginning with WordPress 6.9; confirm your site’s version and consult the parent-block reference and individual Social Link reference before relying on that capability.
Troubleshoot a missing or misplaced sidebar
There is no Appearance > Widgets menu
The active theme is likely a block theme. Use Appearance > Editor and edit its templates, template parts, or patterns instead.
There is no Sidebar widget area
The theme may not define one, or it may use a different label. Inspect every available widget area and preview the theme’s templates. If none represents the desired location, the Site Editor or a theme-specific layout setting may be required.
The icon appears but links to the wrong account
Select the icon, replace its URL with the complete profile address, press Enter, save, and test the link from the front end.
Icons run off the screen
Enable wrapping, reduce icon size or spacing, switch orientation, and test at the narrowest viewport used by your visitors.
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