The Image Widget
Using this simple image widget you can display a clickable image in any sidebar.
Consider an alternative
The Image Widget shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 80+ sites, is rated 5/5 and was last updated 3 years ago, and scores 32/100 on our health check.
- Small user base (80+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- No update in 2 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 6.4 (latest is 7.1)
How does it stack up?
Side-by-side on installs, updates, ratings & support
Daily downloads
Download spikes usually follow a new release — each site that auto-updates counts as a download.
Rankings
Where The Image Widget stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| image widget | >100 |
| images | >100 |
| photo widget | >100 |
| widget | >100 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
Rating breakdown
★★★★★★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
About The Image Widget
From the official readme · v1.0.1Description
Using this simple image widget you can display a clickable image in any sidebar.
You can set the image to link to a URL of your choice or make it pop-up in a lightbox.
The widget uses WordPress\’ built in media manager to provide you with a familiar interface for image upload/selection.
You can select the widget\’s image size from the available drop-down menu which lists all available WordPress default image sizes.
Installation
From within WordPress\’ dashboard:
- Go to Plugins -> Add New
- Search for \”The Image Widget\”
- Click \”Install\”
- Click \”Activate\”
- Go to Appearance -> Widgets or Customize -> Widgets
- Drag the The Image Widget widget into the sidebar of your choice.
- Set the title, the link URL and select an image from your media library.
- Save and you are done.
Manually via FTP:
- Upload the folder \’ci-image-widget/\’ into the \’/wp-content/plugins/\’ directory
- Activate the plugin through the Plugins tab in WordPress
- Go to Appearance -> Widgets or Customize -> Widgets
- Drag the The Image Widget widget into the sidebar of your choice.
- Set the title, the link URL and select an image from your media library.
- Save and you are done.
Changelog
1.0.1
- Fixed a PHP notice thrown when updating the widget.
1.0
- Initial release.
Screenshots
For developers
Is this your plugin? Show off the numbers.
Add a live badge to your site, docs or GitHub README. It updates on its own — no account needed.
Best The Image Widget alternatives
All image widget plugins →
FAQ
The Image Widget: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Sep 30, 2026
Is The Image Widget free?
Yes. The Image Widget is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is The Image Widget safe to use in 2026?
The Image Widget shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 80+ sites, is rated 5/5 and was last updated 3 years ago, and scores 32/100 on our health check.
How many websites use The Image Widget?
The Image Widget is active on 80+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 4,766 times since it launched in July 2016. It was downloaded 65 times in the last 30 days.
Does The Image Widget work with WordPress 7.1?
The Image Widget is officially tested up to WordPress 6.4.12, while the latest release is 7.1.2. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
When was The Image Widget last updated?
The latest version, 1.0.1, was released on November 13, 2023 (3 years ago).
Who makes The Image Widget?
The Image Widget is developed and maintained by Nik.
What are the best alternatives to The Image Widget?
The most popular alternatives to The Image Widget are Simple Image Widget (10K+ installs), Image Widget (3K+ installs) and HW Image Widget (1K+ installs).
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