Allow Shortcodes in Text Widgets
This plugin provides the option to enable/disable the usage of shortcodes in the default text widget provided by WordPress along with smilies if enabled for the blog.
Consider an alternative
Allow Shortcodes in Text Widgets shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 60+ sites and was last updated 16 years ago, and scores 25/100 on our health check.
- Small user base (60+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- No update in 15 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 3.0 (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 Allow Shortcodes in Text Wi… stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| emoticon | #70 |
| shortcode | >100 |
| smilie | #2 |
| smilies | #38 |
| text widget | >100 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
About Allow Shortcodes in Text Widgets
From the official readme · v1.0Description
This plugin provides the option to enable/disable the usage of shortcodes in the default text widget provided by WordPress along with smilies if enabled for the blog.
Support
Technical support for this plugin will be provided via the WordPress plugin forum. Additional support may be
available at plugin’s homepage.
Installation
Installation is simple and straight-forward:
- Unzip
parse-shortcodesinto to the/wp-content/plugins/directory. - Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress.
- Configure the plugin options under the ‘Settings->Parse Shortcodes Options’ menu in WordPress. Don’t forget to Save Changes!
Screenshots
For developers
Is this your plugin? Show off the numbers.
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Best Allow Shortcodes in Text Widg… alternatives
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FAQ
Allow Shortcodes in Text Widgets: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Sep 28, 2026
Is Allow Shortcodes in Text Widgets free?
Yes. Allow Shortcodes in Text Widgets is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is Allow Shortcodes in Text Widgets safe to use in 2026?
Allow Shortcodes in Text Widgets shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 60+ sites and was last updated 16 years ago, and scores 25/100 on our health check.
How many websites use Allow Shortcodes in Text Widgets?
Allow Shortcodes in Text Widgets is active on 60+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 5,506 times since it launched in November 2010. It was downloaded 51 times in the last 30 days.
Does Allow Shortcodes in Text Widgets work with WordPress 7.1?
Allow Shortcodes in Text Widgets is officially tested up to WordPress 3.0.5, while the latest release is 7.1.2. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
When was Allow Shortcodes in Text Widgets last updated?
The latest version, 1.0, was released on November 8, 2010 (16 years ago).
Who makes Allow Shortcodes in Text Widgets?
Allow Shortcodes in Text Widgets is developed and maintained by CodeAndReload.
What are the best alternatives to Allow Shortcodes in Text Widgets?
The most popular alternatives to Allow Shortcodes in Text Widgets are Emoji Settings (2K+ installs), Emoji Toolbar (2K+ installs) and wp-Monalisa (600+ installs).
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