Sidebar Shortcodes
Once this plugin is activated, you’ll be able to use the new “shortcodes” in your sidebar text widget. The shortcodes will work exactly the same way as they do in your posts.
Consider an alternative
Sidebar Shortcodes shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 70+ sites and was last updated 18 years ago, and scores 25/100 on our health check.
- Small user base (70+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- No update in 18 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 2.6 (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 Sidebar Shortcodes stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| shortcode | >100 |
| shortcodes | >100 |
| sidebar | >100 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
About Sidebar Shortcodes
From the official readme · v0.1.1Description
Once this plugin is activated, you’ll be able to use the new “shortcodes”
in your sidebar text widget. The shortcodes will work exactly the same
way as they do in your posts.
Installation
Just download, unzip into your wp-content/plugins folder and activate.
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 Sidebar Shortcodes alternatives
All shortcode plugins →
FAQ
Sidebar Shortcodes: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 13, 2026
Is Sidebar Shortcodes free?
Yes. Sidebar Shortcodes is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is Sidebar Shortcodes safe to use in 2026?
Sidebar Shortcodes shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 70+ sites and was last updated 18 years ago, and scores 25/100 on our health check.
How many websites use Sidebar Shortcodes?
Sidebar Shortcodes is active on 70+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 6,583 times since it launched in August 2008. It was downloaded 62 times in the last 30 days.
Does Sidebar Shortcodes work with WordPress 7.1?
Sidebar Shortcodes is officially tested up to WordPress 2.6.1, while the latest release is 7.1.3. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
When was Sidebar Shortcodes last updated?
The latest version, 0.1.1, was released on August 24, 2008 (18 years ago).
Who makes Sidebar Shortcodes?
Sidebar Shortcodes is developed and maintained by DanCoulter.
What are the best alternatives to Sidebar Shortcodes?
The most popular alternatives to Sidebar Shortcodes are Shortcodes Ultimate (400K+ installs), MW WP Form (200K+ installs) and Shortcoder (100K+ installs).
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