TopBar Buddy
WordPress announcement bar plugin with scheduling, sticky notification bars, page targeting, and GDPR-friendly close button.
Use with caution
TopBar Buddy works, but test it on a staging site before relying on it in 2026. It runs on 20+ sites and was last updated 1 week ago, and scores 55/100 on our health check.
- Actively developed ā last update 1 week ago
- Small user base (20+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- Only tested up to WordPress 6.9 (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 ā each site that auto-updates counts as a download.
Rankings
Where TopBar Buddy stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| announcement bar | >100 |
| banner | >100 |
| notification bar | >100 |
| scheduling | >100 |
| sticky bar | >100 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
About TopBar Buddy
From the official readme Ā· v1.1.1Description
Dedicated Support
For quick support and assistance, please contact us
TopBar Buddy – WordPress Announcement Bar Plugin
Need a free announcement bar WordPress sites can use for promotions, alerts, and updates? TopBar Buddy is a WordPress notification bar plugin that displays sticky top banners with scheduling, colours, and page targeting.
Use it as a WordPress alert bar plugin for sales, maintenance notices, holiday messages, cookie notices, and newsletter prompts. Built for UK site owners, marketers, and agencies who want a simple WordPress top bar plugin without complex setup.
Who Is It For?
- Shop Owners – Run timed promo banners with a scheduled announcement bar WordPress workflow.
- Bloggers & Publishers – Share important updates with a sticky notification bar WordPress visitors can dismiss.
- Agencies – Deploy branded alert bars across client sites quickly.
- Course Creators – Highlight enrolment deadlines and live class reminders.
How It Works
- Install TopBar Buddy and open the settings page in WordPress admin.
- Write your banner message in the built-in editor.
- Customise colours, position, close button, and optional custom CSS.
- Set start/end dates for automatic scheduling using your site timezone.
- Exclude specific pages or URLs, preview live, and publish.
Key Features
Announcement & Notification Bars
- WordPress Announcement Bar Plugin – Display sticky top banners on any page
- WordPress Notification Bar – Share alerts, promos, and site-wide messages
- Scheduled Announcement Bar WordPress – Free start and end date scheduling with timezone support
- Sticky Header Bar WordPress – Keep important messages visible at the top or bottom
- Live Preview – See banner changes in real time before publishing
Design & Control
- Fully Customisable – Background, text, link, and close button colours
- Custom CSS – Fine-tune layout and styling for your brand
- WYSIWYG Editor – Rich text content with links and formatting
- Close Button – GDPR-friendly dismiss with strictly necessary cookies
- Page Exclusions – Hide banners on selected pages, posts, or custom URLs
- Mobile Responsive – Works on desktop, tablet, and mobile
Compatibility
- Divi Theme Support – Banner displays correctly for all users on Divi
- Theme Fallback – Outputs via wp_footer when wp_body_open is unavailable
- Lightweight – Fast loading with no external API calls
Perfect For:
- Sales and promotions
- Important announcements
- Maintenance notices
- Holiday messages
- Special events
- Cookie notices
- Newsletter signups
Our Other Plugins
Installation
- Upload the plugin files to
/wp-content/plugins/topbar-buddy, or install through the WordPress plugins screen. - Activate the plugin through the Plugins menu in WordPress.
- Go to TopBar Buddy in the admin menu to configure your banner.
Frequently asked questions
What is TopBar Buddy?
TopBar Buddy is a WordPress announcement bar plugin and WordPress alert bar plugin for sticky notification bars with scheduling, customisation, and page targeting.
Is this a free announcement bar WordPress plugin?
Yes. TopBar Buddy is free, including date scheduling, live preview, page exclusions, and custom CSS.
Can I use this as a WordPress notification bar?
Yes. Display site-wide alerts, promo messages, and updates as a sticky notification bar WordPress visitors see on every page.
Does it support a scheduled announcement bar WordPress workflow?
Yes. Set start and end dates with times. The plugin uses your WordPress site timezone automatically.
Can I create a sticky header bar WordPress banner?
Yes. Position your banner at the top or bottom of the page so it stays visible while visitors browse.
Is the close button GDPR compliant?
Yes. The close button uses strictly necessary cookies, which are GDPR compliant for dismiss functionality.
Can I hide the banner on specific pages?
Yes. Use the Hide Banner On section to exclude pages, posts, or custom URLs.
Can I customise banner colours and CSS?
Yes. Use colour pickers for background, text, links, and the close button. Add custom CSS for advanced styling.
Does this work on mobile?
Yes. Banners are fully responsive on all devices.
Does TopBar Buddy work with Divi?
Yes. Version 1.1.0 added Divi theme compatibility so banners display correctly for all users.
Changelog
Readme update only. No code changes.
1.1.1
- Updated: Readme optimised with UK SEO keywords, concise FAQs, proper markdown links, and improved WordPress.org discoverability.
1.1.0
- Divi theme compatibility – Banner now displays correctly for all users when using the Divi theme
- Theme fallback – For themes that do not support wp_body_open, the banner is output via wp_footer
- Code cleanup – Removed unused script options and redundant code
1.0.0
- Initial release of TopBar Buddy
- Free Date Scheduling – Schedule banners with start and end dates
- WYSIWYG Editor – Rich text editor for banner content
- Page Exclusions – Hide banners on specific pages, posts, or custom URLs
- Server-Side Timezone Handling – All date checks use WordPress timezone
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 ā no account needed.
Best TopBar Buddy alternatives
All announcement bar plugins ā
FAQ
TopBar Buddy: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org Ā· checked Oct 7, 2026
Is TopBar Buddy free?
Yes. TopBar Buddy is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory. The developer also sells premium add-ons or a Pro version with extra features.
Is TopBar Buddy safe to use in 2026?
TopBar Buddy works, but test it on a staging site before relying on it in 2026. It runs on 20+ sites and was last updated 1 week ago, and scores 55/100 on our health check.
How many websites use TopBar Buddy?
TopBar Buddy is active on 20+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 933 times since it launched in February 2026. It was downloaded 162 times in the last 30 days.
Does TopBar Buddy work with WordPress 7.1?
TopBar Buddy is officially tested up to WordPress 6.9.10, while the latest release is 7.1.3. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
What PHP version does TopBar Buddy need?
TopBar Buddy requires PHP 7.4 or higher. Most hosts run PHP 8.x today, so it works on any modern WordPress hosting.
When was TopBar Buddy last updated?
The latest version, 1.1.1, was released on September 29, 2026 (1 week ago).
Who makes TopBar Buddy?
TopBar Buddy is developed and maintained by EVOLVE.
What are the best alternatives to TopBar Buddy?
The most popular alternatives to TopBar Buddy are HashBar (9K+ installs), Advanced Floating Content Lā¦ (7K+ installs) and Announcement Bar (3K+ installs).
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