Adding Widgets and HTML to your Profile Page

[Keith Johnston]

I wanted to add a quick blurb on adding widgets to your

profile page, it is actually quite easy but can be VERY frustrating if you are not familiar with how it works.

This is a basic primer, if anyone has a specific issue that this does not address, please feel free to shoot me a note off list.

This how to covers three things:

• Finding the text box
• Moving the text box
• Adding HTML code or widgets to the text box

How to add a text box with widget:

Step 1 – Head to your profile page and add or find the the text box

When you arrive at your page, you are going to want to find the Add Text box under the features section or somewhere on your profile page. Here is what it looks like.

Once this is complete, you can begin adding a widget.

Step 2 – Move that box to where you would like it

You can move the text box around your profile page by hovering over the top left corner of your new text box until you see this symbol.

Click and hold this symbol and you can place the text box where you would like on the page. If you are attempting to place the box where a mission critical system box is located it won't let you drop it there so there is no need to worry if the box will not go in the upper right or left corners.

Notes on whereto place your text box:

• The side bars (the columns on the left and right) are great places to put the text box if you are going to add an RSS feed, twitter feed or other, small item.
• The center (main viewing column) is the best spot for larger widgets from eCrater, eBay or other store based site.

Step 3 Adding those crazy widgets or HTML code:

Now it is time to actually put the widget, HTML or other code into your text box. This is where most people run into issues and this little primer should solve most of the issues that you are having.

• A text box is exactly that..... a box for text.

The technical term for this type of box is a WYSIWYG box, which stands for “what you see is what you get”. If you simply drop a widget or HTML code into this box, you are going to see one of two things:

• The Code spelled out and no widget
• Nothing, zip, zilch, nada... a big empty hole

This is where most people get frustrated. No worries though, we can fix that.

Here is what you need to do to place a widget or code into your box so that it shows properly.

• The first thing to remember is that computers and websites are not smart
• They do exactly what you tell them to do and nothing more,
• They cannot guess at what you are trying to do
• It is important to tell the website that you would like to use code and not text.

This is how you do this.

The button you want to click is the one on the upper right of the text box that says HTML, this switches the text editor from the WYSIWYG mode to HTML Mode, now you are speaking the language of the web.

This is the location of the button:

HTML is the language that the web page speaks and can understand. If you are in this mode and put your code in, the web page does not see a bunch of gibberish, it sees your widget and understands that this is what you would like to display.

• Insert your code, put a title in the title box, hit the save button.

You should be good to go!

Changing the widget:

If you would like to update the widget or change it, go back to the text box, click edit and then HTML and you can:

• Highlight and delete the code
• Add another code
• A million other things!

If you have a question or would like some help, drop me a line.

[Kim]

Hi Keith,I am trying to install a radio with The Beatles Trivia. I am following the step's but I cannot get it to install.Thank's  for your reply,Kim

[Keith Johnston]

Sorry Jeri, missed your comment. I am not sure what you mean by link, are you trying to put the badge on your blog?

[Keith Johnston]

Hi Kim,

There should not be a trick, what type of widget are you trying to install?

[Kim]

I have been trying for 2 days now to install a widget and I am following the step by step instructions and I am having no luck. Is there a trick to this that I am missing?Kim

[Jeri Gale]

I have been trying to link my blog to iantiqueonline and to link http://iantiqueonline.ning.com/ to my blog. Tried the badge as well...