This is How to Customize the Sidebar Menu in the Events Calendar WordPress Plugin
As a WordPress site owner, you may have come across the popular Events Calendar plugin, which is one of the most feature-rich and widely used event management solutions for WordPress. One of the key features of this plugin is the ability to display your upcoming events in a sidebar widget.
However, the default sidebar widget that comes with the Events Calendar plugin may not always meet your specific design or functional requirements. Perhaps you want to rearrange the order of the events, change the formatting, or add custom links to your sidebar menu.
Fortunately, the Events Calendar plugin provides a powerful tool called the List Widget that allows you to fully customize the sidebar menu for your events calendar. In this blog post, we'll walk you through the step-by-step process of customizing the sidebar menu using the List Widget feature.
Understanding the List Widget in the Events Calendar Plugin
The List Widget is a built-in feature of the Events Calendar plugin that gives you complete control over the content and styling of the sidebar widget that displays your upcoming events. With the List Widget, you can:
- Rearrange the order of events
- Add custom links and content to the sidebar
- Apply custom CSS styles to the widget
- Use template tags to display specific event details
- Filter events based on various criteria
To access the List Widget, go to Appearance > Widgets in your WordPress dashboard and look for the "The Events Calendar List Widget" option. Drag and drop this widget into your desired sidebar area, and you'll be able to start customizing it.
Step 1: Customize the Event List Order
By default, the Events Calendar plugin will display your upcoming events in chronological order, with the soonest events at the top of the list. However, you may want to rearrange the order to suit your specific needs.
To do this, go to the settings of the List Widget and look for the "Order" option. Here, you can choose to display events in ascending or descending order, based on the event start date.
Additionally, you can filter the events that are displayed in the sidebar by using the "Event Listing" section of the List Widget settings. For example, you can choose to only show events that are happening within the next 30 days, or events that are associated with a specific event category.
Step 2: Add Custom Content to the Sidebar
One of the powerful features of the List Widget is the ability to add custom content, links, and HTML to the sidebar menu. This allows you to create a more engaging and informative sidebar experience for your website visitors.
For example, you could add a call-to-action button that links to your event registration page, or a section that highlights your most popular upcoming events. You could also use the List Widget to display related blog posts, or to showcase sponsors or partners of your events.
To add custom content, simply use the text editor in the List Widget settings to insert your desired HTML, text, or shortcodes. You can also use template tags provided by the Events Calendar plugin to dynamically display event-related information, such as the event title, start date, or event URL.
Step 3: Apply Custom CSS Styles
If you want to further refine the appearance of your sidebar menu, the List Widget also allows you to apply custom CSS styles. This can be particularly useful if you want to align the widget with the overall design and branding of your WordPress website.
In the List Widget settings, you'll find a "Custom CSS" section where you can enter your own CSS rules. Here, you can adjust the font styles, colors, spacing, and other visual elements of the sidebar menu.
For example, you might want to increase the font size of the event titles, change the background color of the widget, or add some padding around the event listings. By leveraging custom CSS, you can truly make the sidebar menu your own.
Step 4: Utilize Template Tags for Dynamic Content
The Events Calendar plugin provides a range of template tags that you can use within the List Widget to display dynamic, event-specific information. These template tags allow you to go beyond the basic event listing and create a more informative and engaging sidebar experience.
Some examples of template tags you can use include:
[tribe_get_event_link]
– Displays a link to the event page
[tribe_get_cost]
– Displays the event's cost
[tribe_get_start_date]
– Displays the event's start date
[tribe_get_venue_name]
– Displays the event's venue name
By incorporating these template tags into your List Widget content, you can create a more detailed and informative sidebar menu that gives your website visitors a better understanding of your upcoming events.
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Putting It All Together: A Customized Sidebar Menu Example
Let's say you want to create a sidebar menu that not only displays your upcoming events, but also includes a call-to-action button, a list of your most popular events, and some custom styling to match your website's branding.
Here's an example of how you could customize the List Widget to achieve this:
<h3>Upcoming Events</h3>
[tribe_events_list_widget order="ASC" limit="5"]
<hr>
<h3>Featured Events</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="[tribe_get_event_link id='123']">[tribe_get_event_title id='123']</a></li>
<li><a href="[tribe_get_event_link id='456']">[tribe_get_event_title id='456']</a></li>
<li><a href="[tribe_get_event_link id='789']">[tribe_get_event_title id='789']</a></li>
</ul>
<a href="/events" class="btn btn-primary">View All Events</a>
<style>
.tribe-events-list-widget {
background-color: #f5f5f5;
padding: 20px;
}
.tribe-events-list-widget h3 {
font-size: 18px;
font-weight: bold;
margin-bottom: 10px;
}
.tribe-events-list-widget ul {
list-style-type: none;
padding: 0;
margin: 0 0 20px 0;
}
.tribe-events-list-widget li {
margin-bottom: 5px;
}
.tribe-events-list-widget .btn {
display: block;
text-align: center;
}
</style>
In this example, the sidebar menu includes:
- A list of the next 5 upcoming events, ordered in ascending order by start date.
- A section for "Featured Events" that displays links to 3 specific event pages using the
tribe_get_event_link
and tribe_get_event_title
template tags.
- A call-to-action button that links to the full events page.
- Custom CSS styles to apply a background color, spacing, and button styling to the overall widget.
By using the powerful features of the List Widget, you can create a highly customized and engaging sidebar menu that aligns with the branding and design of your WordPress website.
Flowpoint.ai can help you identify all the technical errors that are impacting conversion rates on your website and directly generate recommendations to fix them, including optimizing your events calendar sidebar menu.