Widget in footer

  • Unknown's avatar
    kce0df9597142b0 · Member ·

    We have added html code to a site seal to one of our footers. When I view the page from within WordPress, it shows up but if I navigate to our webpage from the standard URL, it doesn’t, so it is not showing on the public side. I have tried different browsers, I have had other people try and navigate to the webpage with different browsers and still nothing. What could be happening that it will show up in the admin side but not the public side?

  • Unknown's avatar
    mukeshoad · Member ·

    Hi @kce0df9597142b0,

    I’m just a community volunteer (not WordPress.com staff), but here are a few things you can check:

    • Widget visibility: Make sure the widget is saved and published. Sometimes changes are visible in the Customizer preview but not saved to the live site.
    • Plan limitations: On WordPress.com, adding custom HTML/JavaScript (like site seals or verification badges) may not display on the free or Personal plan. Many site seal scripts require embedding external JavaScript, which is blocked on lower plans. For full custom code, you need the Business plan or higher.
    • Caching: Clear your browser cache or try an incognito/private window. WordPress.com also uses caching, so it can take a few minutes before changes appear publicly.
    • Theme footer widgets: Double-check that your theme actually supports footer widgets on the public side. Some themes only show certain footer areas when specific conditions are met (e.g., more than one widget is added).

    Here’s a guide that may help: Widgets on WordPress.com.

    If your site seal requires JavaScript to work, you’ll need to be on the Business plan or higher for it to display publicly.

  • Unknown's avatar
    justjennifer · Member ·

    Hi there @kce0df9597142b0 what is the address of the site you’re working on so we can be sure to give you the correct information for your site.

    Just to clarify, this forum you’ve posted to assist site owners hosted on WordPress.com, the hosting provider. If your site is running the open source WordPress software, you may find help either at that community’s support forum or directly with the theme or plugin author.

    To learn more about the differences, https://wordpress.com/support/com-vs-org/

  • Unknown's avatar
    brooksliam303 · Member ·

    Hi @kce0df9597142b0 

    I had the same problem once when I added a seal script in the footer. In WordPress, the reason you see it in the admin/preview but not on the public site usually comes down to a couple of things:

    1. Caching – If you’re using a caching plugin or your host has server-level caching, the live page may be serving an old version without your new code. Try clearing all caches (plugin + browser + CDN if you’re using one).
    2. Theme vs. Customizer placement – If you added the code in the Customizer or a widget that only loads in the admin preview, it won’t show on the public site. Try adding it directly in the footer.php of your child theme or via a footer injection plugin.
    3. Script blocked – Some site seals load external scripts. Check if the browser console shows errors (for example, mixed content if your site is HTTPS but the script is HTTP). In that case, use the HTTPS version of the seal code.
    4. User roles/visibility settings – Some builders/widgets allow visibility only for logged-in users. Double-check that it’s not set to “admin only.”

    What worked for me was moving the code into a proper footer hook (like using the “Insert Headers and Footers” plugin) and clearing all cache. After that, the seal showed up fine on the public site.

  • The topic ‘Widget in footer’ is closed to new replies.