Want to improve navigation through your blog, display some popular posts on all blog pages or enable search? In this case, you need to add the Shopify Blog sidebar. Magefan Shopify Blog App features 7 different blog sidebar elements including posts, categories, search, archive and others. The biggest benefit is — you don't need to know any coding to enable them. Just click a few buttons and that's it.
So, today you'll learn how to configure each sidebar widget to improve customers' experience on your blog.
To add Shopify blog sidebar you need to navigate to Apps > Magefan Blog > Configuration and find the Sidebar section. Here you can enable and configure all Shopify blog sidebar widgets.
Note: each sidebar widget has the Sort Order option. It defines the position of the widget in the sidebar. The lower the number, the higher the widget will be displayed in the sidebar.
Search Form
Here you only need to enable the blog search form and set the Sort Order for it. The advanced algorithm will analyse post titles and content to display relevant content on the search results page.
Categories
For the categories tree to be displayed in the sidebar, you need to enable it, and specify whether to Display Number of Posts near a category in brackets, like (10) and set the Sort Order.
Note: the display of a category in the sidebar is defined by the Include in Menu option. You can disable or enable it to make them visible in the sidebar widget when you create blog categories.
Recent Posts
When you create posts in Shopify you can enable the Include in Recent Posts option. It defines the display of the posts in the sidebar.
Once you enable this widget you can choose a Template for it, List or Grid, and choose whether to Display Post Image. Additionally, you can set the Posts Number and Sort Order.
Featured Posts
Featured posts are posts you can specify manually. It is similar to the recent posts widget. You need to enable it, choose Template and set whether to Display Post Images.
Then, to define what posts to display you need to specify the Post IDs separated by commas. And don't forget about the Sort Order.
Popular Posts
The popular posts widget in the Shopify blog sidebar is quite the same as the recent posts widget. You have to define all of the same options.
However, while the recent posts are defined by a certain option on the blog post page, popular posts are displayed based on the views count, calculated by the app.
Archive
The archive widget allows you to display the development of your blog by date. To enable it, choose the Date Format and set a Sort Order. You can set different date formats here.
In addition, you can configure the archive pages to make sure they are properly optimized for readers and search engines. Navigate to Apps > Magefan Blog > Configuration and scroll down to the Archive section.
Here you set the Title and Description for the archive pages using specific variables.
Besides, you can use them to set the Meta Title, Description and Keywords. And finally, here you can set the Meta Robots for the achieve pages to determine what robots can and can't do on these pages.
RSS Feed
If you want to distribute content to your audience you can enable a blog RSS feed in the sidebar. You also need to set the Feed Title and Description, along with the Sort Order.
Custom HTML Blocks
Custom HTML blocks in the Shopify blog sidebar allow you to add any content, like banners, via HTML. Just enable the widget, add Custom HTML Widget code and specify the Sort Order.
Author's List
While Magefan's blog allows you to create authors and add them to your blog posts, there is one more thing. You can also enable the Author's List in the sidebar.
Once readers click on it they land on a page with all your blog authors.
Tag Cloud
If you want readers to navigate your blog through tags, you can add a Tag Cloud into the sidebar. You can Enable 3D amination or just leave it static. The other options include:
- Color
- Cloud Height (size)
- Cloud Max Speed (if enabled animation)
- Number of Tags
You tag cloud should look something like this on the frontend.
Save blog sidebar settings once you finish and go to the storefront to check how they are displayed.
Shopify Blog sidebar improves navigation and helps visitors to find relevant content faster. However, to manage how posts are displayed on the blog homepage, categories and other blog pages, check the post list settings.
