Title: Please help with widgetizing theme
Last modified: August 19, 2016

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# Please help with widgetizing theme

 *  Resolved [nontechblogger](https://wordpress.org/support/users/nontechblogger/)
 * (@nontechblogger)
 * [16 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/please-help-with-widgetizing-theme/)
 * I tried installing a FSS feed widget, and it tells me that my theme is not widget-
   aware. I’m trying to follow the instructions at [http://codex.wordpress.org/Widgetizing_Themes](http://codex.wordpress.org/Widgetizing_Themes),
   but I need further help.
 * I’m using my own theme that my web designer edited for me. I think I know what
   to do with my sidebar.php. My question is the functions.php that I’m supposed
   to modify. I see this file in my blog-txt_v4-0 folder in themes folder. Is this
   what I’m supposed to edit? It looks like the instructions say to ad this code
   in that file:
 * <?php
    if ( function_exists(‘register_sidebar’) ) register_sidebar(); ?>
 * But I don’t know exactly where to put this code. Any help would be appreciated.

Viewing 10 replies - 1 through 10 (of 10 total)

 *  [@mercime](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mercime/)
 * (@mercime)
 * [16 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/please-help-with-widgetizing-theme/#post-1247160)
 * Open up your theme’s **functions.php** with plain text editor like notepad or
   bbedit, etc. and and add/paste those 4 lines into **functions.php**. Make sure
   there’s no space before the opening `<?php`
    Then close and save functions.php
   and upload to your theme folder in server.
 * Open up your **sidebar.php** and add the following code before or after the custom
   codes placed by your designer
 *     ```
       <?php if ( !function_exists('dynamic_sidebar')
               || !dynamic_sidebar() ) : ?>
       <?php endif; ?>
       ```
   
 *  Thread Starter [nontechblogger](https://wordpress.org/support/users/nontechblogger/)
 * (@nontechblogger)
 * [16 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/please-help-with-widgetizing-theme/#post-1247173)
 * mercime, thanks for your reply. I understand that from the codex help page. As
   I said in my initial post, 1) I found the functions.php file in blog-txt_v4-0
   folder in themes folder, and I wasn’t sure if that’s the file I’m supposed to
   modify. 2) I don’t know where exactly in functions.php I’m supposed to add that
   code.
 *  [shane-g](https://wordpress.org/support/users/shane-g/)
 * (@shane-g)
 * [16 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/please-help-with-widgetizing-theme/#post-1247175)
 * Hi,
 * Refer these articles:
 * [http://codex.wordpress.org/Widgetizing_Themes](http://codex.wordpress.org/Widgetizing_Themes)
   
   [http://www.bestwpthemez.com/wordpress/how-to-add-widget-support-to-wordpress-theme-3206/](http://www.bestwpthemez.com/wordpress/how-to-add-widget-support-to-wordpress-theme-3206/)
 * Thanks,
 * Shane G.
 *  Thread Starter [nontechblogger](https://wordpress.org/support/users/nontechblogger/)
 * (@nontechblogger)
 * [16 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/please-help-with-widgetizing-theme/#post-1247182)
 * Shane,
 * Thanks but your post doesn’t solve my problem either. As I said in my initial
   post, I’ve already read and tried to follow the instructions in [http://codex.wordpress.org/Widgetizing_Themes](http://codex.wordpress.org/Widgetizing_Themes).
   That’s why I’m here.
 * 1) I don’t know where functions.php is.
    2) Where exactly in functions.php (what
   line?) do I add that code?
 *  [shane-g](https://wordpress.org/support/users/shane-g/)
 * (@shane-g)
 * [16 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/please-help-with-widgetizing-theme/#post-1247185)
 * Hi,
 * You can find the functions.php file inside your active theme folder of your blog.
   Regarding the lines I have already mentioned in the case study.
 * Thanks,
 * Shane G.
 *  Thread Starter [nontechblogger](https://wordpress.org/support/users/nontechblogger/)
 * (@nontechblogger)
 * [16 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/please-help-with-widgetizing-theme/#post-1247187)
 * There is no functions.php in my theme folder. There is one, however, in another
   folder named blog-txt_v4-0 under the Themes directory.
 *  [@mercime](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mercime/)
 * (@mercime)
 * [16 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/please-help-with-widgetizing-theme/#post-1247192)
 * If the theme you are currently using has no functions.php then create one. Open
   notepad, add the code for functions.php, then File > Save As – choose All Files
   in dropdown (instead of default .txt file) and name it functions.php and save
   it to your theme folder in your computer. Then FTP upload the new file i.e. functions.
   php to your theme folder in server.
 *  Thread Starter [nontechblogger](https://wordpress.org/support/users/nontechblogger/)
 * (@nontechblogger)
 * [16 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/please-help-with-widgetizing-theme/#post-1247193)
 * mercime,
 * What code? The code for widgetizing? Can I just copy the existing functions.php
   and save it in my themes folder?
 *  [@mercime](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mercime/)
 * (@mercime)
 * [16 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/please-help-with-widgetizing-theme/#post-1247195)
 * > Can I just copy the existing functions.php and save it in my themes folder?
 * What and where is that existing functions.php? The code you posted above? If 
   so, as I posted above, copy it in your theme’s folder and UPLOAD to theme’s folder
   in server. Don’t forget to add the necessary code to your theme’s sidebar.php
   then save and UPLOAD to theme’s folder in server.
 *  Thread Starter [nontechblogger](https://wordpress.org/support/users/nontechblogger/)
 * (@nontechblogger)
 * [16 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/please-help-with-widgetizing-theme/#post-1247197)
 * I created a functions.php and pasted just that code, and it seemed to work. Thank
   you!

Viewing 10 replies - 1 through 10 (of 10 total)

The topic ‘Please help with widgetizing theme’ is closed to new replies.

## Tags

 * [sidebar.php](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/sidebar-php/)
 * [widgetizing themes](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/widgetizing-themes/)

 * In: [Fixing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting/)
 * 10 replies
 * 3 participants
 * Last reply from: [nontechblogger](https://wordpress.org/support/users/nontechblogger/)
 * Last activity: [16 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/please-help-with-widgetizing-theme/#post-1247197)
 * Status: resolved

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