Shortcodes in Sidebar
Runs shortcodes in the Custom HTML widget, the one sidebar widget WordPress still renders without executing them.
The facts
- Rating
- 5★ from 2
- Active installs
- 400+
- Price
- Free
- Last updated
- 10 Aug 2026
- Added
- Dec 2011
- Requires WP
- 5.0
- Tested up to
- WP 7.0.4
- Requires PHP
- 7.4
- Downloads
- 15,777
Our analysis
AI-assistedShortcodes in Sidebar is a WordPress plugin that enables shortcodes to function within Custom HTML widgets. This is useful for users who want to display shortcode-generated content in their sidebars, as WordPress does not natively support this feature in Custom HTML widgets. The plugin is straightforward to use; once activated, it works without any configuration or additional setup.
This plugin is suitable for anyone looking to enhance their sidebar content with shortcodes, particularly those using Custom HTML widgets. It is designed for users who prefer a simple solution without the need for extensive settings or options.
Best for: This plugin suits WordPress users who want to use shortcodes in Custom HTML widgets in their sidebars.
What it does well
- ✓Enables shortcodes in Custom HTML widgets
- ✓No setup required, works immediately upon activation
- ✓Does not store any data or make external requests
- ✓Bug fixes included in recent updates
- ✓Lightweight with no additional scripts or styles
Where it falls short
- •Only addresses shortcode functionality in Custom HTML widgets
- •Limited to specific use cases, may not suit all users
Verdict
Shortcodes in Sidebar provides a simple solution for a specific limitation in WordPress, making it useful for those needing to display shortcode content in sidebars.
From the developer
Pankaj Anupam's own description of Shortcodes in Sidebar, lightly tidied.
Paste a shortcode into a Custom HTML widget and WordPress prints it exactly as you typed it — [contact-form], square brackets and all — instead of running it. This plugin fixes that, and nothing else.
What changed since version 3.0
When this plugin was written in 2011, WordPress ran no shortcodes in any widget, and one line of code fixed it for every sidebar on the site. WordPress has caught up since:
- Text widget — core has run shortcodes since WordPress 4.8.
- Block widgets — core has run shortcodes since WordPress 5.8.
- Custom HTML widget — core still does not, on any version, including 7.0.
So the plugin now does the one thing that is still missing. Where core already handles shortcodes, it deliberately stays out of the way — running them a second time is not a feature.
If you have been using version 3.0 on a recent WordPress, this release is also a bug fix. The old code hooked shortcodes onto the Text widget in a way that made core skip its own, correctly ordered pass, and shortcode output could come out with paragraph tags injected into the middle of it. That no longer happens.
Features
- Shortcodes run in the Custom HTML widget, in every sidebar and widget area.
- No settings, no setup. Activate it and it works.
- No database tables, no options, no scripts, no styles, no tracking, no ads, no upsells.
- Nothing to clean up when you delete it, because it stores nothing.
Privacy
The plugin collects nothing, stores nothing, and makes no external requests.