WordPress.org

Andrew Ozz

Tonya Mork

Brian Alexander

Classic Widgets is an official plugin maintained by the WordPress team that restores the previous (“classic”) WordPress widgets settings screens. It will be supported and maintained to 2024, or as long as is necessary.
Once activated and when using a classic (non-block) theme, this plugin restores the previous widgets settings screens and disables the block editor from managing widgets. There is no other configuration, the classic widgets settings screens are enabled or disabled by either enabling or disabling this plugin.

Classic Widgets

Top 💪🏻


This has saved a lot of websites from having to be rebuilt, thank you!


Saved websites life

So far so good. But should be continued the development 

Helpful Widget Library


We love this plugin. Please maintain it for years and years beyond 2024!


What will we do without this?


This is one of the first plugins I install on any WordPress website and I am immensely pleased it exists. The block based widget editor is dreadful to use in comparison, I've tried to use it several times over the past couple of years since it was introduced and found it to be unintuitive, prone to errors, and easy to make mistakes with. I've tried so many times, I've completely given up on it and regardless of any updates, bug fixes, etc, I won't be using it until it comes to a point where Classic Widgets is deprecated.


Blocks: I've tried, I really have, but you're not worth the time/headache

Enables the previous "classic" widgets settings screens in Appearance - Widgets and the Customizer. Disables the block editor from managing widgets.

bisnusnr

🚀 Take full control of your website’s layout with Wise Widget Manager, the ultimate centralized dashboard for managing sidebars and widget areas in classic WordPress themes.
If you are tired of navigating clunky, slow, or disjointed native admin screens, this plugin is your solution. Wise Widget Manager brings all of your active widgets into a unified, visual interface where you can preview, reorder, and optimize them instantly. It works in perfect harmony with the default WordPress architecture—enhancing your workflow without modifying or breaking your underlying site data.
Whether you need to clean up messy sidebars, control who sees what content, or optimize your site layout for mobile users, Wise Widget Manager gives you a faster, smarter workspace.
📌 Quick Tip for Adding New Widgets: 
To add a brand-new widget to your site, simply use the native WordPress flow via Appearance → Widgets. Once added, it will instantly sync and appear inside your Wise Widget Manager dashboard, ready for quick organization and visibility tweaks.
<h3>Features</h3>
<ul>
<li>🎛️ All-in-One Dashboard – View and manage every active widget across every sidebar on a single, intuitive page. Eliminate tedious tab-hopping.</li>
<li>🫳 Effortless Drag-and-Drop – Rearrange your layout and widget priority instantly with smooth, responsive drag-and-drop functionality. Absolutely no code required.</li>
<li>👁️ Safe Live Previews – Test widget modifications safely within an isolated iframe preview before publishing. Ensure your layout looks perfect without risking your live site.</li>
<li>🗑️ Instant One-Click Removal – Instantly purge unwanted widgets from any sidebar area to keep your back-end clean and clutter-free.</li>
<li>📱 Device-Specific Visibility – Dynamically show or hide widgets based on the visitor’s device. Tailor unique experiences for Desktop, Tablet, and Mobile audiences.</li>
<li>🔒 User Authentication Rules – Control visibility by user status. Display widgets exclusively to logged-in members, hide them from public visitors, or vice versa—ideal for membership sites.</li>
<li>🧱 Hybrid Block & Classic Support – Manage legacy classic widgets and modern Gutenberg blocks side-by-side within the exact same seamless interface.</li>
<li>🔍 Instant Widget Search – Quickly locate specific widgets across dozens of sidebars using a powerful, real-time search filter.</li>
<li>⚡ Lightning-Fast & Lightweight – Built with an optimized architecture using the WordPress REST API, ensuring zero bloat and absolute minimal impact on site speed.</li>
</ul>

Wise Widget Manager – Classic Widgets & Sidebar Control

Centralized WordPress widget manager for classic themes with drag-and-drop reordering, isolated live previews, and visibility controls.

Classic Widgets vs Wise Widget Manager – Classic Widgets & Sidebar Control