Ptah Dunbar

This plugin adds the ability to link to specific sidebars in the widgets admin page and have them open up automatically. In addition, by default when visiting the widgets admin page, none of the sidebars are open.
<pre><a href="<?php echo admin_url( 'widgets.php' ) .'?sidebar=aside'; ?>">Add Widgets</a></pre>
You’ll need to know the IDs of the sidebars you’d like to have opened. For multiple sidebars, simply separate them with commas.
<pre><a href="<?php echo admin_url( 'widgets.php' ) .'?sidebar=aside,body_open,before_the_loop'; ?>">Add Widgets</a></pre>
Alternatively, you can use the <code>add_widgets_link()</code> function:
<pre><?php echo waf_widgets_link( 'aside', 'Add Widgets to Aside' ); ?> <?php echo waf_widgets_link( 'aside,body_open,before_the_loop' ); ?></pre>

Widgets Admin Fix

This plugin adds the ability to link to specific sidebars in the widgets admin page and have them open up automatically.

zorgbargle

A plugin that adds “Add”, “Save”, “Restore” and “Delete” buttons to the Widgets configuration page with the following 
functionality:
<ul>
<li>Add: Adds a new named widget layout and saves the current widget layout against the new layout name.</li>
<li>Save: Saves the current widget layout against the selected layout name.</li>
<li>Restore: Restores the previously saved widget layout. If the theme name shown next to the layout name in the 
drop-down matches the current theme, widgets will be restored to the sidebar they were located in when the layout was 
saved.</li>
<li>Delete: Deletes the selected widget layout – does not modify the current layout of the widgets.</li>
</ul>
Note that the behaviour has changed from version 1 – widget layouts are not automatically restored when themes are 
switched. Layout choice is now a manual step since it is possible to save multiple widget layouts for a given theme. 
Once a theme has been activated, use the “Layouts” drop-down to select a previously saved layout that matches the 
current theme.
The reset button has been removed as it was too easy to remove all widgets with one click.
<h4>Typical Usage</h4>
This plugin is useful for trying different widget layouts, making it easy to revert back to a previous layout if the 
current layout is not working. It can also be useful when switching between themes. Different themes will offer different 
sidebar areas, and often there is not a direct mapping from one theme’s sidebars to another. This plugin can be used 
to save a widget layout for each theme. When the themes are switched, the appropriate widget layout can then be restored 
saving the time it usually takes to drag each widget from an inactive sidebar into the correct sidebar.
A typical process would be as follows:
<ol>
<li>Type your own layout name into the text field, and click “Add” to add and save the current widget layout. This name 
is now available in the “Layouts” drop-down.</li>
<li>Rearrange the widgets, move them to different sidebars, or move them into the inactive widgets box.</li>
<li>Type a new layout name, and click “Add” to add a second widget layout.</li>
<li>Select the layout name you created in step 1 from the drop-down, and click “Restore”. Your widgets will be 
repositioned to match this layout.</li>
<li>Select your layout name from step 3, and click “Restore”. Your widgets will now be repositioned to match your 
second layout.</li>
</ol>

Widget Saver

Saves the current widget layout and allows the layout to be restored at a later date.

Widgets Admin Fix vs Widget Saver