Dynamic Widgets Review - In-Depth Analysis
Dynamic Widgets allows you to control widget visibility on WordPress pages. Set rules to show or hide widgets based on various conditions.
Performance Overview
User Rating
4.7/5 (based on 109+
reviews)
Active Installations
10,000+
Update Frequency
Average
It is calculated using the weighted average of same category
plugins.
Security Score
5 / 10
(Medium Risk)
It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.
What It Does
Dynamic Widgets gives you full control on which pages a widget will display. It lets you dynamically show or hide widgets on WordPress pages by setting conditional logic rules on a widget with just a few mouse clicks. No knowledge of PHP required. You can set conditional rules by Role, Dates, Browser, Featured image, IP Address, Mobile devices, Theme Template, Language, URL, and more.
The plugin supports various conditions including user roles, dates, browsers, devices, and custom post types. You can create exception rules for more specific control over widget visibility. It also integrates with popular plugins like bbPress and BuddyPress.
Dynamic Widgets does not collect any private data and does not alter the functionality of the widgets it manages. It is designed to enhance your control over widget display without compromising user privacy.
Comparing to Alternatives
Dynamic Widgets stands out in the widget management category by offering comprehensive control over widget display conditions, making it a strong choice among similar plugins.
Strengths
- Highly flexible widget display conditions for all pages
- Free to use with robust functionality
- Positive user feedback on ease of use and effectiveness
- Supports WooCommerce sidebar menu control
- Regular updates addressing security issues
Weaknesses
- Has had multiple medium severity security vulnerabilities in the past
- User interface could be improved for better user experience
- Limited support for WordPress Network (multisite) as per some user reports
- No pro version with advanced features available
User Sentiment Analysis
With a high overall rating of 4.7 out of 5 from 109 reviews, most users praise the plugin's functionality and ease of use. However, a small minority report issues, particularly with multisite compatibility.
Positive highlights
- 'My dream come true' - stanoam appreciates the plugin's ability to control widgets on all pages easily
- 'Very useful plugin' - VasudevaServerRus
- 'Did the job!' - bufus values the free and effective nature of the plugin
- 'Facile à utiliser et efficace' - aralar finds it very easy to use and effective
- 'It Worked!' - Rik0399 praises the functionality despite UI design limitations
Common complaints
- Not working on WordPress Network 5.3, showing error messages and prompting reinstall
Weaknesses
- Past security vulnerabilities including XSS and CSRF issues
- Limited multisite (WordPress Network) support
- User interface could be more intuitive
- No advanced features beyond the free offering
Who Should Use This?
Best for
Users seeking a free, flexible widget display management plugin for single-site WordPress installations who want to control widget visibility without coding.
Not ideal for
Those running WordPress multisite networks or requiring advanced features and dedicated support might find this plugin less suitable, especially given past security concerns and limited multisite compatibility.
Pricing & Value
Free version includes
The free version offers comprehensive widget display controls suitable for most users without any cost.
Final Verdict
Dynamic Widgets is a highly rated and effective plugin for managing widget visibility across WordPress sites, especially single installations. It offers strong functionality for free, with users praising its ease of use and practical features. However, it has had several medium-level security vulnerabilities in the past, which have been addressed in updates, and some users report issues with multisite compatibility.
While there are several alternatives available, Dynamic Widgets remains a solid choice for users needing flexible widget control without additional cost. Users operating multisite networks or requiring advanced features should consider alternatives or await further development. Overall, it delivers good value for its intended audience but requires attention to updates for security and compatibility.
Other Notable Features
Here are a few other notable features of this free
Dynamic Widgets plugin.
FAQ
- A properly working WordPress site (doh!).
- Your theme must have at least one dynamic sidebar.
- Your theme must call
wp_head(). - Minimum of PHP version 5.2.7, PHP 5.3 is highly recommended.
Yes, you can. In the Dynamic Widgets Overview page, click the ‘Advanced >’ link at the bottom. You should see if wp_head() is called in your theme. It is possible Dynamic Widgets can’t detect if the theme is calling wp_head(). Please contact the author of the theme to ask for it. You can also of course just try Dynamic Widgets to see if it works.
Yes, but only if you activate the plugin on a per site base. Network Activation is not supported.
Extra note: It seems that sometimes for some reason DW does not show up on individual sites within a WP Network without a network activation. You can use Multisite Plugin Manager to overcome this problem.
Did you save the options? If you did, you may try to hit the (i) icon a bit to the right and read the text which appears below.
A logical AND means that ALL rules must be met before the action takes place.
A logical OR means that when ANY rule is met, the action takes place.
You probably have more than 500 pages. Building a tree with so many pages slows down the performance of the plugin dramatically. To prevent time-out errors, the child-function has been automatically disabled. You can however raise this limit by clicking on the ‘Advanced >’ link at the bottom of the Widgets Overview page and raise the number next to the Page limit box.
Try setting the plugin to the ‘OLD’ method. You can do this by clicking on the ‘Advanced >’ link at the bottom of the Widgets Overview page and check the box next to ‘Use OLD method’. See if that helps. Setting the plugin using the ‘OLD’ method comes with a downside unfortunately. It may leave you behind with a visible empty sidebar.
Yes! You can switch between FILTER and OLD method without any loss of widgets configuration or whatsoever.
Your theme probably uses a ‘default display widgets policy’. When a sidebar becomes empty, the theme detects this and places widgets by default in it. The plugin can’t do anything about that. Ask the theme creator how to fix this.
Since version 3.8, WPEC uses the by WordPress provided Custom Post Types and Custom Taxonomies. Dynamic Widgets supports Custom Post Types and Custom Taxonomies. You’ll find the WPEC Categories under the ‘Categories (Products)’ section.
- Click at the bottom of the Widgets Overview page on the ‘Advanced >’ link.
- Now a button ‘Create dump’ appears a bit below.
- Click that button.
- Save the text file.
- Remember where you saved it.
- Click at the bottom of the Widgets Overview page on the ‘Advanced >’ link.
- Now a button ‘Uninstall’ appears a bit below.
- Click that button.
- Confirm you really want to uninstall the plugin. After the cleanup, the plugin is deactivated automaticly.
- Remove the directory ‘dynamic-widgets’ underneath to the
/wp-content/plugins/ directory.
Yes, you can. In the Dynamic Widgets Overview page, click the ‘Advanced >’ link at the bottom. You should see if wp_head() is called in your theme. It is possible Dynamic Widgets can’t detect if the theme is calling wp_head(). Please contact the author of the theme to ask for it. You can also of course just try Dynamic Widgets to see if it works.
Did you save the options? If you did, you may try to hit the (i) icon a bit to the right and read the text which appears below.
You probably have more than 500 pages. Building a tree with so many pages slows down the performance of the plugin dramatically. To prevent time-out errors, the child-function has been automatically disabled. You can however raise this limit by clicking on the ‘Advanced >’ link at the bottom of the Widgets Overview page and raise the number next to the Page limit box.
Yes! You can switch between FILTER and OLD method without any loss of widgets configuration or whatsoever.
Since version 3.8, WPEC uses the by WordPress provided Custom Post Types and Custom Taxonomies. Dynamic Widgets supports Custom Post Types and Custom Taxonomies. You’ll find the WPEC Categories under the ‘Categories (Products)’ section.
Contributors and developers
“Dynamic Widgets”
is open source software. The following people have
contributed to this plugin.
