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Genesis Simple Sidebars

By StudioPress

Design & Themes / Themes & Templates

Genesis Simple Sidebars Review - In-Depth Analysis

Create multiple dynamic widget areas for the Genesis Framework. Assign widget areas to sidebar locations easily.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

7.05/10

User Rating

4.4/5 (based on 27+ reviews)

Active Installations

10,000+

Update Frequency

Below Average It is calculated using the weighted average of same category plugins.

Security Score

1 / 10 (Very Low Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

This plugin allows you to create multiple, dynamic widget areas, and assign those widget areas to sidebar locations within the Genesis Framework on a per post, per page, or per tag/category archive basis.

Creating widget areas programmatically, then using conditional logic to properly assign them to sidebar locations can be a complex task for a beginner. This plugin allows you to do all this from a simple administration menu, and assign widget areas to sidebar locations with simple drop-down menus within the post/page edit screens, or when editing a tag or category.

Comparing to Alternatives

Genesis Simple Sidebars is a straightforward plugin designed specifically for Genesis Framework users to manage sidebars easily. Compared to other sidebar management plugins, it offers a focused feature set tailored to Genesis themes.

Top alternatives

Genesis Simple Sidebars

Strengths

Simple and easy to use with Genesis themes
Allows creation of multiple custom sidebars
Integrates well with Genesis Framework widgets
No complex setup required

Weaknesses

Limited to Genesis Framework users
Lacks advanced sidebar display conditions
No support for nested child pages beyond one level
No active development or updates reported

User Sentiment Analysis

User feedback on Genesis Simple Sidebars is mixed, with some praising its simplicity and others frustrated by functionality issues and lack of support.

Positive highlights

"Worked great out of the box" - daguru69
"Great, clean functionality" - biberkopf
"Works as stated" - Britlish

Common complaints

Sidebars created do not appear on pages
Limited support and slow response from developers
Does not support sub-sub-pages for child page sidebars
Plugin functionality inconsistent across sites

Weaknesses

Lack of effective support and updates
Functionality issues with sidebar display on pages
Limited features compared to other sidebar plugins

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Users running the Genesis Framework who need a simple way to create and assign custom sidebars without complex features.

Not ideal for

Users seeking advanced sidebar management, support for nested child pages, or those not using Genesis Framework themes.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version provides the core functionality of creating and assigning custom sidebars within Genesis Framework sites, sufficient for basic sidebar management needs.

Final Verdict

Genesis Simple Sidebars offers a no-frills solution for Genesis users needing custom sidebars, with straightforward setup and integration.

However, its limited features, inconsistent functionality, and lack of active support may lead some users to seek alternative plugins for more robust sidebar management.

Other Notable Features

Here are a few other notable features of this free Genesis Simple Sidebars plugin.

Genesis

Dynamic widget areas

Sidebar management

FAQ

No. You can only assign them to the primary and secondary sidebars, using the plugin.

However, once a widget area has been created, you can use hooks to programmatically display those widget areas throughout the theme. But if you’re going to do that, it’s very unlikely that you would want to use the plugin to create the widget areas. You might as well just create the widget areas programmatically too.