Brand new WordPress Blog-can't add widgets to sidebar

Sure it is widget ready?

Look for something like: <?php if ( !dynamic_sidebar() ) : ?> in the sidebar area to be sure.

I just installed the theme and was able to remove the widgets you mentioned and added a few and all worked. Are you using the latest version of the theme from the repository, 1.08?

I do have version 1.8 and the file says

<div id=”sidebar”>

<?php
if ( function_exists ( dynamic_sidebar(1) ) ) :
dynamic_sidebar (1);
endif;
?>

</div>

OK this is bizarre, if I click on “Archives” in the sidebar (which I removed in Widgets), then click on “November”, the sidebar looks like it is supposed to. But the “Hello World” post and home page don’t look right.

In Appearance>Widgets confirm that your Archive and Meta widgets are removed from the right-hand column labeled “Sidebar” and that your widgets are listed there.

Otherwise switch to the Twenty Ten theme and set your widgets up and see if it displays correctly.

ok, so there seems to be sidebar support for widgets. In fact, the number 1 tells us that the theme is thought to have multiple widget areas.

So:
1) you could be trying to use the wrong widget area. Check again under Dashboard>>Widgets that there are no more expandable widget areas.

2) If that is not the case, perhaps the theme has a bug and, having only 1 widget area, that line you posted should read (try it):

<?php
if ( function_exists ( dynamic_sidebar() ) ) :
dynamic_sidebar ();
endif;
?>

If none of these are solutions, you’ll have to look into your functions.php file for widget area registration (https://codex.www.ads-software.com/Widgetizing_Themes ).

Good luck!

I think I fixed it! I was adjusting the sidebar and widgets after I made that “Hello World” post. Then I added a new post and did a “quick edit” and save to the Hello World post and now the side bars are correct. So I guess if you play with the sidebar, you only see the effects on posts you do after you make the change?

Or is there some way to retroactively apply the sidebar to older posts? I expect to be adding more widgets when my Adsense account is activated which apparently takes a week.

Sorry, I don’t get the last part.

Posts don’t have sidebars. Single templates may have them, so sidebars are not attached to specific posts whatsoever and there is no sense to “retroactively apply a sidebar to older posts”. :S

I’m not sure what happened either, I am a total newbie to WordPress, though I am familiar with the 3.8 version of VBulletin and CPanel. At least it is OK now! Thanks for helping!