Blogrolls: What Happens When Adding One To Your Blog

A blogroll is a curated list of links to other blogs or websites that a blogger recommends, follows, or finds interesting, which they can display on their blog. Usually shown in a blog or website’s sidebar, footer, menu bar, or dedicated page, it helps foster community, share resources, and help readers find related content. Essentially, it is a “roll” of recommended blogs. 

Unfortunately, WordPress deprecated the Links/Blogroll widget several years ago. However, users of the Block Editor can now access the ‘Blogroll’ block to display a list of recommended or followed blogs.

If, like me, your blog has a widget bar, you can show the blogroll there. If you don’t have a widget bar, you can display a blogroll on a page, post, or in the menubar of your blog.

In this post, I will show you how to create a blogroll in a widget bar and on a blog post or page. I’m using an iMac desktop computer for this.

How to add a blogroll to a widget bar.

  • On your blog’s dashboard, navigate to AppearanceWidgets and click the ‘+‘ symbol in the top right corner.
An image highlighting where to find 'Appearance' and 'Widgets' on the dashboard of a WordPress blog.
Click Appearance – Widgets
  • Find the Blogroll block by typing ‘Blogroll’ in the search bar. Click on the Blogroll block to add it to your widget bar.
An image showing where and how to find the Blogroll Block on WordPress.
Add the ‘Blogroll’ block

For some reason, when you add a Blogroll block, it automatically populates with several blogs, some of which you may not recognise. I found this quite odd, but it’s simple to remove any unwanted ones.

  • To delete a blog, select the blog you wish to remove, then click the three vertical dots (kebab menu) and choose Delete.
An image highlighting the kebab menu and delete button when deleting blogs from a Blogroll on WordPress.
Deleting blogs from a Blogroll is easy
  • To add blogs, click on the ‘+‘ symbol and select from the list that appears or use the search bar to find the blogs you wish to add.
An image highlighting the 'plus' button and a list of blogs when creating a blogroll on WordPress
Add or search for the blogs you want to add to your blogroll.
  • To change the name of your blogroll, click next to ‘Blogroll‘ and add your own description.
An image highlighting how to change the name of a Blogroll on WordPress
Rename your blogroll
  • Click the Update button in the top right corner to publish the Blogroll in the widget bar.
  • Check your blog to ensure the Blogroll widget is visible. You can see the blogroll I created towards the bottom of the widget bar on the right side of my blog. It contains the blogs I read the most.

How to add a blog roll to a page or post.

  • Add the Blogroll block anywhere on a page or post.
  • To add or remove blogs from your blogroll list, follow the instructions above.

Remember that you can change the name of your blogroll. However, be aware that if your blogroll contains many blogs, it will take up a lot of space on the post or page.

You can also convert your blogroll into a reusable block, now called a Pattern, by clicking on the block, then selecting the three dots (kebab menu) and choosing ‘Create Pattern.’

An image showing how to turn a Blogroll into a 'Reusable Block.'
Turn your blogroll into a reusable block

A reusable block on WordPress, now often called a Synced Pattern, is a feature that allows you to save a specific block or group of blocks for use across multiple posts or pages. This is particularly helpful for those selling items on their blog, such as books. For example, if a link to your books needs updating or the price changes, the updates are automatically reflected everywhere the block appears. Clever stuff!

To answer the question I raised in the title of this post, what happens when you add a blog roll to your site? Well, that’s straightforward. It means you promote the blogs you enjoy reading most. In doing so, you help foster a community and bring its members closer together. In turn, you’ll be supporting them in developing their blogs and community. What better way to say ‘thank you’ to those special people?

I’m looking forward to seeing your blogrolls as I’m looking for some new blogs to follow. If you have a blogroll on your blog, let me know.

Note: Widget bars only show when viewing posts and pages on a desktop computer. When viewing posts on a tablet or mobile phone, click the menu button to see them.

Have you ever created a blogroll on your own blog? Which blogs or websites did you include? How do you think a blogroll can improve the reader’s experience on a blog? How often do you update your blogroll or the blogs you follow? Have you come across any new blogs from fellow bloggers’ blogrolls? If so, which ones?

The featured image on this blog post is sourced from Pixabay. AI reviewed spelling and grammar errors.

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58 responses to “Blogrolls: What Happens When Adding One To Your Blog”

  1. Deborah Jay / Debby Lush avatar

    Thanks Hugh, I used to have something like this and somewhere along the line it got lost! I’ve now added the widget to my sidebar, but I still have a question: if the blog isn’t in the list of suggestions, how do I add it? I tried using the search bar and it told me there were no results for the blog I wanted to add (Storyempire.com)

    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar

      Hi Deborah, the only reason I can think of why the blog isn’t showing up in the suggestions box is that you are not following it. I don’t follow that blog, and it doesn’t show up when I search for it. Can you double-check you are following it? If you are, I’ll try following that blog and see if it shows up for me.

      1. Deborah Jay / Debby Lush avatar

        Hm. I do follow it, along with many dozens of other sites that don’t show up in the suggestions box.

        1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar

          It may have something to do with the blog theme you are using, Deborah. It looks like you are using a Classic theme, which may well have been retired by WordPress. When this happens, retired themes cannot use updated WordPress software. The Blog Roll block works best with Block themes. When was the last time you changed your blog theme? However, there are other reasons you may not see these blogs in the suggestion box.

          Following via Email: If you followed a blog by typing in your email address rather than clicking a “Follow” button while logged into your own WordPress account, it might not be recognised in your WP reader list. When I visited the Story Empire blog, I noticed that the only way I could follow it was via email.

          Privacy Settings: The blog you follow might have its privacy settings set to not appear in public listings or directories, or it might be hidden from the WordPress reader.

          1. Deborah Jay / Debby Lush avatar

            Thanks for the info, Hugh. I am indeed using a retired WP theme, but I have no intention of changing it, as it does everything I want it to, (except, perhaps, this!) and I haven’t found anything I would want to replace it with. It does use the Block Builder, and the Blog Roll shows up just fine in the widgets, even though I can’t find Story Empire.
            I guess I’ll just leave it be.

            1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar

              Classic themes can use the Block editor without little or any problems, Deborah. The problem is that as time goes on and WordPress updates blocks with new software, they’ll stop working or cause even more problems when using Classic themes (especially retired ones). But if you’re happy with the theme you are using and the problems you encounter don’t worry you or stress you, then carry on using it. Good luck.

            2. Deborah Jay / Debby Lush avatar

              I always feel it’s like supermarkets that have to keep changing stock and shelves around, just when I’ve figured out where to find everything!
              In my world, if it ain’t broke, we don’t fix it.
              I’m getting old…

            3. Hugh W. Roberts avatar

              I think it’s more a case that all WordPress are doing with their platform is updating it (rather than fixing) to keep up with technology and what the majority of their customers now want. I can understand why, when WordPress would lose many paying customers if it didn’t adapt to changes in technology, especially to retain paying customers. Only around 9% of WordPress users still use the Classic editor, although the Block editor has been the only option available to new users since the end of 2019. But if you’re happy with using your current theme and can put up with any bugs and errors that may occur, stick with it, Deborah.

  2. robertawrites235681907 avatar

    Hi Hugh, this is interesting. I saw some blogs have this but I didn’t know how to add it. I use the recommended blogs feature on the Reader.

    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar

      The recommended blog on the reader is great, but those who do not use the reader won’t see the blogs you have recommended, Robbie. That’s why the Blog Roll Block is better: everyone visiting your site can see the blogs you are recommending.

      1. robertawrites235681907 avatar

        Yes, you are right, Hugh

  3. Rob Pugh avatar

    I love the blogroll block. Also, there’s now a Recommended blogs option built in: https://wordpress.com/blog/2025/11/05/introducing-recommended-blogs/

    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar

      Thanks, Rob. I saw that new feature and wrote a post about it.

      This New WordPress Feature Helps Promote The Blogs You Love

  4. dgkaye avatar

    Thanks again Hugh for your most helpful tips. 😊

  5. Urspo avatar

    once again I am so grateful for all you do.

  6. V.M.Sang avatar

    Thanks for that, Hugh.

  7. Jacqueline Lambert @WorldWideWalkies avatar

    What a wonderful way to help share each other’s work! Thank you for sharing. :-)

  8. Liesbet @ Roaming About avatar

    What a great idea, Hugh. Thanks for the tip. I’m saving your post to follow the instructions one of these days. I don’t find much time to blog – or do maintenance on my blog – these days. Hopefully later this month! Every time I think I can catch up, something more important happens.

    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar

      Life and blogging. They sometimes get in each other’s way, Liesbet. But good to hear you’re not one of those bloggers who apologise for being away from blogging for more than a few minutes.

  9. Carol anne avatar

    I have this widget on my site, it is a handy one!

Leave a reply to Carol anne Cancel reply

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