This tutorial begins our series which will introduce you to Plugins and Widgets in Wordpress. If you want to further customize your WordPress website, you can add Plugins and Widgets.

What is a Plugin?

A plugin is a piece of software you can install into your WordPress site. Plugins add additional functionality to your site that is not already included within WordPress, such as image galleries or contact forms.

What is a Widget?

WordPress Widgets are like a plugin, but designed to provide a simple way to arrange your sidebar content without having to change any code.  Widgets can include the search bar, for example. 

For more information on how to use and install Plugins and Widgets, continue to the next article which will discuss Searching for and Installing Wordpress Plugins.