Sidewalk – Elegant Personal Blog WordPress Theme Review
Introduction
Sidewalk is an elegant WordPress theme, carefully crafted with a focus on readability and great visitor experience. It was designed with personal blogs in mind, but it will suit the needs of any advanced professional blogs and simple news/magazine websites as well.
Full Feature List
Sidewalk comes with a wide range of features that make it an excellent choice for bloggers and website owners. Some of the key features include:
- Responsive Design: Your website will look just as good on big screens as it will on tablets and mobile phones.
- Advanced Theme Options Panel: Sidewalk comes with an advanced, easy-to-use theme options panel. You can set up your website in just 5 minutes.
- Branding – Unlimited Fonts & Colors: Sidewalk provides options for unlimited fonts and colors, as well as options to upload your logo and icons, depending on your taste. Add your personal touch to this theme!
- Unlimited Sidebars + Sticky Sidebars: You can add as many sidebars as you want. Then, you can assign specific sidebars to any post, page, or category. Also, you can have sticky sidebars on each template, which means that widgets will be always visible while you scroll through the website content.
- 4 Pagination Types (including infinite scroll): You can have a classic "older posts / newer posts" navigation, numeric pagination, load posts with "more" button, or apply infinite scrolling.
- Additional Custom Widgets: Alongside the standard WordPress widgets, we provide several custom widgets:
- Paginated/multi-page posts: For those who use ads on their websites, we have created a very intuitive design for posts which are split into multiple pages. Boost your page views with ease!
- Support for post views number: We provide support for Entry Views WordPress plugin, which is used to count views for each post. We also provide smart options so your posts can be selected and ordered by number of views.
- Related posts: Of course, you could use one of many "related post" plugins, but we have provided a simple yet powerful solution for displaying related posts for a particular post, which will get you covered in almost any case.
- Built-in Theme Translator: If you want to modify or translate the text on your website, you can do it very easily in the theme options panel. Note that.po and.mo language files are provided if you prefer to use standard WordPress translation or multilingual website.
- One Click Easy Updates: You can connect your website with the Envato official API and be notified about all upcoming updates through your admin dashboard. Every time we release a Sidewalk update, you can update this theme with a single click, just like you do for any other theme hosted on the official WordPress repository.
- Shortcodes: You can add some nice elements into your content with 12 flexible shortcodes. Columns, separators, highlights, dropcaps, buttons, pull quotes, progress bars, social icons, tabs, toggles, accordions… to name just a few.
- Social Sharing Integrated: Allow visitors to quickly share your posts on most popular social networks.
- Post formats support: Besides standard posts, this theme supports video, audio, image, and gallery post formats. Also, most WordPress common embedding features are supported, so you can embed Facebook statuses, tweets, Instagram, SoundCloud, YouTube, Vimeo…
Five Star Reviews from Happy Customers
We’ve received a huge amount of positive feedback from our satisfied customers.
Change Log
Sidewalk has a long history of updates, and we’ve made sure to keep track of all the changes.
- 1.7.2: Improved: Tested compatibility with WordPress 6.3. Improved: Tested compatibility with PHP8. Fixed: Several minor styling issues.
- 1.7.1: Improved: Tested compatibility with WordPress 6.0. Fixed: Gallery post format original theme styling compatibility with Gallery Blocks since WP 5.8+.
- 1.7: Fixed: Several minor styling issues.
- 1.6: Improved: WordPress 5.8 compatibility tweaks. Improved: Several onpage SEO tweaks. Fixed: Several minor styling issues.
- 1.5.1: Fixed: WP 5.7 Gutenberg editor font size.
- 1.5: Improved: WP 5.5 Compatibility tweaks. Fixed: WooCommerce styling improvements.
- 1.4.3: Added: Official support for WP Forms WordPress plugin. Fixed: Several minor styling issues.
- 1.4.2: Improved: A slight code refactoring to meet the highest standards per Envato requirements. Fixed: Several minor styling issues.
- 1.4.1: Fixed: Option to display first paragraph as cover description not working properly when page is created with block editor. Fixed: Several minor styling issues.
- 1.4: Mandatory changes to accommodate the latest Envato/ThemeForest requirements.
- 1.3.3: Added: Support for Co Authors Plus WordPress plugin. Fixed: Pages in admin edit screen not displaying metaboxes when WP 5.x used Classic Editor plugin. Fixed: Several minor styling issues.
- 1.3.2: Added: Styling for Blocks (coming with the new WordPress editor in version 5.0). Improved: Fully tested and ready for WordPress 5.0. Improved: Envato Market plugin is now recommended for theme updates.
- 1.3.1: Added: Initial support for the upcoming new WordPress content editor (Gutenberg). Improved: Styling for GDPR cookie consent checkbox field in comment form. Fixed: Several minor styling issues.
- 1.3: Added: WooCommerce support. Fixed: Several minor styling issues.
- 1.2: Added: Option to enable infinite scroll loading on single posts (Theme Options -> Single Post Template). Added: Authors Page Template which lists all blog authors. Added: Options for mobile logo and mobile retina logo (Theme Options -> Branding).
- 1.1: Added: Option to enable content image(s) in pop-up (Theme Options -> General). Improved: Sticky sidebar working clunky in some cases. Improved: Automatic excerpt limit now works better for languages with special characters. Fixed: Infinite scroll pagination bug in Chrome. Fixed: Sticky header overlapping image pop-ups. Fixed: Minor styling issues in various browsers.
- 1.0.3: Fixed: Problem with editing categories in WP 4.5.
- 1.0.2: Added: Option to enable Smooth Scroll effect (Theme Options -> Content Styling). Added: Option to automatically rotate featured slider posts (Theme Options -> Post Layouts -> Featured Slider). Added: Options to on/off post format icons on all layouts (Theme Options -> Post Layouts).
- 1.0.1: Fixed: Sidewalk widgets throwing notices in WordPress 4.3 if WP_DEBUG mode is enabled. Fixed: Time ago options not working properly (Theme Options -> General). Fixed: Minor styling issues.
- 1.0: Initial release.
Credits
We would like to say big thanks to great people for their products which help us in our theme development!
JavaScript
- FitVids – http://fitvidsjs.com
- Magnific Popup – http://dimsemenov.com/plugins/magnific-popup
- Bootstrap Affix – http://getbootstrap.com/javascript/#affix
- Owl Carousel – http://www.owlcarousel.owlgraphic.com
- ImagesLoaded – http://plugins.jquery.com/imagesloaded
- Sidr – https://github.com/artberri/sidr
- HTML5 Shiv – https://github.com/aFarkas/html5shiv
PHP
- Redux Options Framework – http://reduxframework.com
- TGM Plugin Activation – http://tgmpluginactivation.com
- Pixelentity Theme Update Class – http://pixelentity.com
- Hybrid Media Grabber – http://themehybrid.com/hybrid-core
Icons
- Font Awesome – http://fortawesome.github.io/Font-Awesome
Images
Images on demo website are not included in the theme package and are used for demo purposes only. They are all credited to their respective creator/owner, and can be found on the following services/websites:
- ShutterStock – http://www.shutterstock.com
- Unsplash – http://unsplash.com
- Deathtothestockphoto – http://deathtothestockphoto.com
Score: 4.93
Overall, Sidewalk is an excellent choice for bloggers and website owners who want a clean, modern, and highly customizable theme. With its advanced theme options panel, unlimited sidebars, and support for various post formats, Sidewalk is a great option for anyone looking to create a professional-looking website.
User Reviews
Be the first to review “Sidewalk – Elegant Personal Blog WordPress Theme”
Introduction
Welcome to the Sidewalk - Elegant Personal Blog WordPress Theme tutorial! Sidewalk is a beautifully designed WordPress theme that is perfect for bloggers, writers, and creatives who want to showcase their work in a clean and elegant manner. With its modern design and user-friendly interface, Sidewalk makes it easy to create a professional-looking blog that showcases your writing, photography, or other creative endeavors.
In this tutorial, we will take you through the process of setting up and customizing the Sidewalk theme, so you can create a stunning blog that reflects your personality and style. Whether you're a seasoned blogger or just starting out, this tutorial will guide you through the process of installing the theme, customizing the layout, adding widgets, and more.
Setting Up the Sidewalk Theme
Before we dive into customizing the theme, let's start by setting it up. Here's a step-by-step guide to installing the Sidewalk theme:
- Download and Install the Theme: First, you need to download the Sidewalk theme from the theme author's website or purchase it from a reputable theme marketplace. Once downloaded, log in to your WordPress dashboard and go to Appearance > Themes > Add New. Click on the "Upload Theme" button and select the downloaded theme file.
- Activate the Theme: Once the theme is uploaded, click on the "Activate" button to activate the Sidewalk theme.
- Install Required Plugins: Sidewalk comes with a few required plugins, including a custom plugin that adds some of the theme's unique features. You'll need to install these plugins manually. Go to Plugins > Add New and search for the following plugins:
- "Sidewalk Customizer"
- "Social Icons"
- "Contact Form 7"
- "Yoast SEO" (optional, but recommended)
- Configure the Theme Settings: Once the plugins are installed, go to Appearance > Customize to access the theme settings. Here, you can customize the theme's colors, typography, and layout.
Customizing the Sidewalk Theme
Now that we've set up the theme, let's dive into customizing it. Here are some of the key areas you can customize:
Header and Navigation
- Customize the header logo and text
- Add or remove navigation menu items
- Change the navigation menu style
Layout and Structure
- Customize the layout of your blog posts
- Add or remove sidebars
- Change the post format (e.g. Masonry, Grid, etc.)
Widgets
- Add or remove widgets from your sidebars
- Customize the widget styles and colors
Colors and Typography
- Customize the theme's colors and typography
- Add custom CSS to further customize the theme
Footer
- Customize the footer text and links
- Add or remove footer widgets
Social Media Integration
- Add social media links to your header or footer
- Customize the social media icons and colors
Contact Form and Newsletter
- Add a contact form to your website
- Customize the contact form layout and fields
- Add a newsletter subscription form to your website
SEO and Analytics
- Customize the theme's SEO settings
- Add Google Analytics tracking code to your website
In the next section, we'll dive deeper into each of these areas and provide step-by-step instructions on how to customize the Sidewalk theme.
Here is a complete settings example for Sidewalk - Elegant Personal Blog WordPress Theme:
Site Identity
Go to Settings > General and fill in the following information:
- Site Title: Enter your blog's title, e.g. "My Personal Blog"
- Tagline: Enter a brief description of your blog, e.g. "A collection of my thoughts and experiences"
- WordPress Address: Leave this field as it is
- Site Address: Leave this field as it is
Theme Options
Go to Appearance > Customize > Theme Options and fill in the following information:
- Blog Title: Enter your blog's title, e.g. "My Personal Blog"
- Tagline: Enter a brief description of your blog, e.g. "A collection of my thoughts and experiences"
- Logo: Upload your logo image
- Favicon: Upload your favicon image
- Background Image: Upload your background image
- Background Color: Choose a background color
- Header Text Color: Choose a header text color
- Body Text Color: Choose a body text color
- Link Color: Choose a link color
- Hover Link Color: Choose a hover link color
Sidebar
Go to Appearance > Customize > Widgets and drag and drop the following widgets to the sidebar:
- Search
- Recent Posts
- Categories
- Meta
Footer
Go to Appearance > Customize > Theme Options and fill in the following information:
- Copyright Text: Enter your copyright text, e.g. "Copyright 2023 My Personal Blog"
- Footer Links: Enter your footer links, e.g. "About | Contact | Privacy Policy"
- Footer Widgets: Drag and drop the following widgets to the footer:
- Recent Posts
- Categories
- Meta
Typography
Go to Appearance > Customize > Typography and fill in the following information:
- Font Family: Choose a font family
- Font Size: Choose a font size
- Line Height: Choose a line height
- Text Color: Choose a text color
- Link Color: Choose a link color
- Hover Link Color: Choose a hover link color
Image Settings
Go to Appearance > Customize > Image Settings and fill in the following information:
- Image Size: Choose an image size
- Image Compression: Choose an image compression type
- Image Placeholder: Choose an image placeholder
Responsive
Go to Appearance > Customize > Responsive and fill in the following information:
- Mobile Menu: Choose a mobile menu style
- Tablet Menu: Choose a tablet menu style
- Desktop Menu: Choose a desktop menu style
Here's a summary of the features and updates in the Sidewalk - Elegant Personal Blog WordPress Theme:
Features:
- Responsive Design: Your website will look great on big screens, tablets, and mobile phones.
- Advanced Theme Options Panel: Easily customize your website with an intuitive theme options panel.
- Unlimited Fonts and Colors: Choose from unlimited fonts and colors, or upload your own logo and icons.
- Unlimited Sidebars + Sticky Sidebars: Add as many sidebars as you want, and assign specific ones to posts, pages, or categories. Also, sticky sidebars are available.
- 4 Pagination Types: Choose from classic, numeric, "more" button, or infinite scrolling pagination.
- Additional Custom Widgets: Includes paginated/multi-page posts, post views number, related posts, and more.
- Built-in Theme Translator: Easily translate the text on your website.
- One Click Easy Updates: Get notified about updates and update the theme with a single click.
- Shortcodes: Use 12 flexible shortcodes for columns, separators, highlights, and more.
- Social Sharing Integrated: Allow visitors to share your posts on social media.
- Post Formats Support: Supports video, audio, image, and gallery post formats.
- RTL Support: Supports right-to-left languages.
Updates:
- Change Log: A detailed list of all updates, including bug fixes, improvements, and new features.
- Compatibility: Regularly tested for compatibility with WordPress, PHP, and other plugins.
- Security: Maintains high security standards and adheres to Envato/ThemeForest requirements.
Other:
- Credit to various JavaScript, PHP, and icon libraries used in the theme.
- Credits to image sources used in the theme demo.
Overall, Sidewalk - Elegant Personal Blog WordPress Theme is a feature-rich theme with regular updates, compatibility testing, and strong security measures.
Related Products
$49.00
.jpg?w=300&resize=300,300&ssl=1 "GS Scroll Animate")
There are no reviews yet.