Adding WordPress follow button to your self hosted sites

One of the main reason I switched over to WordPress years was the nifty follow button that shows your follower count and more importantly the ease of new posts showing up on your WP feed Reader. So imagine my surprise when I found that the self hosted WordPress sites do not have the follow button natively? 

Of course there is a way to get it added, and it is not too difficult. And I did the WordPress follow button on to my sidebar here and my home page here. 

How do you follow WordPress blogs? Do you have a follow button on your WordPress blog? If not, here is how you can do it! #Wordpressblog #Bloggers Click To Tweet

Adding the button on self hosted sites

In fact it is one of those basic things that every blog or site should have! So with no further ado, can we get to adding those buttons on our self hosted wordpress site?

Jetpack plugin

1. Ensure your self hosted wordpress site/blog is Jetpacked powered. Basically check if this Jetpack plugin is installed. It usually is, but if it is not just do it.

Where do you want the button

2. Choose where on earth your site you are going to add the button. Just make sure it is a prominent place. 

The most obvious choices are

  • sidebar header 
  • footer
  • But in some cases, like this post, you can add it to your posts (see the end of the post).
  • And your ‘about me’ and contact pages, as well

Get the code

You can use this code generator from WordPress to generate your WordPress Follow button. 

The options here are pretty simple.You can choose to show your site name (better to leave it on).

Button options for adding a WordPress follow button on your self hosted websites

And show/hide the count of followers, as you wish.

Click the generate button.

Add the code to your site

Now for the important bit.

Insert the code to wherever you want the follow button to appear.

Code generator for adding a WordPress follow button on your self hosted websites

This is how my code below my ‘about me’ looks.

How to add a WordPress follow button on your self hosted websites

I am adding it to a custom HTML widget to display on my sidebar. 

elgeewrites Adding Wordpress follow button to your self hosted sites Wordpress Follow button HTML
adding a WordPress follow button on your self hosted websites

I am also adding the code snippet to this post, for good measure. 

adding a WordPress follow button on your self hosted websites

And you are DONE!

How does it work?

Now you can have your blog posts sent directly to others WordPress reader, without them signing up with an email address. 

If you have problems implementing any of these or would like to hear more on these feel free to chat up.

And don’t forget to follow me!

Follow Elgee Writes on WordPress.com

Previously on blogging tips for book bloggers

Check out this link for more of blogger resources posts and how to guides.

Pin me!

Adding a WordPress follow button on your self hosted websites Pinterest

Let us chat

So what do you think about this little ‘how to’ guide? Do you have your WordPress follow button enabled? If you want any other guide for book blogging let me know. Let us talk.

13 Comments

  1. Christopher

    I have sites hosed in WordPress.com – but the new blog .org . is not. how will this work?… thx – -and should I put .- here – org instead of .com? (Follow The Power Of Fantasy on WordPress.org) – -then it will just magically show up in my reader?…

    Jetpack – installed – that s enough? even though the domain is not found in my list of .com accounts?… thanks.

    Reply
  2. Bethany Griggs

    Thank you, Elgee! This post has been very helpful to me more than once in adding the button.

    Reply
    • Gayathri

      I am glad it was helpful, Bethany!

      Reply
  3. kelly

    I tried it, but for some reason it’s not showing a button for me, and when I put the code on my blog it shows up blank :S

    Reply
    • Gayathri

      I hope it works for you now. If not, can you DM on my socials or mail me so that we can figure this out together?

      Reply
  4. Mary

    Thanks thanks thanks so much ♡

    Reply
    • Gayathri

      I am glad it was useful for you!

      Reply
    • Gayathri

      This was one reason I moved from Blogspot!

      Reply
  5. Whispering Stories

    I’m sure this will be helpful to lots of bloggers so thanks for sharing.

    Reply
    • Gayathri

      I am glad to be of help!

      Reply
  6. Kymber Hawke

    I’ve been using this for a long time, but it didn’t occur to me to put it in my posts or on my About. Thank you so much!

    Reply
    • Gayathri

      Let me know how that works for you!

      Reply

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Gayathri

Gayathri

Gayathri has been reviewing books since 2010. When she is not reading books or creating online content, she works as a writer and a digital marketer. Head over to meet me!