Genesis Simple Sidebars

79 Quality Score

Active Installs

18/30

With only 10,000 active installs and a low popularity ratio, this is a niche tool used mostly within the Genesis community rather than the broader WordPress audience.

Update Freshness

25/25

Maintenance scores a perfect 100, with a recent update in June 2026 and tested compatibility against WordPress 7.0, indicating the developer is actively keeping it current.

User Rating

13/15

A rating of 88 out of 100 from 27 users suggests strong satisfaction among those who have tried it, though the small sample size limits how broadly that score can be generalized.

Support Health

8/15

Support health is weak, with zero support threads opened or resolved, which means there is no public track record of the author helping users through issues.

WP Compatibility

15/15

The plugin requires WordPress 4.7.3 or higher and has been tested with the latest major release, giving it a full compatibility score.

Scores higher than 69% of indexed plugins

About

This plugin allows you to create multiple, dynamic widget areas, and assign those widget areas to sidebar locations within the Genesis Framework on a …

Active Installs 10k+

Rating ★★★★ 4.4/5

Last Updated 2026-06-02 9:58am GMT

Requires WordPress 4.7.3+

Tested Up To 7.0.4

✓ No known vulnerabilities

What It Does

Genesis Simple Sidebars lets you create unlimited custom widget areas and assign them to specific pages, posts, categories, or tags within any Genesis child theme. In practice, you can replace the default sidebar on a per-page basis so, for example, your contact page shows a form widget while blog posts show related articles. It works through the WordPress editor, so no code editing is required.

Who It's For

This plugin is built for site owners and agencies running the Genesis Framework or any StudioPress child theme who need different sidebar content on different pages without writing custom code. It is especially useful for professional service sites, multi-author blogs, or client builds where each section of the site has its own goals and calls to action. If you already live inside the Genesis ecosystem, it slots in cleanly.

Who Should Skip It

Anyone not using the Genesis Framework should skip this entirely, since it relies entirely on Genesis-specific hooks and template structure. Sites running block themes, full-site editing, or non-Genesis themes will find this plugin does nothing useful.

The Bottom Line

Genesis Simple Sidebars is a focused, well-maintained tool that solves a real problem for Genesis Framework users who want page-specific sidebars without touching code. With an overall quality score of 78.61 out of 100 and a perfect maintenance rating, it remains a reliable pick within its niche. The catch is narrow: zero public support history and a small user base mean you are largely on your own if something breaks.

Related Plugins

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Genesis Simple Hooks 81/100

Choose this alternative if you want to inject custom code or content into Genesis hook locations rather than manage widget areas.

Genesis Simple Share 79/100

Pick this if you need social sharing buttons placed in Genesis-specific hook positions rather than flexible sidebar control.

Genesis Connect for WooCommerce 78/100

Choose this instead only if you are running WooCommerce on a Genesis site, as it focuses on styling and layout integration for shop pages.

Genesis Simple Menus 77/100

Pick this if your customization need is around assigning different navigation menus to specific pages rather than managing widgetized sidebars.