How to Enable Widgets in the Hello Elementor Theme

The Hello Elementor theme is lightweight, fast, and minimal — perfect for building fully custom websites with Elementor. But one common issue beginners face is this:

“Why can’t I see Widgets under Appearance?”

That’s because the Hello Elementor theme does not register any widget areas by default

If you still want to use WordPress widgets, here’s how to enable widgets in the Hello theme.

Step-by-Step: Enable Widgets in Hello Elementor

You have two options:

• Edit the main theme directly (not recommended for long-term use)
• OR create and use a child theme (recommended) See how to create a child theme here

Whether you’re editing your main theme or a child theme, open your theme’s functions.php file and add the following code:

function hello_elementor_add_sidebar_widget_area() {
    register_sidebar( array(
        'name'          => 'Sidebar',
        'id'            => 'sidebar-1',
        'before_widget' => '<div class="widget %2$s">',
        'after_widget'  => '</div>',
        'before_title'  => '<h3 class="widget-title">',
        'after_title'   => '</h3>',
    ) );
}
add_action( 'widgets_init', 'hello_elementor_add_sidebar_widget_area' );

This code registers a sidebar widget area, so it will now appear under Appearance > Widgets or Appearance > Customize > Widgets.

Displaying Widgets with Elementor

Since Hello Elementor doesn’t display the sidebar by default, you can use Elementor’s “Sidebar” widget to insert it anywhere:

1. Edit any page or template with Elementor.
2. Drag the Sidebar widget from the Elementor panel.
3. Select the newly registered sidebar (Sidebar) from the dropdown.

That’s it, your WordPress widgets will now appear wherever you place the Sidebar widget.

NOTE:
The Hello Elementor theme is clean and fast, but sometimes you still need a touch of traditional WordPress features — like widgets. With just a few lines of code, you can bring back the widget panel and use it alongside Elementor seamlessly.

Got stuck or need help? Just reach to out via any of my communication channel, contact form, WhatsApp , facebook, Instagram, X, or LinkedIn !