Section 01 of 05
Social share buttons for WordPress
Share buttons look trivial and cause a surprising amount of trouble: rows that wrap on phones, scripts that slow every page, widgets that need consent, and settings screens offering forty networks when your readers use four. The guides in this section work through each decision in the order most sites meet them.
Start with adding buttons and choosing networks. Come back to the speed and privacy guides before you add anything that loads from a network, and use the feature guides (sticky bars, highlight to share, click to tweet, follow prompts) only where your content calls for them.
The guides in this section
- How to add social share buttons to WordPressAdd social share buttons to WordPress with a plugin, a block, or plain links in your theme. Placement, networks, counts and the checks to run afterwards.4 min read
- Which share networks to show, and how manyHow to choose which social share buttons to display: match networks to your audience, keep the row short, and add copy link, email and messaging options.3 min read
- Sticky and floating share bars: when they helpSticky share bars and floating sidebars keep buttons visible while readers scroll. Where to place them, when they hurt, and how to avoid layout shift.3 min read
- Share buttons on mobile: layout, size and native sharingMake share buttons work on phones: tap target sizes, one-line rows, bottom bars, the native share sheet, and how to show different buttons on small screens.3 min read
- Highlight to share: letting readers share selected textHighlight to share lets readers select a sentence and share it with a link back. How it works, when it helps, accessibility concerns, and a lightweight setup.3 min read
- Click to tweet boxes: how to build them in WordPressBuild a click to tweet box in WordPress with a block or a simple link. Wording, the 280 character limit, how links are counted, and how to style the quote.3 min read
- Follow prompts, like bars and share popupsAfter-share follow prompts, Facebook like bars and share popups: what they were, which still work, and how to ask for a follow without annoying readers.3 min read
- Styling share buttons with CSSStyle WordPress share buttons with CSS: override colours and text safely, keep focus states, use one icon style, and match your theme in both modes.3 min read
- Share buttons and page speedWhy some share buttons slow WordPress pages and others cost almost nothing. How to measure the impact, and what to change to keep sharing fast on every page.3 min read
- Share buttons and GDPR: what needs consentWhich share buttons need consent under GDPR and ePrivacy rules, why plain share links usually do not, the two-click pattern, and privacy policy wording.3 min read
- Bitly short links for share buttons: getting an access tokenHow to get a Bitly access token for your WordPress share buttons, where to paste it, why short links fail, and when you do not need short links at all.3 min read
The one rule that settles most decisions
A share button is a link that opens a network's share dialog. Everything else, including counts, popups, sticky behaviour and official widgets, is optional and has a cost in speed, privacy or maintenance. Add optional parts only when you can name what they earn.
Questions
What is the best way to add share buttons to WordPress?
The lightest option that covers your networks: plain share links, a lightweight plugin, or theme code. Add counts and widgets only if you need them.
How many share buttons should a post have?
Three to five networks plus copy link and email suits most sites.
Do share buttons need a cookie banner?
Plain share links do not. Official widgets that load network scripts usually need consent in the EU and UK.
Hannah Voss, Editor. Checks every guide against a working WordPress install and the networks' current documentation. Last reviewed September 2026.