**Note: this post assumes you are using the latest version of WordPress, 3.3.1. If you’d like to upgrade WordPress and you’re not sure how to do that, please read How to Update WordPress.
Most of the time, WordPress users can get by without using any HTML code. Every now and again, however, we want to add something to our website to enhance the user’s experience and this will require embedding small snippets of HTML code. Whether it’s embedding a YouTube video, a Google Calendar, or form, it’s helpful to be able to insert this code in our pages to provide those extra features to our readers.
While theoretically, you can insert this code directly into your page using the HTML editing tab in the upper right corner of your text box, this code will often times just disappear leaving you with a big empty spot.
A really easy way to use HTML snippets is with the Raw HTML Snippets plugin for WordPress. This plugin allows you to copy/paste the source code into the snippet box, then upon saving it, WordPress creates a shortcode that you will then insert into your text, using the normal “Visual” editing tab.
To install the plugin, in your left side dashboard, go to Plugins > Add New. In the search field type in “Raw HTML Snippets”, then click “Search Plugins”. Install as normal, then activate the plugin. You’re now ready to insert an HTML snippet.
From the left side dashboard, go to Settings > Raw HTML Snippets. This will take you to the page to manage your snippets and will show you the Library of current snippets that you are using. Here is a sample of what this page will look like.
To add a new snippet, click the blue button “Add a New Raw HTML Snippet”. Give your snippet an ID (this will be used in the short code), then copy and paste the HTML code from your source, in this a Google calendar.
Click “Add Snippet” when finished.
In your snippet library, copy the shortcode that you need, then proceed to the page where you need to insert the shortcode for this snippet.
Above, you can see that you simply paste the code into the text area. WordPress will interpret this short code and render the HTML that is embedded in the short code. Here is my events calendar.
At any time, your snippets can be edited by accessing the snippet library via the Settings > Raw HTML Snippets menu.
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