{"id":40108,"date":"2015-11-11T19:51:00","date_gmt":"2015-11-11T19:51:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins-wp\/simple-follow-buttons\/"},"modified":"2026-09-02T18:09:30","modified_gmt":"2026-09-02T18:09:30","slug":"simple-follow-buttons","status":"publish","type":"plugin","link":"https:\/\/ga.wordpress.org\/plugins\/simple-follow-buttons\/","author":11757675,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"version":"2.0.0","stable_tag":"2.0.0","tested":"7.1","requires":"5.9","requires_php":"7.0","requires_plugins":null,"header_name":"Simple Follow Buttons","header_author":"Simple Follow Buttons","header_description":"","assets_banners_color":"797575","last_updated":"2026-09-02 18:09:30","external_support_url":"","external_repository_url":"","donate_link":"","header_plugin_uri":"https:\/\/simplefollowbuttons.com","header_author_uri":"https:\/\/simplefollowbuttons.com","rating":4,"author_block_rating":0,"active_installs":20,"downloads":4808,"num_ratings":2,"support_threads":0,"support_threads_resolved":0,"author_block_count":0,"sections":["description","installation","faq","changelog"],"tags":{"2.0.0":{"tag":"2.0.0","author":"DavidoffNeal","date":"2026-09-02 18:09:30","revision":3678516}},"upgrade_notice":{"2.0.0":"

The PNG image sets and custom image uploads are replaced by eleven button themes\nand colour settings. The Google+ and Yummly buttons are removed. Your network\nselection and follow URLs are kept. The settings screen moves to its own\nFollow Buttons menu in the dashboard.<\/p>"},"ratings":{"1":0,"2":0,"3":"1","4":0,"5":"1"},"assets_icons":{"icon-256x256.png":{"filename":"icon-256x256.png","revision":3678516,"resolution":"256x256","location":"assets","locale":"","width":256,"height":256}},"assets_banners":{"banner-1544x500.png":{"filename":"banner-1544x500.png","revision":3678516,"resolution":"1544x500","location":"assets","locale":"","width":1544,"height":500},"banner-772x250.png":{"filename":"banner-772x250.png","revision":3678516,"resolution":"772x250","location":"assets","locale":"","width":772,"height":250}},"assets_blueprints":{},"all_blocks":[],"tagged_versions":["2.0.0"],"block_files":[],"assets_screenshots":{"screenshot-1.png":{"filename":"screenshot-1.png","revision":3678516,"resolution":"1","location":"assets","locale":"","width":3132,"height":1672},"screenshot-2.png":{"filename":"screenshot-2.png","revision":3678516,"resolution":"2","location":"assets","locale":"","width":3132,"height":1616},"screenshot-3.png":{"filename":"screenshot-3.png","revision":3678516,"resolution":"3","location":"assets","locale":"","width":3130,"height":1614},"screenshot-4.png":{"filename":"screenshot-4.png","revision":3678516,"resolution":"4","location":"assets","locale":"","width":2016,"height":934}},"screenshots":{"1":"The core settings tab - where you can choose where you want your buttons and which networks to include and style.","2":"The advanced settings tab - where you can apply more advanced features","3":"The additional\/custom CSS field - where you can add your own CSS","4":"An example of the buttons in content."}},"plugin_section":[],"plugin_tags":[157,2037,3564,125853,11061],"plugin_category":[56],"plugin_contributors":[145343,77958],"plugin_business_model":[],"class_list":["post-40108","plugin","type-plugin","status-publish","hentry","plugin_tags-facebook","plugin_tags-follow","plugin_tags-follow-buttons","plugin_tags-follow-links","plugin_tags-x","plugin_category-social-and-sharing","plugin_contributors-scottstorebloom","plugin_contributors-sharethis","plugin_committers-davidoffneal"],"banners":{"banner":"https:\/\/ps.w.org\/simple-follow-buttons\/assets\/banner-772x250.png?rev=3678516","banner_2x":"https:\/\/ps.w.org\/simple-follow-buttons\/assets\/banner-1544x500.png?rev=3678516","banner_rtl":false,"banner_2x_rtl":false},"icons":{"svg":false,"icon":"https:\/\/ps.w.org\/simple-follow-buttons\/assets\/icon-256x256.png?rev=3678516","icon_2x":"https:\/\/ps.w.org\/simple-follow-buttons\/assets\/icon-256x256.png?rev=3678516","generated":false},"screenshots":[{"src":"https:\/\/ps.w.org\/simple-follow-buttons\/assets\/screenshot-1.png?rev=3678516","caption":"The core settings tab - where you can choose where you want your buttons and which networks to include and style."},{"src":"https:\/\/ps.w.org\/simple-follow-buttons\/assets\/screenshot-2.png?rev=3678516","caption":"The advanced settings tab - where you can apply more advanced features"},{"src":"https:\/\/ps.w.org\/simple-follow-buttons\/assets\/screenshot-3.png?rev=3678516","caption":"The additional\/custom CSS field - where you can add your own CSS"},{"src":"https:\/\/ps.w.org\/simple-follow-buttons\/assets\/screenshot-4.png?rev=3678516","caption":"An example of the buttons in content."}],"raw_content":"\n

Simple Follow Buttons does exactly what it says on the tin \u2013 adds follow buttons to all of your posts and pages, simply.<\/p>\n\n

Choose from eleven button themes and set your own button, hover and icon colours - or leave them blank and each network keeps its own brand colour.<\/p>\n\n

By downloading and installing this plugin you are agreeing to the Privacy Policy<\/a> and Terms of Service<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

Once you accept the ShareThis terms from the plugin's settings screen, a ShareThis property is created for your site and the ShareThis platform script (platform-api.sharethis.com\/js\/sharethis.js) is loaded on your pages. Until you accept, no ShareThis script is loaded and no request is made.<\/p>\n\n

Simple Follow Buttons utilizes features that, as a WordPress user, you will be familiar with. A self-explanatory administration screen will have you showing your Follow Buttons on your posts and pages in no time!<\/p>\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Upload the 'simple-follow-buttons' folder to the \/wp-content\/plugins\/<\/code> directory<\/li>\n
  2. Activate the plugin through the 'Plugins' menu in WordPress<\/li>\n
  3. Navigate to the \u2018Follow Buttons\u2019 menu in your dashboard to change the settings as desired.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n
    \n

    Where are the settings?<\/h3><\/dt>\n

    In your dashboard under Follow Buttons<\/strong>. It is a top-level menu item, not under Settings.<\/p><\/dd>\n

    I picked a network but nothing appears on my site. Why?<\/h3><\/dt>\n

    A network is only rendered once you give it something to link to. Open Set Follow URLs<\/strong> on the settings screen and fill in your username or page for that network. Networks with an empty field are skipped rather than linking to an empty profile.<\/p><\/dd>\n

    What do I put in the follow URL field?<\/h3><\/dt>\n

    Just the part that comes after the address shown beside the field. For example, enter sharethis<\/code> for Facebook and the button links to https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharethis<\/code>.<\/p>\n\n

    A few networks have no fixed address, so paste the complete profile URL instead: Mastodon, ResearchGate, WeChat, Bandcamp and Google Maps. The Email button takes an email address.<\/p><\/dd>\n

    Can I put the buttons somewhere other than my posts and pages?<\/h3><\/dt>\n

    Yes, in three ways:<\/p>\n\n

      \n
    • The Follow Buttons<\/strong> widget, for sidebars and other widget areas.<\/li>\n
    • The [sfb]<\/code> shortcode, anywhere shortcodes are allowed.<\/li>\n
    • Turn off Pages and Posts under Locations and use only the shortcode or widget.<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/dd>\n

      How do I hide the buttons on one particular post?<\/h3><\/dt>\n

      Add the [sfb_hide]<\/code> shortcode anywhere in that post's content. The buttons are left off that post, while every other post is unaffected.<\/p><\/dd>\n

      Can I change the colours?<\/h3><\/dt>\n

      Yes. Leave the colour fields empty and every network keeps its own brand colour. Fill any of them in - button, button hover, icon or icon hover - and your choice is used for every button instead. The preview on the settings screen updates as you type, so you can see the result before saving.<\/p><\/dd>\n

      What happened to the image sets and the custom image uploads?<\/h3><\/dt>\n

      Version 2.0.0 replaced them with eleven button themes and colour controls. The icons are now scalable SVG, so they stay sharp on high-resolution screens and can be resized and recoloured without uploading anything.<\/p>\n\n

      If you were using a custom image for a network, pick the theme and colours that come closest. Your network selection, follow URLs and other settings are kept.<\/p><\/dd>\n

      Does the plugin load anything from ShareThis?<\/h3><\/dt>\n

      Only after you accept the ShareThis terms on the settings screen. Until you do, no ShareThis script is loaded and no request is made. Once accepted, a ShareThis property is created for your site and the ShareThis platform script is loaded on your pages.<\/p>\n\n

      The follow button icons themselves are served from your own site, not from a third party.<\/p><\/dd>\n

      Does it work with a caching plugin?<\/h3><\/dt>\n

      Yes. The buttons are rendered as ordinary HTML with no per-visitor content, so they cache safely.<\/p><\/dd>\n\n<\/dl>\n\n\n

      2.0.0<\/h4>\n\n
        \n
      • Add: 51 networks, matching the set offered by ShareThis Follow Buttons.\nAmong the new ones are Instagram, YouTube, Bluesky, Threads, Mastodon, GitHub,\nSpotify, Twitch, WhatsApp, Snapchat, Flipboard, Medium, Behance and Dribbble.<\/li>\n
      • Add: eleven button themes - Round, Square, Logo Name, Rounded, 3D, Border Round,\nBorder Logo Name, Black Border, Underline, Auto Square and Name.<\/li>\n
      • Add: button colour, hover colour, icon colour and icon hover colour. Leave them\nblank and each network keeps its own brand colour.<\/li>\n
      • Add: separate button size and icon size settings.<\/li>\n
      • Add: a live preview on the settings screen that updates as you change the styling.<\/li>\n
      • Add: ShareThis integration. Accept the terms on the settings screen and a\nShareThis property is created for your site.<\/li>\n
      • Change: the settings screen is now a top-level Follow Buttons menu in the\ndashboard rather than an item under Settings.<\/li>\n
      • Change: the Core and Styling tabs are merged into one screen, so the preview\nstays in view while you adjust the styling.<\/li>\n
      • Change: icons are now inline SVG instead of PNG images, so they stay sharp at\nany size and can be recoloured.<\/li>\n
      • Change: Twitter now links to x.com.<\/li>\n
      • Remove: the eight PNG image sets and the custom image uploads, replaced by the\nbutton themes and colour settings above.<\/li>\n
      • Remove: the Google+ and Yummly buttons. Google+ has been shut down since 2019.<\/li>\n
      • Fix: a fatal error on PHP 8 caused by the removed create_function().<\/li>\n
      • Fix: uninstalling the plugin now removes its settings, which it previously left\nbehind.<\/li>\n
      • Fix: the widget follow text setting had no effect.<\/li>\n
      • Fix: follow links open with rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" when set to open in a new\nwindow.<\/li>\n
      • Fix: buttons no longer open in a popup window, which was share-button behaviour\nand was blocked by most browsers. They now follow the open-in-a-new-window\nsetting.<\/li>\n
      • Fix: escape and sanitise every setting on save and on output.<\/li>\n
      • Fix: stylesheets and scripts are versioned by file, so an update is no longer\nserved from a stale browser cache.<\/li>\n
      • Fix: buttons are given an accessible label.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n

        1.0.0<\/h4>\n\n
          \n
        • Initial release<\/li>\n<\/ul>","raw_excerpt":"A simple plugin that enables you to add follow buttons to all of your posts and\/or pages.","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ga.wordpress.org\/plugins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/plugin\/40108","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ga.wordpress.org\/plugins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/plugin"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ga.wordpress.org\/plugins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/plugin"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ga.wordpress.org\/plugins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40108"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ga.wordpress.org\/plugins\/wp-json\/wporg\/v1\/users\/davidoffneal"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ga.wordpress.org\/plugins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40108"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"plugin_section","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ga.wordpress.org\/plugins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/plugin_section?post=40108"},{"taxonomy":"plugin_tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ga.wordpress.org\/plugins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/plugin_tags?post=40108"},{"taxonomy":"plugin_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ga.wordpress.org\/plugins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/plugin_category?post=40108"},{"taxonomy":"plugin_contributors","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ga.wordpress.org\/plugins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/plugin_contributors?post=40108"},{"taxonomy":"plugin_business_model","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ga.wordpress.org\/plugins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/plugin_business_model?post=40108"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}