How to Add and Use Accordions in WordPress? (Complete Guide)

Let’s say you have a lot of information presented on your website, which is a great thing. But if it isn’t organized well, the user experience can be quite bad. A great way to prevent that in your WordPress website is by using accordions. It helps you condense the content into expandable sections, improving the UX and engagement.

With the right approach, you can seamlessly integrate these interactive elements into your pages and posts. You can either use the built-in WordPress blocks or go for more specialized plugins, based on your needs and technical expertise.

In this blog, I’ll show you how the WordPress development experts go about these methods for adding the accordions to a website. Let’s begin by discussing what this feature is.

What is an Accordion in WordPress?

An accordion in WordPress is a collapsible menu that helps you organize your content in a user-friendly way. It consists of horizontal and vertically stacked sections that can be expanded or collapsed to show or hide content.

Each section has a header that, when clicked, expands to reveal the content beneath it. So users can navigate through content more easily by preventing too much content from being displayed on the webpage. It’s an excellent tactic when used well with the key web design trends. Now, let’s dive into the benefits of accordion.

Benefits of Using Accordions in WordPress

Using accordions in WordPress provides several benefits that enhance both the user experience and the overall functionality of a website. Here are some key advantages:

• Improved Content Organization: Accordions provide a compact way to organize content, allowing you to have a large amount of data on a single page. This structure helps users quickly locate the information as they need.
• Enhanced User Experience: Users can interactively expand and collapse content sections by incorporating accordions. This makes navigation intuitive and engaging. Plus, it reduces the response time by displaying only relevant information, enhancing the overall user experience.
• Space Efficiency: They allow you to include more information on a single page without needing to scroll endlessly. This keeps your website concise and avoids overwhelming visitors with long pages.
• Versatility: They can be used for various content types, such as FAQs, product details, or tutorials. This adaptability makes them a valuable tool for any website, allowing you to present different types of information in a user-friendly format.

Incorporating accordions in your WordPress site can enhance the way information is displayed. It allows WordPress experts to improve the site’s interactiveness, resulting in better user-friendliness.

How to Add an Accordion in WordPress?

There are two ways to add an accordion in WordPress, both with different levels of complexity and customization options. Here is a step-by-step process for adding it using the accordion plugin and a block editor.

Method 1: Using an Accordion Plugins

This is the simplest and user-friendly approach, especially for those without coding experience. Here’s a breakdown of the steps involved:

Step 1: Choose an Accordion Plugin

Explore the WordPress plugin directory and choose the best plugin aligning with your needs. Popular options include:

• Accordion by PickPlugins
• Easy Accordion by ShapedPlugin LLC
• Essential Blocks for using Gutenberg

Step 2: Install and Activate the Plugin

Navigate to the “Plugins” section in your WordPress dashboard. Find the chosen plugin, install the plugin, and then activate it.

Step 3: Create a New Accordion

Within the plugin interface, look for an option to “Add New Accordion” or “Create Accordion”. This will open a dedicated section for managing the content and appearance of your accordion.

Step 4: Add Titles and Content

Most WordPress plugins will provide a user-friendly interface for adding individual sections to your accordion. This involves two main fields:

• Title: This is the text that will be displayed for each collapsible section. It’s important to use clear and concise titles that accurately reflect the content within each section. 
• Content: It holds the information that will be displayed when a user clicks to expand a section. You can add text, images, lists, or even embed other media elements within each content section.

Step 5: Customize Appearance

Many plugins provide options to customize the look and feel of your accordion. This could include:

• Color Schemes: Choose colors for the accordion background, text, and borders to match your website’s overall design aesthetic.
• Font Styles: Select fonts consistent with your website’s branding and are easy for visitors to read.
• Icon Selection: Some plugins offer pre-designed icons to indicate closed and open sections of the accordion. You can choose from different icon styles or upload your own custom icons.

Step 6: Preview and Save

Once you’ve added your content and customized the appearance of your accordion, preview the outcome before publishing it on your website. This helps ensure everything looks and functions as intended. Once satisfied, save your accordion creation.

Method 2: Using WordPress Block Editor

In WordPress, you can use the Gutenberg Block Editor to add accordions directly without installing additional plugins. Here’s how to use the block editor for adding an accordion:

Step 1: Access the Block Editor

Create a new page or post, or open an existing one where you want to add the accordion. In the editing view, ensure you’re using the Block Editor. You can check this by looking for a “+” icon in the top left corner of the editing window.

Step 2: Search for the Accordion Block

Click on the “+” icon to open the block library. In the search bar, type “Accordion” or a similar term related to the function you’re looking for

Step 3: Insert the Accordion Block

Once you locate the appropriate block, click on it to insert accordion into your editing area.

Step 4: Add Content to Your Accordion

The Block Editor provides functionalities to add titles and content for each section of your accordion. Add concise titles that reflect the information within each section. Then, add relevant text, images, or other media elements within the content area of each section.

Step 5: Customize Appearance

Some block options might allow you to customize the look and feel of your accordion. This could involve:

• Color options for background, text, and borders.
• Font style selection.
• Limited icon options (depending on the block).

Step 6: Preview and Publish

Once you’ve added content and customized your accordion, use the preview function to see how it will appear on your live website. Make any necessary adjustments before publishing your page or post.

Want help with implement this or other strategies for improving the design and user experience of your WordPress website? Then our WordPress development company will be helpful.

Difference Between Accordion vs Toggle

We have checked how to use accordion in WordPress, but sometimes people confuse it with Toggle. So is a quick difference between the two:

Feature	Accordion	Toggle
Open Sections	Only one section can be open at a time	Multiple sections can be open simultaneously
Ideal Use Cases	FAQs, step-by-step guides, specific details	Product comparisons, complex features, navigation
Focuses on	Presenting information in a focused manner	Allowing users to compare and navigate information

By understanding the difference between the two, you can clearly understand what you may need to use. If you want to build sites with interactive features, consider hiring our WordPress developers.

FAQs About Adding an Accordion in WordPress

Can I customize the design of the accordion in WordPress?

Yes, most accordion plugins have customizable design options like colors, fonts, and styles. You can also use custom CSS to further customize the look of your accordion to match your website's design.

Do I Need Coding Skills to Add an Accordion?

No, you don't need coding skills to add an accordion to your WordPress site. Many plugins, like accordion by PickPlugins, allow you to create and manage accordions with an easy-to-use interface.

Can I add multiple accordions to the same page?

Yes, you can add multiple accordions on the same page by using different shortcodes for each accordion. Ensure that each accordion has a unique identifier to avoid conflicts.

Conclusion

Implementing accordions in WordPress can enhance the user experience by improving content organization. You can add accordion using a plugin or by directly using the block editor. While the former offers advanced customization, the latter ensures more simplicity on the page.

Remember, the key to successful accordion implementation lies in careful content organization and a clear understanding of your audience’s needs. They are particularly beneficial for sites with large amounts of data, or you need to add elements like FAQs.

You can also hire our WordPress professionals to build well-designed and robust sites.