Homepage Widgets are small, focused calls-to-action that overlay your homepage: a single button driving visitors to one page, or a short form for collecting contact information. They appear inline with the rest of your homepage content.
⚠️ Important: Google Translate is NOT a self-serve Homepage Widget
If you are looking to add Google Translate, a Site Search bar, or Social Media icons to your website header or footer, please note that these are template-level theme features — they are not part of the Homepage Widgets tool in your CMS menu.
The Homepage Widgets area only manages the two self-serve overlay widgets: Button Widgets and Form Widgets. To request Google Translate on your website, open a ticket via Eddy — see Site-wide language translation: how the Google Translate widget works or our comparison guide Google Translate and Homepage Widgets.
Only website administrators can add and manage widgets.
📌 Homepage Widgets vs other homepage features: Widgets are small CTAs that overlay homepage content. They are different from:
Hero Shuffle — the rotating banner at the top of your homepage (self-serve, managed in Media → Shuffles)
Featured Video — a video featured on the homepage (self-serve, managed in Media → Videos)
Page-body Link Blocks and Buttons — buttons or link tiles inside the body of a page (not on the homepage overlay). See Add buttons to your pages and Add link blocks to your pages.
Google Translate Header Widget — site-wide translation in your site header, configured by Edlio Support.
The two types of self-serve Homepage Widgets
Two types of widgets can be added directly to your homepage from the CMS dashboard:
Button Widgets: You can link this widget to any web page, registration form, or external resource.
Form Widgets: You can collect viewers' contact information and save it directly into an Edlio Contact List.
A note on using Button Widgets effectively
Homepage Widgets can be a great way to draw attention to time-sensitive items — things like event sign-ups, enrollment deadlines, or seasonal announcements (e.g., "Register for Open House!"). Because they're bold and eye-catching, they work best as temporary highlights that you add when needed and remove once the moment has passed.
The placement of widget on the public website will depend on viewers' screen size. Please avoid placing widgets over each other or in places where they might hide some important information on the public website.
A couple of quick tips when placing a Homepage Widget: make sure it isn't covering or pushing down important content on the page — visitors should still be able to find what they came for without scrolling past a large widget. And when the event or deadline is over, remember to remove the widget so your site stays clean and current.
⚠️ Accessibility & WCAG 2.2 Guidelines Notice: Homepage widgets can present accessibility challenges in line with WCAG 2.2 guidelines. Because widgets float as an overlay on top of existing homepage content, they may obscure underlying text, disrupt logical reading orders for screen readers, and cause focus navigation hurdles. Use homepage widgets sparingly and accordingly — strictly for temporary, high-priority announcements where an overlay is justified. For standard school communication (event announcements, news, sign-ups), consider using Pages, Link blocks, or News blocks instead — they are more accessible by default and adhere to standard document flow.
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