{"id":30163,"date":"2021-03-25T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-03-25T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dhblog.dream.press\/blog\/?p=30163"},"modified":"2026-08-27T14:37:31","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T21:37:31","slug":"wordpress-sidebar-below-content-error","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wordpress-sidebar-below-content-error\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Fix the Sidebar Below Content Error in WordPress (In 3 Steps)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Perfecting your WordPress website\u2019s layout can be a lot of work, but it\u2019s also essential for User Experience (UX)<\/a><\/span>, engagement, and conversions. Therefore, it can be frustrating when a seemingly random error causes a disruption to your site\u2019s display, such as your sidebar suddenly appearing below the content rather than to the side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While there are a few potential causes, it primarily comes down to issues with the Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) or Cascading Style Sheets (CSS). Fortunately, the issues are relatively easy to fix, so you can quickly get your site back in tip-top shape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fix takes three steps: undo your most recent change, repair any unclosed or extra <div> tags in your theme\u2019s template files, and correct your CSS widths. If the combined width of your content and sidebar exceeds their wrapper, the sidebar gets pushed below. In this article, we\u2019ll walk through the common causes of this error and each step in detail. Let\u2019s get started!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Common causes of the sidebar dropping below the content in WordPress<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The most common cause of a sidebar dropping below the content is a problem with your site\u2019s HTML or CSS: an unclosed or extra <div> tag in a template file, or width and float settings that don\u2019t leave the sidebar enough room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sidebars in WordPress are content areas meant to be displayed either to the left or right of the page\u2019s main segment (or sometimes both). They often contain widgets, sign-up forms, links to related posts, or similar content that you\u2019d want to include across your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Due to various bugs or errors<\/a>, your sidebars may sometimes appear at the bottom<\/span> of the page, rather than to the left or right. Needless to say, this can easily ruin a well-designed website<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These problems are usually a result of direct changes you\u2019ve made to your site\u2019s code, such as edits to a theme or plugin file.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, perhaps there is an extra or unclosed <div> tag on the page. The problem could even be attributed to incorrect width and floating settings in your CSS. Fortunately, fixing this error is easy enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why is your WordPress sidebar not showing at all?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If your sidebar is missing entirely rather than sitting below the content, the cause is usually simpler: an empty widget area, a page template without a sidebar, or a theme change that dropped the sidebar area. Run through these quick checks:<\/p>\n\n\n\n