Adding Google Friend Connect to your WordPress blog is easy. Friend Connect provides a cool way to add another dimension of “community” to your blog or website. I added it to my sidebar as a WordPress Widget, and I’m starting to see side conversations develop, in addition to the comments on individual blog posts. (This site uses the Thesis WordPress Theme.)
It is also nice because people that frequent your site can meet each other, and discover other websites or blogs that like minded people are members of.
How To Add Friend Connect To Your WordPress Blog
On Twitter a lot of people who are saying they’ve been “whitelisted” to be part of the Friend Connect program, so I assume that it will get easier and easier to have access to it. Here are the steps to add Friend Connect to your WordPress Blog.
1. Log into Friend Connect at http://www.google.com/friendconnect/home/
2. Click on the “Set Up A New Site” button. This will walk you through a short process.
3. Upload files - canvas.html and rpc_relay.html to the root directory of your blog.
Note: Google has simplified this step and you no longer need to upload these files. The process will ask you for the name and URL to your website that’s it! (as of Oct 2, 2009)
4. Get the code for the “Members Gadget”
5. Go into WordPress Admin -> Design -> Widgets (this assumes you are using a widget enabled theme.)
6. Create a Text Widget, give it a title, and insert the HTML code into the the Widget.
Now people can join your site as members. They can see other members on your site and meet them. You might want to consider adding some other Friend Connect Gadgets to the site now.
I use the “Wall Gadget” so people can leave comments and start discussions. There aren’t very many Friend Connect gadgets available yet, but the next one I plan to try is the ratings and review Gadget.
Update: Google has released the new Social Bar for Friend Connect. Here is a walk-through of How to Add the Google Friend Connect Social Bar to Your WordPress Website.
What about you – are you experimenting with Friend Connect yet? If so, leave your website url in the comments, or better yet – become a member of this site by Joining in the Friend Connect gadget in the right sidebar!
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Not work in my site
why?
Thanks for the post!! The gadget looks real nice. Dhini, make sure you have gone to Google’s site to get the code for the page you are using.
Wow! I was busting my butt using the wordpress instructions and in less than two minutes I got the solution from you. Geez. You are great and for sure will connect with you from now on.
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