Google Gadgets FAQ & Tips

Here are some basic tips for getting the most from gadgets. Scroll through the Q & A to browse or use the quick links on the right to get to where you want.

Q. 

How and where can I Add Google Gadgets?

A.You can add gadgets to lots of places. Find out about some of them and how to do it below.

  • Add Gadgets to iGoogle

    You need a free Google account to set up your personalized iGoogle homepage. You may already have an account if you use Youtube, Blogger, Gmail (Google Mail) or other Google products.

    To view your iGoogle page, sign in to your Google account and click the iGoogle link on My Account page.

    Once you have an account, to add one of our gadgets, simply click the Google button on widgetweb.co.uk, then click Add to iGoogle. If you are not already signed in, you will be asked to do so.

    You can also add gadgets by clicking Add Stuff in the top right hand corner of your iGoogle page.

    Remember, you need to be signed into your iGoogle account to access your personalized content.

  • Add Gadgets to Gmail or Google Mail

    Gmail, or Google Mail as it's known in the UK and Germany, is the free e-mail service provided by Google.

    Adding gadgets to Gmail, or Google Mail as it is called in the UK, is experimental. That means it may change in future.

    Before you can add a gadget to Gmail you need to enable gadgets. Go to the top of the page click Settings > Labs, then scroll right down and check box for enable "Add any Gadget by URL". Do not forget to save your changes! Next time you click Settings in your Gmail you will have a gadgets tab.

    To add a gadget first copy the gadget URL, go to Settings > Gadgets and paste the gadget URL into the "Add a Gadget by url" box. The sidebar in Gmail is quite narrow and the canvas view (full screen view) is quite short. This means some gadgets wont fit in with the sizing.

  • Add Gadgets to a Dell Start Page

    The Dell start page by Google comes pre-installed on computers by Dell. Just like iGoogle, you need to be signed in to see your personal stuff.

    First copy the gadget URL. Go to the top left-hand corner of your Dell startpage and click Add Stuff. To add one of our gadgets, you can click the tiny add gadget by URL link (found next to the Search Home Page Content button). Next, right click > select paste. You could off course also search for gadgets.

  • Add Gadgets to Google Desktop

    Some computers come with Google Desktop pre-installed. You can also download it for free. Our gadgets are primarily developed for iGoogle, so not every one will work on Google Desktop. Some of them will work just fine though!

    First copy the gadget URL. Next, click the "+" button at the top of the sidebar or select "Add gadgets" from the option menu. This will bring up the Add Gadgets screen.

    To add one of our gadgets, go to the search box > right click > select paste and paste in the gadget URL then click search button or press enter. Mouse over the gadget icon and click add button > OK button.

  • Add Gadgets to myAOL

    Sign up (for free) or sign in by clicking one of the links at the side of the search box on the myAOL page.You need to be an AOL member to use myAOL and signed in to see your personalized stuff. (If you are in the UK, and you'd prefer a UK version, there's myAOL|HP.)

    First copy the gadget URL. Sign in to myAOL and click + add stuff button, found in the top right-hand corner. Next click + Gadgets/Feeds > right click > select paste and paste in the gadget URL. Click Add to a Page button, then I'm Done button.

  • Add Gadgets to your Blogger Blog

    Blogger is a free tool for creating blogs (i.e. an online journal).

    The standard way is to first copy the gadget URL. Go to your blog Dashboard>Edit Layout>Add a Gadget>Add your Own. Next, delete the "http://" prompt, right click > select paste..

    An alternative method is go to Blogger Dashboard>Edit Layout>Edit HTML/Javascript, then paste the code generated for adding to your own website into the content box and save.

    Sometimes one method gives better results than the other, so it's worth trying both.

  • Add Gadgets to Google sites

    Google Sites are free websites or wikis that you can easily to build yourself. Google gadgets provide a simple way for you to add dynamic content to your Google Sites web pages.

    First copy the gadget URL. Go to edit page > Insert then scroll down to select More gadgets from the drop down menu. From the Setup Your gadget screen select add gadget by URL and (delete the http:// prompt) right click > select paste. You will then be able to setup your gadget size and or preferences. Don't forget to choose the best view. You may preview how the gadget will appear. When you have finished with the setup, select OK to add gadget then save your page.

  • Add Gadgets to your Own Website(s)

    All our Widgetweb.co.uk listings display an add gadget to a webpage link. To add one of our gadgets to your webpage simply follow the link, click add to your webpage button.

    Adjust the display settings to suit your page and the gadget. (You can edit/leave the title blank if it is going to look better.) Also if the gadget has settings, edit those if need be. Click the preview changes button to see how your gadget will look. Next, click get the code and copy and paste the HTML code to your webpage.

    Google also provide a directory for adding gadgets to a webpage.


Q. 

The gadget URL is too long to type out, is there an easy way?

A.Yes, the best way is to always use copy and paste to do it. That way you are sure you have got the URL right. If you're not sure how to do this, see below.

  • How to copy the Gadget URL

    All our Widgetweb.co.uk listings display the "gadget URL". (If you are looking for the URL of a gadget made by someone else, you need to click the view source link on the full gadget description in the iGoogle gadget directory. The URL is then displayed in your browser's address bar.) To copy the URL, highlight it by holding down the left button on your mouse. Right click > select copy.

    To add the gadget, click into the "add gadget by url" box on the page where you are adding the gadget (e.g. on myAOL, Blogger or others). Delete any "http://" prompt that may be there. Next, right click > select paste.


Q. 

What are gadget settings?

A. Gadget settings are customizing options the user can edit. You will only be able to edit gadget settings if they are available for that gadget!

  • How to edit gadget settings

    On iGoogle, Dell Start Pages, Google Desktop and myAOL you can edit gadget settings whenever you like.

    On iGoogle and Google Desktop, go to the top right-hand corner of the gadget, click on the down arrow > select Edit Settings (or Options on Google Desktop), make your choice(s) then save (OK on Google Desktop). On myAOL and Dell Start Pages, there is an edit link instead of the down arrow.

    When adding gadgets to places such as Blogger or web pages, you choose gadget settings before adding the gadget, the settings cannot be changed after the gadget has been embedded.

    You cannot edit settings for gadgets in Gmail.


Q. 

Is there a full screen view for gadgets?

A.Yes, depending on the gadget and the page you have added it to.

  • How to Maximize Google Gadgets

    Don't miss out on full screen views, learn how to maximize your gadgets. iGoogle, myAOL and Gmail all support a full screen mode for individual gadgets called the "canvas view". Some of our gadgets feature links directly to the canvas view. Others may have a canvas version of the page.

    iGoogle: The simplest way is to click the maximize icon in the far right-hand corner of the gadget. Click the maximize icon in canvas view to restore.

    Another method is to click on the tab title (left-hand colum). Once the tab is open, if need be, click on the "+" symbol to reveal all the gadget links for that tab. Next click the link for the gadget you want to maximize.

    Gmail: At the moment, there must be a link within the gadget itself to take you to canvas view. Our links may say Go Large, View bigger, for example.

    myAOL: Click on the maximize icon in the top of the gadget's title bar.

    Navigating to canvas View

    If you choose to add one of our maximizable gadgets to a page that does not have a canvas view, we try to provide a pop-up or web page as an alternative when it's appropriate.


Q. 

I think I have a technical problem with Google gadgets, what should I do?

A. As a first step, check out some of the issues below. Contact us if you believe it is a problem with one of our gadgets.

  • Slow Page Load

    Don't overload one page with too many gadgets. Minimize gadgets on iGoogle or myAOL that you don't need open all the time. Organize your gadgets into tabs, with iGoogle or myAOL, for example, you could make a tab or new page for games, one for virtual pets and so on. If you're not sure how to do this, check out more gadget help

  • Blank gadget

    Some gadgets require Flash, especially games and pets gadgets. If your computer does not have Flash, or the latest version of Flash, you may get a blank space where the game/pet should be.

    You can download the latest Adobe Flash Player here for free.

    Our gadgets are built for iGoogle. Very rarely, if you try adding to other places and that particular gadget isn't compatible, it may appear blank.

    A gadget may also appear blank if there is a problem with the way it has been written. In that case, you should contact the developer.

  • Information Temporarily Unavailable

    If a gadget displays this, it may just be a very brief technical glitch. Try refreshing the page, or clearing your browser's cache then refreshing the page.

    It may also mean maintenance is being carried out where the gadget is hosted, or the place where the gadget is hosted is too busy, or other technical stuff. If this continues for more than a couple of hours with one of our gadgets, please let us know.

  • Gadget Stopped Working

    Sometimes updates are made, for example, to the gadget itself or the Gadgets API. What this means in non-geek speak is that very occasionally a gadget may stop working. If a gadget that was previously working suddenly stops, try deleting the gadget, clearing the browser cache (see below) and adding the gadget again to see if that solves the problem.

    If you think it's a problem specific to one of our gadgets, please let us know.

  • Browser Stuff

    A browser is a program like Internet Explorer or Firefox that displays web pages. You need to have javascript enabled in your browser for gadgets to work. If it has been disabled, Google give some good guidance on how to enable javascript. If you do get problems or something isn't working right, you should try clearing your browser's cache / deleting cookies first. Also try removing any browser add-ons or gadgets that may be causing problems and try re-starting your computer.

    Always keep your browser up to date and make sure you have the latest version available.


More Gadget Help

iGoogle Help

myAOL Help

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