Title: wp_widget_control
Published: April 25, 2014
Last modified: February 24, 2026

---

# wp_widget_control( array $sidebar_args ): array

## In this article

 * [Description](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_widget_control/?output_format=md#description)
 * [Parameters](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_widget_control/?output_format=md#parameters)
 * [Return](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_widget_control/?output_format=md#return)
 * [Source](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_widget_control/?output_format=md#source)
 * [Related](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_widget_control/?output_format=md#related)
 * [Changelog](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_widget_control/?output_format=md#changelog)

[ Back to top](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_widget_control/?output_format=md#wp--skip-link--target)

Meta widget used to display the control form for a widget.

## 󠀁[Description](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_widget_control/?output_format=md#description)󠁿

Called from [dynamic_sidebar()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/dynamic_sidebar/).

## 󠀁[Parameters](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_widget_control/?output_format=md#parameters)󠁿

 `$sidebar_args`arrayrequired

## 󠀁[Return](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_widget_control/?output_format=md#return)󠁿

 array

## 󠀁[Source](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_widget_control/?output_format=md#source)󠁿

    ```php
    function wp_widget_control( $sidebar_args ) {
    	global $wp_registered_widgets, $wp_registered_widget_controls, $sidebars_widgets;

    	$widget_id  = $sidebar_args['widget_id'];
    	$sidebar_id = isset( $sidebar_args['id'] ) ? $sidebar_args['id'] : false;
    	$key        = $sidebar_id ? array_search( $widget_id, $sidebars_widgets[ $sidebar_id ], true ) : '-1'; // Position of widget in sidebar.
    	$control    = isset( $wp_registered_widget_controls[ $widget_id ] ) ? $wp_registered_widget_controls[ $widget_id ] : array();
    	$widget     = $wp_registered_widgets[ $widget_id ];

    	$id_format     = $widget['id'];
    	$widget_number = isset( $control['params'][0]['number'] ) ? $control['params'][0]['number'] : '';
    	$id_base       = isset( $control['id_base'] ) ? $control['id_base'] : $widget_id;
    	$width         = isset( $control['width'] ) ? $control['width'] : '';
    	$height        = isset( $control['height'] ) ? $control['height'] : '';
    	$multi_number  = isset( $sidebar_args['_multi_num'] ) ? $sidebar_args['_multi_num'] : '';
    	$add_new       = isset( $sidebar_args['_add'] ) ? $sidebar_args['_add'] : '';

    	$before_form           = isset( $sidebar_args['before_form'] ) ? $sidebar_args['before_form'] : '<form method="post">';
    	$after_form            = isset( $sidebar_args['after_form'] ) ? $sidebar_args['after_form'] : '</form>';
    	$before_widget_content = isset( $sidebar_args['before_widget_content'] ) ? $sidebar_args['before_widget_content'] : '<div class="widget-content">';
    	$after_widget_content  = isset( $sidebar_args['after_widget_content'] ) ? $sidebar_args['after_widget_content'] : '</div>';

    	$query_arg = array( 'editwidget' => $widget['id'] );
    	if ( $add_new ) {
    		$query_arg['addnew'] = 1;
    		if ( $multi_number ) {
    			$query_arg['num']  = $multi_number;
    			$query_arg['base'] = $id_base;
    		}
    	} else {
    		$query_arg['sidebar'] = $sidebar_id;
    		$query_arg['key']     = $key;
    	}

    	/*
    	 * We aren't showing a widget control, we're outputting a template
    	 * for a multi-widget control.
    	 */
    	if ( isset( $sidebar_args['_display'] ) && 'template' === $sidebar_args['_display'] && $widget_number ) {
    		// number == -1 implies a template where id numbers are replaced by a generic '__i__'.
    		$control['params'][0]['number'] = -1;
    		// With id_base widget ID's are constructed like {$id_base}-{$id_number}.
    		if ( isset( $control['id_base'] ) ) {
    			$id_format = $control['id_base'] . '-__i__';
    		}
    	}

    	$wp_registered_widgets[ $widget_id ]['callback'] = $wp_registered_widgets[ $widget_id ]['_callback'];
    	unset( $wp_registered_widgets[ $widget_id ]['_callback'] );

    	$widget_title = esc_html( strip_tags( $sidebar_args['widget_name'] ) );
    	$has_form     = 'noform';

    	echo $sidebar_args['before_widget'];
    	?>
    	<div class="widget-top">
    	<div class="widget-title-action">
    		<button type="button" class="widget-action hide-if-no-js" aria-expanded="false">
    			<span class="screen-reader-text edit">
    				<?php
    				/* translators: Hidden accessibility text. %s: Widget title. */
    				printf( __( 'Edit widget: %s' ), $widget_title );
    				?>
    			</span>
    			<span class="screen-reader-text add">
    				<?php
    				/* translators: Hidden accessibility text. %s: Widget title. */
    				printf( __( 'Add widget: %s' ), $widget_title );
    				?>
    			</span>
    			<span class="toggle-indicator" aria-hidden="true"></span>
    		</button>
    		<a class="widget-control-edit hide-if-js" href="<?php echo esc_url( add_query_arg( $query_arg ) ); ?>">
    			<span class="edit"><?php _ex( 'Edit', 'widget' ); ?></span>
    			<span class="add"><?php _ex( 'Add', 'widget' ); ?></span>
    			<span class="screen-reader-text"><?php echo $widget_title; ?></span>
    		</a>
    	</div>
    	<div class="widget-title"><h3><?php echo $widget_title; ?><span class="in-widget-title"></span></h3></div>
    	</div>

    	<div class="widget-inside">
    	<?php echo $before_form; ?>
    	<?php echo $before_widget_content; ?>
    	<?php
    	if ( isset( $control['callback'] ) ) {
    		$has_form = call_user_func_array( $control['callback'], $control['params'] );
    	} else {
    		echo "\t\t<p>" . __( 'There are no options for this widget.' ) . "</p>\n";
    	}

    	$noform_class = '';
    	if ( 'noform' === $has_form ) {
    		$noform_class = ' widget-control-noform';
    	}
    	?>
    	<?php echo $after_widget_content; ?>
    	<input type="hidden" name="widget-id" class="widget-id" value="<?php echo esc_attr( $id_format ); ?>" />
    	<input type="hidden" name="id_base" class="id_base" value="<?php echo esc_attr( $id_base ); ?>" />
    	<input type="hidden" name="widget-width" class="widget-width" value="<?php echo esc_attr( $width ); ?>" />
    	<input type="hidden" name="widget-height" class="widget-height" value="<?php echo esc_attr( $height ); ?>" />
    	<input type="hidden" name="widget_number" class="widget_number" value="<?php echo esc_attr( $widget_number ); ?>" />
    	<input type="hidden" name="multi_number" class="multi_number" value="<?php echo esc_attr( $multi_number ); ?>" />
    	<input type="hidden" name="add_new" class="add_new" value="<?php echo esc_attr( $add_new ); ?>" />

    	<div class="widget-control-actions">
    		<div class="alignleft">
    			<button type="button" class="button-link button-link-delete widget-control-remove"><?php _e( 'Delete' ); ?></button>
    			<span class="widget-control-close-wrapper">
    				| <button type="button" class="button-link widget-control-close"><?php _e( 'Done' ); ?></button>
    			</span>
    		</div>
    		<div class="alignright<?php echo $noform_class; ?>">
    			<?php submit_button( __( 'Save' ), 'primary widget-control-save right', 'savewidget', false, array( 'id' => 'widget-' . esc_attr( $id_format ) . '-savewidget' ) ); ?>
    			<span class="spinner"></span>
    		</div>
    		<br class="clear" />
    	</div>
    	<?php echo $after_form; ?>
    	</div>

    	<div class="widget-description">
    	<?php
    	$widget_description = wp_widget_description( $widget_id );
    	echo ( $widget_description ) ? "$widget_description\n" : "$widget_title\n";
    	?>
    	</div>
    	<?php
    	echo $sidebar_args['after_widget'];

    	return $sidebar_args;
    }
    ```

[View all references](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/files/wp-admin/includes/widgets.php/)
[View on Trac](https://core.trac.wordpress.org/browser/tags/6.9.4/src/wp-admin/includes/widgets.php#L190)
[View on GitHub](https://github.com/WordPress/wordpress-develop/blob/6.9.4/src/wp-admin/includes/widgets.php#L190-L321)

## 󠀁[Related](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_widget_control/?output_format=md#related)󠁿

| Uses | Description | 
| [submit_button()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/submit_button/)`wp-admin/includes/template.php` |

Echoes a submit button, with provided text and appropriate class(es).

  | 
| [_ex()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/_ex/)`wp-includes/l10n.php` |

Displays translated string with gettext context.

  | 
| [wp_widget_description()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_widget_description/)`wp-includes/widgets.php` |

Retrieves description for widget.

  | 
| [__()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/__/)`wp-includes/l10n.php` |

Retrieves the translation of $text.

  | 
| [_e()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/_e/)`wp-includes/l10n.php` |

Displays translated text.

  | 
| [esc_html()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/esc_html/)`wp-includes/formatting.php` |

Escaping for HTML blocks.

  | 
| [esc_url()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/esc_url/)`wp-includes/formatting.php` |

Checks and cleans a URL.

  | 
| [esc_attr()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/esc_attr/)`wp-includes/formatting.php` |

Escaping for HTML attributes.

  | 
| [add_query_arg()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/add_query_arg/)`wp-includes/functions.php` |

Retrieves a modified URL query string.

  |

[Show 6 more](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_widget_control/?output_format=md#)
[Show less](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_widget_control/?output_format=md#)

| Used by | Description | 
| [wp_list_widgets()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_list_widgets/)`wp-admin/includes/widgets.php` |

Display list of the available widgets.

  | 
| [WP_Customize_Widgets::get_widget_control()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wp_customize_widgets/get_widget_control/)`wp-includes/class-wp-customize-widgets.php` |

Retrieves the widget control markup.

  |

## 󠀁[Changelog](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_widget_control/?output_format=md#changelog)󠁿

| Version | Description | 
| [2.5.0](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/since/2.5.0/) | Introduced. |

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