Widgets! Get Your Widgets Here!

Want headlines from Centreville Patch delivered directly to your blog or website? Now, you can stream all the Centreville news — or just certain categories — directly there for you and your visitors.

With a new widget feature, you can create a box that's easily insertable into blogs and web pages. It's also customizable by topic, so if you just want sports, you can limit to sports or if you just want police and fire news, you get police and fire news. Just scroll down to the bottom of the main page and click on "Widgets" to find the directions of how to insert the news feed. Or click here. 

You may be asking yourself, "What's a widget?"Or, "Why would I want a widget?" Here are some answers to your questions:

1. What's a widget?

A widget is a self-contained piece of HTML code that you can embed into your site to add a cool new feature. All you have to do is paste the code into your website. Patch's first widget offering is a News feed, but there are all sorts of widgets out there, including clock widgets, countdown widgets, and lots of other fun features. 

2. Why would I want to use a widget?

Depending on what it does, a widget can add awesome functionality or content to your site, with you barely lifting a finger to get it. For example, our first Patch widget is cool local news feed. So if you have a local church, business, school website, or maybe a local blog, the Patch News Widget can be an easy source of awesome local content for your site! 

3. Where do I put a widget?

You can put a widget on your personal website, if you have one. 

4. How do I install the widget?

Follow the instructions to copy the widget code, and paste it directly into the code on your website. Pretty soon we'll offer a quick and easy way to install it onto various types of websites and blogs, but for now, try the old school copy and paste!

5. Can I use the widget if I don't have my own website?

No, you'll need your own website for now to use the widget. We hope to offer a way for non-blogger to post widgets to their Facebook pages, but for now, you'll need your own website. 

6. How can I get my own website?

That's a huge can of worms you want us to open! For now, Patch doesn't offer that service. 

7. Will Patch be creating more cool widgets that I can put on my website?

Definitely! Stay tuned!

8. How can I change the color of the widget?

Right now, we don't have a way for you to chance the color of the widget. But we hope to add a widget color changing feature soon! 

9. I have no idea what you're talking about. Is any of this relevant to me?

Probably not. :)