Using Iframes and Javascript

Usually the widgets should work just by placing the code on your website. However there is one complication. The problem is there are three basic ways to embed interactable widgets:
  • object/Embed, (which we don't currently use)
  • Javascript include
  • iFrame

Unfortunately, interactive code can also be malicious. As a result, many sites will ban or restrict these options (e.g. Opendiary), or have specific ways to use them, e.g. Squidoo, Wizzley, Wordpress.

If your hoster has restricted or banned widgets, you do still have options:

1) The buttons and badges should work. They are just basic html links and images, and far less likely to be banned.

2) The site may have its own approved modules or widgets available (e.g. squidoo). If they have an RSS widget, try your Author RSS feed in it.

3) See if they offer an approved iframe or Javascript module, app or widget, and combine it with the app. (e.g. Google sites)

If your site has banned them outright, then unfortunately there is nothing we can do at our end. You could contact your host and see what they suggest, as some sites have approved third party methods for handling them. If you look for an iframe component on the list of approved widgets or apps, you can usually use the widget with that.

Site Specific help

Jump to Blogger, Wordpress, Googlesites, OpenDiary


Google sites
There is an iFrame app under "Insert".
To use:
Go to the page to insert it on.
Click Insert
Click "More Gadgets"
Search for "iFrame Wrapper"
Choose a gadget that allows you to embed an iframe by URL (I use the Iframe Wrapper)
Add the details from the Smashwords Tools widget into the Google widget form (color coding by me for clarity):
width in width
height in height
url in url

e.g. <iframe src="http://www.raggedangel.net/smashwords-tools/sb_if/sb_if.php?book=107645" name="SWDS_Square" id="SWDS_Square" width="195" height="230" scrolling="no" border="none" frameborder="0" ></iframe>

goes in the google widget like this:
screenshot of insert

See the end result live: here


Wordpress
Since we cannot get whitelisted and don't have a oEmbed coder on the team, the best suggestion we have is a third party iFrame plug-in. There is one here:
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/iframe-widget/screenshots/
along with instructions.


Blogger
The widgets can be embedded, but blogger's templates may interfere with javascript so we suggest using the iframe widgets or images. The code can be posted directly into a post, into an HTML/Javscript sidebar gadget or onto a page.


OpenDiary
Only supports basic HTML, so fan buttons, book buttons and the book spotlight will work, but any widget using an iframe or javascript will not. Other sites with this restriction include Squidoo, Wizzley and Hubpages.

More help
This page will be updated with site-specific help or advice as we find out more.