AddMySite Plugin for WordPress
by Jeff Starr on Wednesday, November 1, 2006 – 67 Responses
The AddMySite (AMS) plugin for WordPress makes it easy for your visitors to add your site to all of their favorite social-bookmarking services. With a few clicks, users may easily bookmark or add your site to any number of popular social bookmarking services, which are concisely presented via drop-down menu or as a customizable list. One file. Simple installation. Easy to use. Clean output and XHTML strict.
New! — Widgetized AMS version 0.88 now available! The new widgetized version of AddMySite makes it easier than ever to add your site and feed to 40 sites! AMS version 0.88 features 25 social-bookmarking sites to which visitors may add your site. Even better, the new version of AMS also enables visitors to add your site’s syndicated feed to 15 feed-related/aggregator sites. That’s 40 ways to expand your online empire!
Super-easy installation instructions
- Upload plugin to plugins directory and activate.
- Drag and drop the AMS widget into your sidebar.
- Enjoy! ;)
Demonstration
To see AddMySite (AMS) in action, look here (located near the middle of the page).
Download AddMySite (AMS)
[ version 0.88 (widgetized) | ~5KB | .zip | 1308 downloads ]
Previous versions of AMS
- AMS Version 0.77 [ 1885 downloads ]
- AMS Version 0.33 [ 1456 downloads ]
Focused on clean code and quality content, Perishable Press is the online home of Jeff Starr, author, artist, designer, developer, and all-around swell guy. 
67 Responses
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mtb – #1
Can you inform me how to get it to work with small icons like you have on the left?
Thanks.
Perishable – #2
The functionality behind the icons to the left derives from the Sociable plugin for WordPress. The icons themselves are custom chunks pimped especially for perishablepress.com, but feel free to help yourself to any or all of them.
Uncle Bri – #3
Awesome plugin. I’m installing it after I’m done commenting.
jack – #4
Nice site actually. Gone to my favourites. Thanks for creation.
mike – #5
These instructions are as simple as A,B,C. Yet I’m having a problem with step 3.
When I put this call:
in my sidebar.php file, I get this error appearing in the blog’s sidebar:
Fatal error: Call to undefined function ams_dropmenu() in the sidebar of the blog
The instructions are simple, So I’ve quickly exhausted all of the possibilities where I may have messed up, but I don’t know squat about php. Any chance you might see a glaring error I’m missing?
Thanks.
m
Perishable – #6
mike,
WordPress "ate" the code you included in your comment, so I can’t tell if the function call is the issue. However, the error message indicates that the plugin is not properly activated, and thus the function cannot be found. There are number of reasons why this might happen — corrupt file, missing plugin, wrong directory, etc. — so you might try deleting all instances of the plugin, downloading a new copy, and starting over. The call to include in your sidebar should look like this:
<
?php ams_dropmenu(); ?>or this:
<
?php ams_listmenu(); ?>..depending on the desired output.
Let me know if you are still having problems, and I will do my best to help you.
Cheers,
Jeff
mike – #7
Wordpress ate the code or, more likely, I forgot to paste it in… but what I’m using seems to be correct:
I’m actually just copy and pasting that from your instructions to avoid typos.
I did the reinstall as you suggested and the problem persists so I’m pretty sure, as simple as this is, I’m managing to misunderstand something.
I should note that I’m attempting to enable this plugin on a Wordpress account that is installed on my ISPs server not on a wordpress server. I don’t know if this makes a difference, but since it appears that the call can’t find the ams_dropmenu function I also tried to insert a path to the appropriate directory like this:
This didn’t work either, but I suspect the problem has something to do with a path issue as WP is set up on my server. Here’s how that looks:
public_html/blog/wp-content/themes/default
Of course, the plugin directory is in wp-content and this is where I’m placing your plugin. I then go through a browser to admin (plugin) page on my blog to activate your plugin.
Now here’s where i think something may be incorrect: I’m using the default WP skin and within the default directory is where the sidebar.php file resides where I am adding this code:
This seems like the right place as it does break the sidebar menu when i go out to look at the blog on a browser.
You can probably tell, I’m in unfamiliar territory. I’m a decent photographer and a sorry computer technician.
I do appreciate your time and knowledge very much.
Best,
Mike
mike – #8
Hey,
I guess something is eating the code snippets I cut and past into this forum.
I pasted this in a couple of times in the preceeding post:
Maybe I shuold be typing that code into the sidebar.php file with bbedit as well. Something else to try….
m
Perishable – #9
mike,
To post code in the comments section, it helps to wrap each line with <code> tags to help WP distinguish it from ordinary text (it doesn’t always work, but it helps).
As for the plugin issue itself, have you successfully installed other WP plugins on your site? If not, that may help determine if the problem is path related. Also, have you tried placing the function call on the theme’s index.php file? If not, try placing the function call both before and after the loop (hey, you never know). If it works in the index.php file, then the issue may involve the theme itself. In that case, you may want to check the plugin with a different theme. Some of these things may help shed some light on the situation..
Let me know how it goes!
mike – #10
Well, this is my first plugin I’ve tried to add so there’s no experience to fall back on (I’m new to blogging).
I got the same error message when I tried to put the call in the theme’s index.php file. I also, tried this with two other plugins and got the same result which makes me feel pretty sure there is something messed up with how I have wp set up.
I haven’t tried this with another theme yet. I’ll have to get to that when I have a few hours in the clear.
What seems foggy is that I put this function call:
<?php ams_dropmenu(); ?>in the sidebar.php file which resides in:
public_html/blog/wp-content/themes/default
While the AddMySite.php file is here:
public_html/blog/wp-content/plugins
I’ve tried variations on the call like:
<?php ams_dropmenu('../../plugins'); ?>and
<?php ams_dropmenu('../../plugins/AddMySite.php'); ?>I just don’t get how the call locates the function without a path to it,but I must admit I’m in unfamilure territory and learning as i go.
One thing is certain… there is no way I’m gonna give up.
Many thanks for your support.
Mike
Perishable – #11
mike,
Your determination is inspiring! I can’t tell you how many times I have been completely stuck with some unexplainable mystery involving PHP, JavaScript, htaccess, and the like. It’s the challenge of the whole web thing that really keeps me glued. Good luck!
Jeff
Dave – #12
I’m having the same problem as Mike. I like the plugin, and have installed many others in the past 2 weeks since I started my blog. This definetly seems like an easy one, yet it’s eluding me!
Dave
mike – #13
Hi Jeff,
As a test, I’ve installed WP locally on my Mac using its Apache server. I installed your plugin as per your instructions and get the same error as on my remote server.
I’m putting the AddMySite.php file into:
Library/webserver/documents/wp-content/plugins
On both servers when i go to activate I find the plugin is activated, but I turn it off and back on just to be sure.
I then put:
<?php ams_dropmenu(); ?>here:
Library/webserver/documents/wp-content/themes/default/sidebar.php
I just thought you might be interested in my latest experiement.
still trying,
Mike
Perishable – #14
okay, now you two have piqued my interest. the AMS plugin works perfectly on many other blog setups and yours should be no exception. perhaps there is something within the plugin itself that conflicts with certain sites and/or directory configurations. i will definitely look into this soon, and report back here any findings or follow-up questions, etc. i appreciate your diligence and help with the development of my AMS plugin. stay tuned..
mike – #15
For what it’s worth, I just tried one of the other plugins I downloaded on the local server wp install with the same result.
Therefore, I’m not convinced the problem lies with your plugin (and the other), but I sure am stumped.
There error message appears in the side bar of the blog like this:
Fatal error: Call to undefined function ams_dropmenu() in/Library/WebServer/Documents/bloglocal/wp-content/themes/default/sidebar.phpon line 43The function is "undefined" but I don’t know how the heck to define it.
Thanks for your interest.
Mike
Perishable – #16
Mike,
one way to define the function is to do it explicitly by including it on the same page as the function call. then, assuming it is properly included on the page, there is no question as to its location. if have yet to try this, copy and paste the entire page (i.e., everything between and including the first and last enclosing php tags) right above the function call in your sidebar. upload and check. if the function works, we have more clues and can eliminate the plugin as the culprit..
mike – #17
viola!
This makes it work… now I just need to figure out how to call that function when is resides in the plugins folder.
Btw, It’s just on a test page now, but your plugin looks very nice sitting in the sidebar like it should.
Many Thanks for your help here… I suspected a path issue but I have yet to figure out how to modify the call to make it look in the plugins folder.
Mike
Perishable – #18
Yes!
Ahh, that is good news indeed. I am glad that the plugin itself is compatible with your system configuration.
Also, keep in mind that including the AMS dropdown menu (or the list) on your web page(s) does not require PHP (or even WordPress) to function properly.
To do this, simply view the source code of the test page that is displaying correctly the AMS function (i.e., either the dropdown menu or list). Then simply copy the entire block of AMS code (everything within and including the <form> or <ul> tags) and paste into the desired location on your WP page(s).
The plugin merely automates this process. The resulting (X)HTML is identical regardless of inclusion method.
The only downside is that the copy & paste process would have to be repeated for any subsequent AMS plugin updates.
Cheers,
Jeff
mike – #19
…and the saga continues. The plugin works great on my local server (apache) with the prescirbed configuration. Thank You very much for bringing me this far.
Unfortunately the same approach doesn’t work when I deploy it on my ISP’s server. There are no error messages, but the plugin doesn’t show and nor does anything else in the sidebar menu below where I add the plugin and function call.
The discussion now moves to my ISP’s support people, but I thought I’d mention it on the chance that you might visit my blog and wonder what is up?
So close i can taste it!
Mike
Perishable – #20
Sounds good, Mike. Keep us in the loop regarding this issue — you never know who else may find this information useful. Also, good luck with the ISP support people, you may need it! Either way, have fun with your blog — it is quite enjoyable to read.
Jeff
Wiz Rollins – #21
Thanks for the code, man! Was a cinch to plugin and it works great. Props!
Perishable – #22
Our pleasure.. Thanks for the shoutz!
Andre – #23
Hello,
I’ve just installed your code and the results are great. Thanks very much!
Now, I have a question…
I’ve just read that numerous links to social sites can “damage” one’s Google pageranking. He says that in order to avoid that, either javascript should be used, or one should have “nofollow” next to the links.
Have you heard of that before?
Once again, thanks for the plugin.
Perishable – #24
Andre,
I have not heard of PR damage due to excessive linkage to social bookmarking sites per se. However, I have read that too many outgoing links in general may decrease a site’s PR value. Keep in mind that a "link" in this case is defined by the presence of an anchor element (<
a>). JavaScript often is used to "hide" convoluted code and excessive outgoing links from the search engines. Thenofollowelement is perhaps the simplest method of protecting PR, but it remains frowned upon as bad practice in many circles. Nonetheless, the AddMySite plugin employs a dropdown list that does not contain any anchor elements whatsoever. Thus, usingnofollowto exempt the URL data is not even a possibility. I suppose you could use JavaScript to hide the dropdown list altogether, but that would not be necessary as it has yet to be shown that search engines penalize PR for form elements or list options. In any case, I am glad that you have found the AMS plugin useful — thank you for the positive feedback.Best regards,
Jeff
Andre – #25
Jeff,
Just wanted to say Thank You for the lengthy reply.
I believe it’s all clear now.
Best,
Andre
Kathie M. Thomas – #26
I believe I’ve done what I’m supposed to, i.e. edited the variables and then uploaded the plugin but when I went to activate it I got thise error:
Parse error: syntax error, unexpected T_CONSTANT_ENCAPSED_STRING, expecting T_VARIABLE or ‘$’ in /home/soholif/public_html/blog/wp-content/plugins/AddMySite.php on line 110
What have I done wrong?
Perishable – #27
Kathie,
The specified parse error indicates missing characters and/or incorrect syntax. My advice? Uninstall the file, download a fresh copy, and try again. Be very careful when editing the variables — PHP is hyper-sensitive when it comes to proper syntax.
Jeff
Seth – #28
Awesome plugin. Thanks much.
marlon – #29
I was curious how easy would it be to convert this script to work on my gaming site?
Perishable – #30
Is it safe to assume that your gaming site is a non-WordPress site?
Tyler Hauser – #31
I would really like to try out this plugin but whenever I try to download it I get this…
WordPress database error: [Got error -1 from storage engine]SELECT DISTINCT * FROM wp_posts LEFT JOIN wp_post2cat ON (wp_posts.ID = wp_post2cat.post_id) WHERE 1=1 AND post_date_gmt <= '2007-05-10 23:27:59' AND (post_status = "publish") AND post_status != "attachment" AND category_id <> 26 GROUP BY wp_posts.ID ORDER BY post_date DESC LIMIT 0, 11Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at .../press/wp-includes/wp-db.php:104) in .../press/download-manager.php on line 19Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at .../press/wp-includes/wp-db.php:104) in .../press/download-manager.php on line 20I’m using Safari on my iMac G4 running OS 10.4.9. Something I’m doing wrong?
Tyler Hauser – #32
Now I’m having quite the time simply viewing your site, so sorry about the double post.
Perishable – #33
I am completely baffled by the error message — never seen or heard of it before.. unfortunately, i am unable to spend any time investigating until early next week. in the meantime, I have taken the liberty of sending you the zipped copy of AddMySite via email. Thank you for taking the time to share this information.
Mark – #34
I like the concept, but from my tests it appears that I can only add my site (as the name would imply) and not my post, correct? If not, then how can I have visitors add a particular post to whatever community they wanted?
Perishable – #35
Mark,
There are many options for sharing posts with the various bookmarking services. I would recommend Alex King’s Share This plugin. There is also the excellent addthis.com service, which does all the dirty work for you! As soon as I find the extra time, I plan to add "individual-post-adding" functionality to the AddMySite plugin, along with several other nifty improvements. Cheers!
kevstelo – #36
I think I’ve read something simillar a few days ago. I don’t remember where, might have been on digg.com or slashdot.
Anthony – #37
I like the idea of using this plugin but I am not too sure what to put in the $your_site_feed variable as I don’t know much about using feeds as yet, especially how feedburner works.
What should I put in this variable for now until I know a bit more?
Thanks for any help.
Perishable – #38
Hi Anthony,
Looking at your site, I would suggest using
http://saveyourmarriage.co.uk/feed/That will enable visitors to add your site’s main RSS feed to any of the various aggregator sites (such as Google Reader, Bloglines, etc.).
Let me know if you need more info..
Anthony – #39
Perishable. Thanks for your advice on what to put in the feed variable. I have now got a feedburner account so I can put that in.
By the way, I like your site.
Perishable – #40
Thank you for the kind words, Anthony — you are most welcome. Keep up the excellent work on your site. I am sure it will be a valuable resource for people in need.
Paulo – #41
Hi, thanks a lot for this plugin, I have downloaded and installed in my website and it works great! I only have one question, I have put function call - drop menu - in the sidebar.php, but I would also like to be able to “move it” with my sidebar widget. Is that possible?!
gio – #42
Thanks for sharing this nice plugin.
Tony – #43
Hi, is it possible to enter this code into the “text” of wordpress?
For example, when in the presentation menu, on widget, and you create a text widget. Is it possible to put this code in the text widget? Thanks
Perishable – #44
Thank you all for the feedback! It seems that there is quite a demand for a “widgetized” version of the AddMySite plugin. Of course, I will look into this as soon as time allows and attempt to integrate such functionality into the next AMS update. Stay tuned.. ;)
super – #45
hi ive tried to use it on my website http://www.ladicakes.com but i couldnt managed!but i know its really a great widget! i ll try again this night hope it works! great job! thank you
Perishable – #46
Interesting site you have there, super. I like the nifty JavaScript “to-do” list. Good luck with the plugin; I hope you figure it out. Let me know if I may be of any assistance.
Cheers,
Jeff
Jenny Lens – #47
I am using Tiga theme, recently updated for WP 2.3. The ONLY way I have been able to add anything to any sidebar is via pasting code into a text widget. Perhaps there’s something missing from the code provided to implement in now? Whatta drag, cos this is an AWESOME plugin!
I wanted to put it under the Subscribe button, above my Categories on the right sidebar, if you wanna check it out. I know you are busy, so I don’t expect anything. Thanks anyway!
Perishable – #48
Alright, apparently I need to release a widgetized version of AddMySite. I am currently buried in work, but will take time out for it this next weekend. I will post an article and update the comments the very second a widgetized version of AMS is available. Promise ;)
Perishable – #49
New widgetized version (0.88) of AddMySite now available! Fully compatible with WordPress 2.3+ and completely widgetized. Grab a copy via the official download link in the article above and give ‘er a spin!
JabberWocky – #50
I just installed the AMS widget to my site. LOVE IT. But I need to change the font color on the text so it isn’t black and is legible in my sidebar.
Is there a quick and easy way to get the span tag around my text? Thanks in advance…
Perishable – #51
JabberWocky,
Glad you like the plugin :) To change the font color, you do not need to add any code, simply take advantage of the built-in CSS hook provided in the markup. To style the form in general, apply CSS to the
#ams_dropmenuselector like so:#ams_dropmenu {border: thin solid white;margin: 1.5em 0em;color: white;}Then, to apply styles (such as font color) to the option text, you would write something like this in your CSS file:
#ams_dropmenu option {background-color: black;color: white;}Etc. I hope that helps — let me know if you still need help with this.
Regards,
Jeff
Annie – #52
Perhaps there’s something missing from the code provided to implement in now?
I have taken the liberty of sending you the zipped copy of AddMySite via email
Perishable – #53
Okay, Annie — I will keep an eye out for your email! Note that I have not yet received it..
Kyle James – #54
Looks like a nice plugin. I’m definitely going to have to give it a shot on one of my sites. Thanks.
Peterson Mark – #55
Nice pluggin for wordpress. But I dontknow why one need to add one site to more than 40 bookmarking sites. in practive one user may be using one bookmarking site like del.icio.us or technorati etc. But there are some pluggins which posts each posts in all major social bookmarking sites. In what way this plugin differs from that pluggin. Bcause i dont want to install all the pluggins to my blog and try them. I may be wrong too.
Perishable – #56
Yes, you are correct, there are many different plugins, services, and scripts from which to choose when it comes to bookmarking your site and posts at the various social services. To learn more about the functionality of the AddMySite plugin, read the post above and feel free to ask if you have any specific questions. I think it’s pretty straightforward — AMS presents either a drop-down menu or a list which users may use to add your site to their favorite social bookmarking services. I hope that helps! :)
Forensics – #57
Hey, that’s a pretty neat plugin. I’ve never heard of it. Although, I couldn’t find your AMS link on your blog - did something happen to it? I think the neatest thing about the plugin is that you’ll be added to all these social sites, and some are bound to give you a boost in Goog rankings.
Perishable – #58
Thanks for the comment, Forensics. I have double-checked all relevant AMS links and they all seem to be in place and working properly.
Aaron – #59
@Perishable: Thanks for the plugin. Is it still compatible with WP 2.5.1?
If so, I will probably end up replacing AddToAny with this as I am not very satisfied with their plugin as it redirects all traffic to their site first… Please update the post with the latest confirmed compatibility.
Jeff Starr – #60
Aaron, yes I just tested AMS with WP 2.5.1 and it passed with flying colors. I have updated the post to reflect this information as well. Thanks for keeping an eye on things! ;)
Cadie Gail – #61
I’ve added the plugin in my blog few months back. What a surprise. I got my link popularity increased. The traffic also increased very much. In fact I don’t do much promotion for the blog. Only the plugin does that all for me. Thanks for coding such a good plugin,
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