JavaScript is utilised in a wide range of applications, including game development, web application development, and more. It is also a well-established front-end language that continues to grow and provide flexibility to website functions – especially WordPress. If you have a plugin for a slider, social media links, or responsive navigation menu on your website, someone has to add JavaScript to WordPress website plugins to create those effects. 

If you are a WordPress developer accustomed to working with PHP, you may have second thoughts about how to add JavaScript to a WordPress website. However, the good news is that JavaScript and PHP share many similarities. They work in various ways and various settings, yet the code you compose isn’t all that different all the time. 

In this article, we’ll teach you how to simply add JavaScript to a WordPress website.  

3 Ways to Add JavaScript to WordPress Websites 

1. Enqueueing Scripts for Themes and Plugins

The recommended method for adding scripts to a WordPress theme is to queue your scripts and stylesheets because it does not only make it simple to access the list of pre-registered scripts, but it also helps prevent conflict between plugins and themes. If you use a plugin that also uses jQuery and adds jQuery to the head of your document with a script tag, you might end up loading jQuery twice, which is not ideal. That can’t happen if your scripts are queued. 

Enqueuing scripts in WordPress makes it simple to include dependencies from the list of pre-registered scripts, which is one of the best features. The WordPress function reference contains a comprehensive list of scripts. The only thing left to do is to include the handle of the dependency in the arguments of wp_enqueue_script. That’s it! 

To give you an idea of how it would look like, refer to the following script: 

function my_add_theme_scripts() { 
// stylesheets 
wp_enqueue_style( ‘jquery-structure-css’, get_template_directory_uri() . ‘/jquery-ui.structure.css’ ); 
wp_enqueue_style( ‘style’, get_stylesheet_uri() ); 
 
// scripts 
wp_register_script( ‘custom.js’, get_template_directory_uri() . ‘/js/custom.js’, array(‘jquery’, ‘jquery-ui-selectmenu’), ‘1.0.0’, true ); 
wp_enqueue_script(‘custom.js’); 
} 
add_action( ‘wp_enqueue_scripts’, ‘my_add_theme_scripts’ );

2. Adding JavaScript Anywhere on Your WordPress Site withthe Plugin WPCode

In some cases, for a plugin or tool to function properly, you will need to copy and paste a snippet of JavaScript code into your website. These scripts typically reside in the WordPress blog’s header or footer, loading the code with each page view. 

For instance, in order for Google Analytics to keep track of visitors on your website, you need to manually insert a code to run on each and every page of your website. You can manually add the code to your header.php and footer.php files, but when you update or change your theme, these changes will be overwritten. Because of this, we recommend adding JavaScript to your entire WordPress website with the help of WPCode. 

It’s a powerful WordPress plugin that simplifies adding custom code to any area of your website. Best part: it’s free!

3. Adding JavaScript to HTML

There are two methods for integrating JavaScript into HTML. One is by adding it directly to the file and the other is through a separate file.  

Adding JavaScript Directly to a File 

Direct addition of JavaScript to HTML is the first option. You can accomplish this by employing the <script> </script> tag, which ought to cover all of your JS code. You can add JS code between the <head> and <body> tags.  

The loading will differ depending on where you add the JavaScript code to your HTML file. It is best to place it in the <head> section so that it remains distinct from the HTML file’s actual content. However, if you put it in the <body>, the actual website content will load faster and the JavaScript will only be parsed after that. 

Let’s say you want to add a JavaScript that’s supposed to show the current time, here’s how it will look like: 

<!DOCTYPE html> 

<html lang=”en-US”> 

<head> 

<meta charset=”UTF-8″> 

<meta name=”viewport” content=”width=device-width, initial-scale=1″> 

<script>JAVASCRIPT IS USUALLY PLACED HERE</script> 

<title>Time right now is: </title> 

</head> 

<body> 

<script>JAVASCRIPT CAN ALSO GO HERE</script> 

</body> 

</html> 

Adding JavaScript on a Separate File 

Sometimes it doesn’t seem like the best way to directly add JavaScript to HTML. Most of the time, it’s best to keep JavaScript code in separate files because some JS scripts need to be used on multiple pages. Because of this, external file importing is another way of adding JavaScript to HTML. Here are a few advantages of putting JS code on separate files: 

  • The design principle of concern separation is met when HTML and JavaScript code are separated, making everything significantly more reusable and sustainable. 
  • Maintenance and readability of the code are greatly simplified. 
  • By reducing the amount of time it takes for pages to load, cached JavaScript files improve website performance as a whole. 

Why should I Insert JavaScripts in WordPress and HTML?  

WordPress is the simplest and most widely used platform for developing a blog, web application, or website. It allows the use of plugins to modify websites and even add custom functions. 

When you want to add an element, like audio or video players, to your WordPress page, that would usually slow down your server when deployed. Hence, adding JavaScript is helpful. Additionally, if you use a lot of third-party software, you may need to insert a script in HTML for them to work smoothly. 

Since JavaScript is composed of an HTML page, it really depends on the client’s web browser to choose how to manage it. Although JavaScript can be used on the server side, the client-side implementation is where its true power lies. 

Event-based actions are one example of additional JavaScript implementation opportunities. For example, when you need your website to react to user actions like mouse clicks or window resizing. 

Maximise WordPress Website Opportunities with Javascript! 

At first, using JavaScript to make individual modifications to your WordPress website may appear intimidating. However, you will have complete control over your themes and integrations once you understand how to successfully implement this essential programming language. 

As the owner or developer of a WordPress website, high-quality resources make all the difference in your work. So, aside from learning this essential programming language, ensure that you use a reliable WordPress hosting service for your website.