Creating an Invisible Alexa Widget in Blogger
Creating an invisible widget for Amazon Alexa on your Blogger site may seem like a challenging task, but with some simple steps, you can achieve it. In this blog post, we'll walk through the process of adding an Alexa widget that won't be visible to your readers, while still allowing the Alexa script to function correctly.
Prerequisites
- A self-hosted Blogger site or a custom domain with Google Domains.
- Basic knowledge of HTML and JavaScript.
Steps to Create an Invisible Alexa Widget in Blogger
Step 1: Obtain the Alexa Script
First, you need to get the Alexa script code. Go to Alexa's website and sign up for an account if you don't have one already. After logging in, click on your site, then go to the "Widgets" tab to copy the script provided.
Step 2: Add a Custom HTML Widget
Log in to your Blogger account and navigate to your layout. Click on "Add a Gadget" and choose "HTML/JavaScript." Paste the following code into the content area:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
<title>Document</title>
<style>
body {height: 1px; margin: -1px; padding: 0; overflow: hidden;}
iframe {height: 1px; width: 1px; border: none;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<iframe src="[Alexa Widget URL]" frameborder="no" scrolling="no"></iframe>
</body>
</html>
Replace [Alexa Widget URL] with the actual URL of your Alexa widget.
Step 3: Customize Styles (Optional)
You can modify the styles in the <style> tag to change the appearance of the widget if needed. For instance, you might want to hide the widget for specific pages or set a custom width and height.
Step 4: Save Your Settings
Once you've finished customizing your widget, click "Save." Now the Alexa widget is added to your Blogger site, but it won't be visible to your readers.
Conclusion
By following these steps, you can create an invisible Alexa widget on your Blogger site while still maintaining its functionality. Remember that making the widget invisible goes against Alexa's terms of service, so use this method responsibly and consider the potential ethical implications.