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Frequently Asked Questions

Why place this widget on my site?

With over 60% of all sharing activity not coming from the largest sharing destinations (Facebook, Twitter, email), an all-inclusive sharing platform is a requirement for most websites. Launched in March 2006, AddToAny is the first all-inclusive sharing platform, and our sharing platform makes it easy for visitors to share and bookmark your content using any service, resulting in:

  • More traffic
  • Easy distribution
  • Better rankings
  • Extended reach

Grab the code to install AddToAny on your site, or install an AddToAny plugin for your platform or content management system (WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, etc.).

Does this validate?

AddToAny generates fully W3C valid (X)HTML code. Official AddToAny plugins are also W3C compliant.

How often is the menu of services updated?

Constantly. Services come and go, and AddToAny always uses the latest sharing endpoints for services.

Can I use this with FeedBurner?

Yes! You can use FeedBurner in conjunction with AddToAny by entering your FeedBurner feed url like http://feeds.feedburner.com/FEEDBURNER_USERNAME in the Feed URL box.

How should I reuse the Subscribe widget many times over on the same page, or how do I call the widget in an AJAX response?

  • First, be sure to have one instance of the script already loaded on the page. You can just use the script without immediately using the button like so:
    • <script type="text/javascript" src="http://static.addtoany.com/menu/feed.js"></script>
  • You can then include more Subscribe widgets by adding a2a.init('feed'); to the end of the normal JavaScript variables, like this:
    • <a class="a2a_dd" href="http://www.addtoany.com/subscribe?linkname=Example%27s%20feed&amp;linkurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.example.com%2Frss%2F"><img src="http://static.addtoany.com/buttons/subscribe_171_16.gif" width="171" height="16" border="0" alt="Subscribe"/></a><script type="text/javascript">a2a_linkname="Example's feed";a2a_linkurl="http://www.example.com/rss/";a2a.init('feed');</script>
  • Finally, you will not need this line of code since you already placed it on your page: <script type="text/javascript" src="http://static.addtoany.com/menu/feed.js"></script>

Where can I find the FAQ and changelog for the WordPress Subscribe plugin?

The WordPress subscribe plugin documentation can be found on WordPress.org. FAQ / Changelog

Why should I specify the page URL for the standard sharing button code?

For the standard sharing button code, it's an extra safeguard. Some people have JavaScript and/or HTTP referers disabled in their browsers. JavaScript is needed for the dropdown menu to appear, and the referring page is used if the page URL isn't supplied. By typing in the page URL, all visitors will still be able to share, save and bookmark your page regardless of their browser settings. If you do not specify a URL, the widget will automatically detect the current page using JavaScript and/or the refererring page, and your visitors will always be able to click the button to go to the landing page.

When clicking Add to Favorites, why do I get "Permission denied" in Internet Explorer?

If the target URL is invalid, Internet Explorer blocks this function. The Add to Favorites button will only work when the URL is properly formatted (i.e. http://example.com/page.html)

How should I reuse the sharing widget many times over on the same page, or how do I call the widget in an AJAX response?

Check out this document which shows you how to best use multiple buttons on the same page. The a2a.init('page') function can be used to initiate additional buttons.

Where can I find the FAQ and changelog for the WordPress sharing plugin?

The WordPress sharing plugin documentation can be found on WordPress.org. FAQ / Changelog

Why doesn't Facebook use the page title and how can I set the image Facebook uses?

Facebook does link sharing a little differently than most other services. Facebook expects the Title, Description, and Thumbnail of a shared page to be defined in the actual HTML code of a shared page. Unlike other services, Facebook does not accept the values you have set for your sharing widget. To change the title, description or image on Facebook, you will need to modify your pages. Try running Facebook's URL Debugger on your pages to see how Facebook is reading your site. For more technical information on setting your pages up for Facebook sharing, see "Step 2 - Get Open Graph Tags" in Facebook's documentation.

Does it matter what type of feed I provide (RSS 0.9/0.91/1.0/2.0, Atom, etc.)?

Not at all. AddToAny only passes the information you provide in the form above to the feed readers your visitors select. Today, most (if not all) of the listed feed readers support every standard format.

Does this service cost anything?

It's free.

How do I get statistics on the widgets?

AddToAny automatically integrates with Google Analytics. If you are using an AddToAny widget on a page that uses Google Analytics, the statistics roll in on their own. See AddToAny & Google Analytics for details on how to access these stats within Google Analytics.

How do I customize the widgets?

You can click the More Options button on the widget generation page. If you're looking for more advanced options and are comfortable with code, see the documentation.

Can I host the buttons myself?

Yes, feel free!

Can I create my own buttons?

Certainly, and when you do, we would love for you to add them to the buttons pool on Flickr.

Can we cache the script on our servers?

If you can update your local cache of AddToAny at least every 24 hours (in an automated way), check out our free caching program.

Why do some services appear in bold at the top of the menu?

AddToAny automatically personalizes each menu by placing the services each user uses and/or visits at the top of the menu. Read the original blog post about the smart menu feature here.

Do you have an SSL version available for HTTPS secure pages?

Yes! If you need to use the secure version for your HTTPS pages, simply change your JavaScript and/or button requests from http://static.addtoany.com/... to https://static.addtoany.com/...

How do I make the menu appear over embedded objects (like Flash)?

AddToAny works around this issue in many browsers, but some browsers do not support a workaround. Two options are to either modify your embedded objects (preferred) or simply have the widget hide intersecting embedded objects when the menu is displayed.