Accordions

Want to add an informative FAQ section or similar collapsible content to your WordPress website?

You’ll notice that we use FAQ accordions in some of our articles, in order to address common questions from our readers. This has helped us improve the reader experience, attract more visitors, and boost WPBeginner’s search rankings.

To sum it up, we know how valuable and versatile collapsible content can be. With that said, in this Accordions review we’re taking a closer look at a popular plugin that promises to help you create question and answer sections, WooCommerce product FAQs, knowledge bases, and similar content.

Is Accordions the right plugin for you? Let’s find out, in this detailed Accordions review.

Accordions Review: Why Use It in WordPress?

PickPlugins’ Accordions is a user-friendly plugin that lets you create unlimited accordions. This means you can create FAQs, tabs, question and answer sections, and many other types of content, and then add them to your site with ease.

Accordions supports multimedia content so you can add images, videos, playlists, and more to each panel inside the accordion. This is particularly useful when creating FAQs or knowledge bases, as you can show how to complete certain tasks using step-by-step images or detailed video guides.

If you do create multimedia panels, then you’ll be happy to learn that Accordions supports lazy loading. This means you can create long accordions with rich, multimedia content without slowing down your site.

Do you sell digital downloads or physical products online? Then Accordions integrates seamlessly with WooCommerce, so you can add FAQs to your product listings with ease.

If you’re just getting started or have a limited budget, then you can download the lite version from WordPress.org. This free plugin lets you create as many accordions and tabs as you want, and then display them on your site using shortcode.

However, if you upgrade to the premium plugin then you can create nested accordions, which are ideal for displaying complex information in a way that doesn’t overwhelm the reader. You’ll also get access to built-in analytics so you can track website visitors without having to install a separate analytics solution.

Accordions Review: Is It the Right Accordion Plugin for You?

Organizing content into an accordion can help visitors find the information they need. It also lets you add a ton of information to a page, without overwhelming the reader with a wall of text.

Want to create collapsible content? In this Accordions review we’re taking a look at its features, support, and pricing, to see if it’s the right accordion and tab plugin for you.

1. Easy to Use

It’s easy to get started with Accordions. To begin, you can install and activate it just like any other WordPress plugin. With that done, you can create a new accordion or tab with just a few clicks.

You can then add content using a mini version of the standard WordPress content editor.

In fact, you can insert text, images, videos, and any other content that WordPress supports.

Simply keep creating new accordion panels or tabs until you’re happy with the content. You can also rearrange your tabs or panels using simple drag and drop.

With that done, you can change its style, and then add it to your site using a shortcode that Accordions creates automatically.

2. Create Unlimited Accordions and Tabs

With Accordions, you can create as many tabs and accordions as you want, no matter whether you’re using the free or premium plugin. This is perfect if you want to create a separate FAQ section for each physical or digital product on your online store, or show different accordions on different pages.

3. Design Multimedia Tabs and Accordions

As already mentioned, you add content to your accordions using a mini version of the WordPress content editor. Going further, you can use the WordPress media gallery to insert images, galleries, audio clips, playlists, or content from a URL.

By embedding this content directly in the accordion, visitors can see it without having to click through to another section of your WordPress website.

These multimedia accordions work particularly well for documentation or FAQ sections, as you can use images and videos to help readers understand your instructions.

Accordions also support all the standard formatting options, so you can add links, bold text, blockquotes, and other formatting to your content.

4. Completely Customizable Design

After adding content to your accordions, you can change how they look by adding a hover color, changing the font size, adding a background color, and much more.

You can also style the header, content, and container separately.

As you make changes, you can preview the accordion at any point.

This makes it easy to try lots of different styles, and see what suits your company or personal branding the best.

5. Font Awesome Icons

The Accordions plugin lets you display different icons, depending on whether a panel is collapsed or expanded.

Even better, it comes with built-in support for the Font Awesome library, so you can choose from lots of different icon fonts.

You can even change the icon color, or switch between different versions of the Font Awesome library, for even more options.

6. Display Accordions Anywhere

You can add your accordions to any page, post, or widget-ready area using a shortcode that Accordions creates automatically. For example, you might add an accordion to a specific landing page or sales page.

You can even create a page specifically for your accordion, such as a dedicated FAQs page.

7. Supports Nested Accordions

Sometimes, you may need to present complex information to your visitors. In that case, it may help to organize that information into a multi-level accordion.

This is also a good option if there’s a relationship between the different panels or tabs. For example, you might group related FAQs under a parent category so it’s easier for visitors to find the information they need.

We also recommend nesting accordions when you have lots of information, and want to avoid overwhelming the visitor.

Using this plugin, you can easily create nested accordions with unlimited levels. Simply paste the shortcode from any accordion, into the section that you want to act as the parent.

Visitors can then expand or collapse the different sub-sections independently from the parent.

8. Optional Vertical Layout

Do you have limited horizontal space? In that case, Accordions has a vertical tab layout that you may want to use.

This layout can also help you organize complex information into clear sections, and creates a more natural reading flow.

9. Integrates with WooCommerce

Do you run a WooCommerce store?

Sometimes, customers may have questions about a particular product. If you don’t provide answers, then you may miss out on sales. Even if a shopper contacts you directly, this still means more work for your customer service staff or help desk.

To help you out, Accordions integrates seamlessly with WooCommerce and adds an ‘FAQ’ tab to your product pages.

You can display any accordion inside this new tab.

Simply open the WooCommerce product where you want to add an FAQ, and select the accordion you want to use.

Since you can create unlimited accordions, you can create a completely separate FAQ for each product across your online marketplace.

10. Boost SEO With Schema Markup

Schema markup is a special type of HTML code that helps search engines understand your content, and index it correctly. There are many different kinds of schema markup you can use, such as how to schema, recipe schema, and author schema.

The good news is that Accordions automatically generates schema markup for you. This helps search engines to index the content inside your accordions and tabs, and then include it in relevant search results.

This schema works out of the box and can greatly improve your WordPress SEO. However, if you prefer then you can disable it in the plugin’s settings.

11. Mobile Friendly

According to our internet usage statistics, mobile internet traffic accounts for almost 55% of total web traffic. With that in mind, you’ll want to make sure your accordions look good and load quickly on mobile devices.

Thankfully, this plugin uses the jQuery UI library to create responsive accordions and tabs. This means your content will look great and function correctly across smartphones, tablets, and desktop computers.

12. Supports Lazy Loading

Imagine you’ve created a long accordion containing lots of different images and videos. By default, all that content will load as soon as the visitor arrives on the page.

To avoid this, Accordions supports lazy loading. When enabled, it only loads the accordion once the visitor scrolls down to it.

This can boost your website’s speed and performance, even when you have multiple accordions on the same page. If you do use lazy loading, then you can upload a custom lazy loading image in the plugin’s settings.

Alternatively, you can disable lazy loading in the plugin’s settings.

13. Expand / Collapse All Button

With Accordions, you can add a button that allows users to expand or collapse all the different panels with a single click. This works well for larger accordions with lots of different sections, as it makes them easier to navigate. It can also improve the visitor experience, since they don’t need to click multiple times to open or close the accordion.

After enabling this feature, you can change the button label and background color, to create a button that perfectly suits your WordPress theme or branding.

14. Open Specific Panels Automatically

Sometimes, you may want to open a particular panel by default. This could be the page’s most important panel, or simply the first item in the accordion.

In that case, you can specify the panel you want to open, using either its URL parameter or hash. Even better, Accordions doesn’t limit you to expanding a single panel, so you can make multiple panels open by default.

15. Convenient Scroll Feature

After expanding all the different sections, scrolling back to the top of the page can be frustrating. This is especially true for long accordions that have many different panels. It can also be frustrating for mobile users, since they typically have a much smaller screen compared to desktop computers.

Thankfully, Accordions has a ‘scroll to top‘ feature that can help visitors navigate your accordions more easily.

16. Toggle Header Text

By default, Accordions will show the same header text no matter whether the panel is collapsed or expanded. However, it also has a toggled text feature that shows a different header depending on whether the panel is collapsed or expanded.

For example, you might use a shorter header for the collapsed state, in order to create a sense of intrigue. In this way, you can encourage visitors to engage with your panels.

You might even use this feature to create more unique experiences, such as using the collapsed header to pose a question, and then revealing the answer in the expanded header.

17. Add a Search Bar

To help visitors find interesting content, the Accordions plugin can display a search field above your tabs or panels.

18. Track Clicks and Stats

Want to monitor how visitors are interacting with your accordions?

This plugin logs every time a user collapses or expands each panel and then displays that information in your WordPress dashboard.

This can help you identify the accordions and individual panels that get the most engagement. You can then use this insight to improve your other accordions, such as copying a top-performing accordion’s design, layout, or anything else that makes it unique.

Alternatively, user engagement may indicate a problem you need to address. For example, if lots of people are expanding a particular frequently asked question, then this suggests lots of visitors are confused about this topic. In that case, you may need to update your documentation with the missing information, or you might write a blog post or email newsletter covering that exact topic.

19. Integrates with Page Builder Plugins

Are you using a page builder plugin, such as SeedProd?

Since it generates shortcodes, you can add your accordions to any custom pages you design using a page builder. The only limit, is that your chosen page builder must support shortcodes.

20. Easy Migration Tool

Are you migrating from an alternative accordion plugin? Then you’ll be happy to learn that Accordions comes with a built-in third party import tool that supports many popular plugins.

This includes WP Shortcode, Meks Flexible Shortcodes, Shortcodes Ultimate, and Easy Accordion. In this way, Accordions can save you a ton of time and effort, since you don’t need to recreate your existing content manually when migrating to this plugin.

21. Import and Export Your Accordions

Want to re-use the same accordions across multiple websites?

With Accordions, you can export all your content as a JSON file and then import it into any other website that has Accordions installed.

Alternatively, Accordions integrates with the default WordPress import/export tool.

This means you can import your accordions into another website, in exactly the same way you migrate posts, pages, and other content.

No matter what method you choose, this can save you a ton of time and effort compared to recreating your accordions manually.

It can also be useful if you manage multiple websites and want to use the same design across all of them. Simply create an accordion that has exactly the settings and style you want, and then export it.

You can then use this JSON file as a template across all your websites. In this way, you can save time while creating a more consistent design across your entire portfolio.

22. Community and Professional Support

With its user-friendly, code-free editor and WooCommerce support, Accordions is designed with ease of use in mind. However, you may still have questions, or want more information about a particular feature.

With that said, there’s a small online documentation section you can access 24/7. This shows you how to create various accordions, including how to add a product questions and answer section in WooCommerce.

If you prefer one-on-one help, then there’s a forum where you can post questions and get answers directly from the experts. Alternatively, you can submit a support ticket and a member of the Accordions team will get back to you as quickly as possible.

If you’re using the free plugin, then you can post to the Accordions forum on WordPress.org instead. When posting to public support forums, it’s always a good idea to include as much detail as possible, so the experts can understand your problem fully and post a helpful response. For more on this topic, check out our guide on how to properly ask for WordPress support.

Accordions Review: Pricing and Plans

If you’re just getting started or have a limited budget, then you can download the free version of Accordions from WordPress.org. This plugin lets you add unlimited accordions to your site and then customize them to perfectly suit your WordPress or WooCommerce theme.

It also supports lazy loading and will add schema markup to your site automatically, which can help you rank for the right keywords.

However, if you want to create nested accordions, display dynamic headers, or track your website visitors, then you’ll need to upgrade to a premium plugin.

Unlike some other WordPress plugins, you’ll get access to the same features no matter which plan you buy. You’ll also get 1 year of updates and professional support.

The major difference is the number of websites where you can use Accordions:

• Personal. For $9 per year, you can install the plugin on a single WordPress blog, website, or online store.
• Plus. Priced at $10 per year, this plan lets you install Accordions on up to 10 websites. With that said, this is a good option if you own multiple sites, such as several related blogs in an affiliate marketing network.
• Freelance. Do you run a WordPress design or development agency? For $89 annually, you can use Accordions on up to 30 websites.
• Agency. For $129 annually, you can use this plugin on up to 500 websites. That said, we recommend this plan for large WordPress development agencies.

Accordions Review: Is It the Right Accordion Plugin for You?

To sum up this Accordions review, we’re confident that it’s a great plugin for creating tabs, accordions, FAQ sections, technical documentation, and similar content. No matter what content you create, you can add it to any page, post, or widget-ready area using a shortcode that Accordions creates automatically.

It also integrates with WooCommerce so you can add an FAQ tab to any product listing. In this way, you can provide potential customers with the answers they need to make more informed purchasing decisions. This can have a big impact on your conversion rates and help to grow your online business.

We hope this Accordions review helped you decide whether it’s the right accordions plugin for you. Next, you may want to see our guide on how to create a contact form in WordPress, or see our expert pick of the best WordPress SEO plugins and tools.

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