How to Add Custom Code in Webflow: A Beginners Guide
Table of Contents
- What is Webflow?
- Types of Custom Codes You Can Add to Webflow
- Why Use Custom Code in Webflow?
- How to Add Custom Code in Webflow?
- Limitations of Adding Custom Codes to Webflow
- Can we Host Custom Code Files on Webflow?
- Best Practices for Adding Custom Code to Webflow
- Character Limits on Custom Code in Webflow
- How to Troubleshoot and Debug Webflow Custom Code?
- FAQs about adding Custom Code to Webflow
- Conclusion
- How WP Creative Can Help Customise Your Webflow Website?
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Many people are curious about whether it is possible to add custom code to Webflow.
If so, what is the process, and how does it work?
In this article, we will explore all the ways you can add custom code, including JavaScript, CSS, and HTML, directly to Webflow. We will discuss the process and how you can do this with ease.
Before diving into the details, let’s start with a brief introduction to Webflow.
What is Webflow?
Webflow is a low-code platform that helps you build websites without writing a single line of code. In simple terms, you can design the entire website, create templates, and even run your website without any coding.
That’s the purpose behind Webflow.
However, sometimes you need to add custom code for functionalities like Google Analytics scripts for tracking, layout changes, or adding forms. For all these, you need to add custom code to Webflow.
The challenge with Webflow is that, by default, you use a drag-and-drop feature to add elements, and there’s no direct option to add code to the website itself. You can add code snippets to specific parts of the website but not to the entire site. So, how is it done? Let’s get into that.
Types of Custom Codes You Can Add to Webflow
Here is a list of the types of custom codes you can add to your Webflow website:
- HTML, CSS, and JavaScript: These fundamental web technologies can be seamlessly integrated into your Webflow site. You can add them through embedded codes or the custom code options available for the header and body sections. By incorporating these codes, you can enhance your site’s functionality and visual appeal, tailoring it to meet your specific needs and preferences.
- Code Snippets from Third-Party Websites: Integrate tracking and analytics tools like Google Analytics or Search Console by adding their code snippets directly to your Webflow site. These snippets help you monitor and analyse website traffic and performance effectively.
- Embedded Codes: Use embedded codes to add visual assets or lead generation forms to your Webflow site. These codes enhance your site’s visual appeal and functionality, making it more interactive and user-friendly.
Why Use Custom Code in Webflow?
There are numerous reasons to add custom code to your Webflow projects. Here are some key benefits of using them:
1. Enhance Functionality
Custom code allows you to segment and enhance your site’s functionality. For example, you can add interactive maps, chat boards, or integrate third-party services like Google Analytics for more robust tracking capabilities.
2. Improve Design Capabilities
By using custom CSS and JavaScript, you can push the design boundaries of Webflow. This includes adding advanced animations, such as spline images or 3D effects, that aren’t possible with Webflow’s built-in tools. Additionally, you can optimise your site for SEO by implementing schema markup and structured data, which are essential for marketing and interactivity.
3. Integrate External APIs
Custom code enables you to fetch and display data from APIs that aren’t natively supported by Webflow. This is useful for displaying dynamic content from external sources directly on your website.
4. Add Specialised Tools
For specific requirements like calculations or converting files, custom JavaScript or libraries can be integrated. These tools are not typically available within Webflow but can be added through the custom code feature to enhance your site’s functionality.
How to Add Custom Code in Webflow?
Let’s discuss how to add custom code in Webflow. There are multiple options for adding custom code, such as page-level custom codes, embedded custom codes, and global custom codes in Webflow. Let’s go over them one by one.
Page-Specific Custom Code
To add custom code specifically to a page in Webflow, follow these steps:
- Access Page Settings:
- Navigate to the page you want to customise.
- Click on the Page Settings icon (cog icon) for the selected page.
- Add Custom Code:
- In the Page Settings, locate the Custom Code section.
- You will find options to insert code directly into the Header or before the </body> section.
- Insert Your Code:
- Paste your custom HTML, CSS, or JavaScript code into the designated areas.
- Save Changes:
- Ensure you save your changes to apply the custom code to the specific page.
This method allows you to tailor the functionality or design of individual pages without affecting the entire site.
Global or Site-Level Custom Code
To add custom code globally to all pages, follow these steps:
- Navigate to Site Settings:
- Access the Site Settings option from the Webflow dashboard.
- Access Custom Code Section:
- Within the Site Settings, locate the Custom Code option.
- Insert Custom Code:
- Click on the Custom Code option to open the input fields.
- Add your custom code to either the Header or Footer section as needed.
This method allows you to apply custom code site-wide, ensuring consistency across all pages on your Webflow project.
The below image is of the header section, where you can insert the custom code directly into the header menu.
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Then we have the footer section, where you can add the custom code directly as well.
With both options, you can add custom code site-wide. In simple terms, it will be visible on all pages of the website.
Embedded Custom Code
The third option is to add custom code through an embedded code container. This allows you to add code directly to any part of the block section of the page, making it reusable and easily customisable. You only need to add it to the fold or the section on the page where you want it to be included.
- Navigate to the specific page on Webflow where you want to add embedded code.
- Click on ‘Add’ and select ‘Embed Code’ or ‘Code Embed. ‘
- Paste the code directly into the provided field on your website.
The code editor looks like this.
Once you have added the code here, simply save it, and the changes will reflect on the website when you view it either in staging or in published mode.
Limitations of Adding Custom Codes to Webflow
Adding custom code to your Webflow website comes with several limitations that you should be aware of to ensure optimal performance and security.
- Technical Limitations: Your code is restricted to specific sections. Global code can only be added to the header or footer, not the body. For page-level code, it will only be in the page body section and address section, requiring manual replication for each page.
- Security Issues: Adding APIs or external scripts exposes your code to public channels, potentially leading to security vulnerabilities where your website could be hacked or compromised.
- Performance Implications: Excessive scripts can slow down your website, making it cumbersome to manage and overloading it with assets. This can negatively impact the overall performance.
- Maintenance Challenges: Custom code requires manual updates with each version change. Design implications might directly affect your website, and custom code can break if not properly maintained.
- SEO Implications: The code you add can impact marketing activities, such as website indexing on search engines. If overexposed, it may hinder rendering or indexing, affecting visibility and marketing efforts.
Can we Host Custom Code Files on Webflow?
No, you cannot directly host custom code files such as JavaScript, HTML, CSS, or any server-side scripting languages like PHP and Python on Webflow. Webflow does not support externally hosted files. However, if you wish to utilise these types of files in your Webflow custom code, you can host them on a third-party server and link them to your Webflow project using the following format:
html <script src=”https://your-cdn.com/custom-script.js”></script> <link href=”https://your-cdn.com/custom-styles.css” rel=”stylesheet”>
These custom-coded files will function seamlessly without impacting your website’s performance.
Options for Hosting Files
Several platforms allow you to host these files for free, including:
- GitHub
- AWS
- Replit
These are just some of the free options you can use to host your files on third-party servers for using them in your Webflow custom codes.
Example Custom Code #1: Integrating a Calendly Widget
Here’s an example of how you can integrate a Calendly widget to book meetings directly on your Webflow site. The custom code includes a link to your Calendly page, which is hosted externally:
html <!-- Calendly inline widget --> <div class="calendly-inline-widget" data-url="https://calendly.com/your-link" style="min-width:320px;height:630px;"></div> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://assets.calendly.com/assets/external/widget.js" async></script>Example Custom Code #2: Custom Javascript Code for Webflow
This is an example of a custom JavaScript code hosted on a third-party server and connected to Webflow through custom code. It executes when the custom code is run on the website.
<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/username/gist-id@latest/custom-script.js"></script>Best Practices for Adding Custom Code to Webflow
Just like everything else, there are standard practices for adding custom code to your Webflow platform. These include:
1. Validate and Recognise
- Ensure that the custom code is valid, recognised, and sourced from a reputable website.
2. Naming Conventions
- Use proper naming conventions to easily modify the code when needed.
3. Commenting
- Add comments to all scripts within the custom code to understand the functionality and identify specific sections.
4. Manageability
- If you’re adding complex code to your Webflow site, break it down into manageable chunks to simplify the process.
Character Limits on Custom Code in Webflow
Webflow has a default custom code character limit of 10,000 characters in the head section and 20,000 characters in the body section.
- Host Externally: If you need to exceed these limits, consider hosting your custom code on a third-party server and linking to it from your Webflow project. This allows you to bypass the character restrictions by referencing external scripts.
- Break Down Code: Alternatively, break down your code into smaller scripts. Use an additional script with the async attribute to combine and execute these smaller scripts as a single cohesive unit.
- Utilise Tag Manager: Another option is to utilise a third-party tag manager, like Google Tag Manager. By embedding your entire script there, you can then reference it as a custom code tag in your Webflow project, effectively managing larger scripts without exceeding character limits.
How to Troubleshoot and Debug Webflow Custom Code?
1. Ensure Compatibility:
Verify that the custom code is compatible with the devices and browsers where it will be executed. Use online device compatibility tools to ensure the code runs smoothly without issues.
2. Use Debugging Tools:
Employ debugging tools to identify and fix errors caused by the custom code. This will help in pinpointing specific issues and resolving them effectively.
3. Test Thoroughly:
Test the code on staging environments and after the website is published. Ensure there are no issues by running the code in different scenarios and confirming it works as expected.
FAQs about adding Custom Code to Webflow
Can we add custom CSS in Webflow?
Yes, you can add custom CSS in Webflow directly through the global custom code option, where you can add CSS within the header or footer section. Additionally, you can add it directly at the page level from the page-level custom code section by placing it within the body tag. You will need to use style tags to add the custom code within the header section so that it executes when the page runs in the browser.
Can you add Python Custom Code to Webflow?
No, you cannot add Python custom code to Webflow because the custom code supported in Webflow is limited to HTML, CSS, or JavaScript.
However, there is a workaround to use a Python script within Webflow by calling it through the Fetch () function. For this, you will need to host the Python file on a third-party server and call it from an API.
Conclusion
We hope that you now understand everything you need to know about adding custom code to your Webflow website. By adding custom code to your Webflow site, you not only increase its flexibility and enhancements but also enable functionalities that are not possible with direct Webflow integration. We have provided a detailed overview of how to add custom codes, including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and even API integrations. Moreover, we have discussed how you can fetch and display information directly on your Webflow website through API queries.
Finally, we have also explained some of the best practices you need to incorporate on your Webflow site when adding custom codes to ensure they are properly added and execute well without any performance or design issues.
How WP Creative Can Help Customise Your Webflow Website?
WP Creative is a leading Webflow development agency based in Australia. Renowned for their expertise, they have collaborated with numerous well-known clients to provide Webflow development, Webflow SEO and Webflow maintenance services. If you encounter challenges or require customisations for your Webflow website, WP Creative is an excellent partner to work with. Please feel free to share your project details with us for tailored solutions.
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