To add an announcement bar to WordPress for free, install ExtenderX, go to ExtenderX → Site Enhancements → Marketing and enable Announcement Bar. Write a one-line message with a link, choose the top or bottom of the page, decide whether visitors can dismiss it, and save. It appears on every page, on any theme.
What an announcement bar is for
A thin bar across the top or bottom of every page is the clearest way to tell all visitors one thing:
- A sale: "25% off all plans until Monday — see deals".
- Free shipping thresholds or delivery cut-offs before a holiday.
- Opening hours changes, closures or a new location.
- A launch, webinar or event.
- Service notices: planned maintenance, a known issue.
One message at a time. A bar that rotates through five messages is a bar nobody reads.
Option 1: ExtenderX (free)
ExtenderX includes an Announcement Bar alongside 40+ other site tools.
- In Plugins → Add New, search for ExtenderX, then install and activate it.
- Go to ExtenderX → Site Enhancements → Marketing.
- Enable Announcement Bar.
- Write the message and add a link.
- Set the colours, choose top or bottom, and decide whether visitors can dismiss it.
- Save, then check it on a phone.
The same section has a Floating CTA button and a CTA Pulse animation for drawing attention to one button. A feature you leave off adds no CSS or JavaScript to your pages.
ExtenderX Pro adds a Global Countdown Banner for sales and launches, an Exit-Intent Popup, and a Sticky WhatsApp Button. It also includes Black Friday and Cyber Monday effects you can schedule by date.
Option 2: Simple Banner
Simple Banner (50,000+ active installs) does one thing: a banner at the top or bottom of the site, with text, link and background colours, custom CSS and a preview in the settings. Its Pro version shows up to five banners, at the same time or one after another, so you can plan weeks of messages.
Pick it if: you want a dedicated banner plugin and might schedule several banners in a row.
Option 3: My Sticky Bar
My Sticky Bar (formerly myStickymenu, 100,000+ active installs) combines a welcome notification bar with a button and a sticky header that keeps your menu on screen as visitors scroll. The free sticky menu uses a CSS class you may need to change for your theme; options such as disabling on specific pages are in Pro.
Pick it if: you want a notification bar and a sticky menu from the same plugin.
Comparison
From each plugin's WordPress.org readme as of October 27, 2026. Disclosure: WPXERO makes ExtenderX.
| ExtenderX | Simple Banner | My Sticky Bar | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free announcement bar | Yes | Yes | Yes (welcome bar) |
| Top or bottom | Both | Top or bottom | Top |
| Dismissible | Yes | Not stated | Not stated |
| Several banners | One | Up to 5 in Pro | Not stated |
| Countdown | Pro (Global Countdown Banner) | — | — |
| Sticky header | Yes, free | — | Yes, free |
| Other tools in the same plugin | Accessibility toolbar, back to top, dark mode, animations and more | — | Sticky menu |
Write a bar people act on
- One line on a phone. About 50–60 characters including the link. Test at phone width.
- Lead with the benefit: "Free shipping over $50" beats "Announcement: shipping policy update".
- One link, to the page that explains it.
- Say when it ends: "until Sunday 11:59 PM ET". If you add a countdown, make sure it stops when the offer does — not on each visit.
- Contrast. The bar's text needs to be readable against its background colour.
Keep it from hurting your site
- Layout shift. A bar that appears after the page has loaded pushes content down and can hurt your Core Web Vitals. Check it with a speed test.
- Bottom bars and mobile menus. If you use a mobile bottom navigation bar such as MenuVerse, put the announcement at the top so they don't stack.
- Cookie notices. Make sure the bar doesn't cover the cookie consent buttons.
- Remove it on time. An expired offer in the bar looks careless.
Running a sale? The Black Friday sale checklist covers banners, coupons and honest countdowns. For a moving headline instead of a static bar, see how to add a news ticker.