How To Add Amazon Widgets To Your Lens
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Easy step by step tutorial to put an Amazon Affiliate Widget on any Squidoo Lens
Well, now you can. With a little (actually BIG!) help of Clearspring, the widget network, and Squidoo's Clearspring Module. It's not quite as easy as putting the Squidoo module on your lens, but pretty close.
I've been fidgeting around with this ever since it first came out but could never really get it to work. But once I figured out which buttons to press and which options to choose it was really quite easy.
You don't need to be a a techie to implement this, I promise.
Enjoy!
Please use this tool responsibly and in moderation.
P.S.: This is only for Amazon associates who wish to enhance their lenses with their own associate widgets. For regular product recommendations you may want to utilize the many Amazon modules which Squidoo provides for us.
Amazon Carousel Widget 600 px wide
Cool flash effects to spice up your lens
You Need a Clearspring Account!
It's free.
So now, go to Clearspring and sign up, if you haven't already. It's quick and easy (and yes, it's free), just enter email address and choose username/password. Voila!
Step 1: Add A Widget
Once you've signed up and are logged in we can now start to create a widget. You'll find the button on the top right.

Step 2: Where Do You Want To Add Your Widget
You will be asked where you want to add Launchpad. Choose "On my Webpage" for a seamless integration. There will be no additional widget frames around your widget, unless you want to publish a widget for sharing.
Step 3 and 4: Name your Widget and Add Your Code
Building a widget for your Squidoo lens is really easy as A, B, C! You can ignore most of the options on this page. Just do the following steps:
- A Name your Widget. This is just for your future reference. It will not appear anywhere on the published widget.
- B What Do You Want To Share?: Add the code you got from your Amazon Associate account.
- C Click on "SAVE".

Step 5: Publish Your Widget
Yay! You're well on your way to publishing your very own Amazon widget on your Squidoo lens. Way to go!
When you reach this screen "Congrats..." resist the temptation to grab the code on your right side. It won't work on your lens.
You want to click on the link in the middle on the left side that says: "Publish Your Widget".
Step 6: The Widget Home Page
You'll land on this page with a lot of shiny apps, which you can safely ignore for now. Just hit the link near the top where it says "Widget Home Page Settings".

Next, you will be teleported to the page for your Widget Home Page Settings. There's nothing you need to do here, except to click on the link which will finally take you to your Widget Home Page:
Step 7: Post Your Widget To Your Squidoo Lens
A new window or tab will open and you're close to the finish line. The Widget Home Page!
For the first time you will see a real live preview of your widget. If it doesn't look as expected go back to square one and create a new widget. Or, if it's something you can change on the Amazon Associates page you can change the code over there. You cannot change the code that is inside your Clearspring widget! At least I haven't found a way to do that. Feel free to correct me.
Assuming it looks good we can now go to the final step - putting it on your lens! For this you must locate and click on the familiar Squid on the right hand sharing menu. If you don't see it try clicking the "All" tab and scroll down. It should be near the bottom left. At this point you should be logged in to your Squidoo account because in the next and final step Clearspring will connect to Squidoo and get your list of lenses.

The look of the sharing menu has changed a bit recently. If you do not see the Squidoo Squid on the sharing menu please click on "All" services and then scroll down the (alphabetical) list until it appears. It is a bit shy but it's really there!


The final step is here! You're almost done! Choose the lens on which you want your widget to appear. This will add a Clearspring module to your lens. You will be able to enter title, subtitle and description as usual - but you won't be able to see or edit the widget code itself.

Your familiar Lens Workshop will now open and you will find your new widget added to the bottom. Here you can edit title, subtitle and description if you want. You still won't be able to see the actual widget code though.
You Did It!!!

Amazon Widgets Showcase
Look what you can do with your Amazon Associate Widgets!
Here are some examples of Amazon widgets on a Squidoo lens. You can use this procedure for other kinds of widgets, too. I'll leave it up to your imagination, but please keep it clean for all our sake's...
Amazon Carousel Widget 500px wide
Amazon aStore Widget
Amazon Slideshow Widget
More cool flash effects for your Squidoo lens
Gold Box Deals Widget
Sale - Cheap - Quick - Hot Hot Hot - Buy Now!
Product Cloud Widget
Add a cloud of relevant products to your lens
Amazon Omakase Widget
Contextual Product Ads for your lens
Show Off!
Were you able to use this tutorial to put Amazon widgets on your lens? Add your link so we can come and take a look!
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Let me know if this lens was helpful
A word of Caution: Do not delete a widget from your Clearspring account if it is published on one of your lenses. This might break your lens. Always remove the Clearspring module from your lens first before deleting the actual widget!
I was excited about the possibilities of the Squidoo - Amazon - Clearspring connection. I'm sure there are some gurus who can do much more awesome stuff but I just wanted to share the easiest way to spiff up your lenses with the coolest Amazon widgets. The same procedure works for most other widgets and code snippets (opt-in form anyone?).
If you have a tutorial lens that is related to Widgets let's hear about it.
Hopefully, reading this lens was a good use of your time. It would be great to hear from you.
Thanks for visiting!
Vacation-In-My-Head wrote...
Thank you so much for this information. It was very useful. I love the way it looks on my lens.
chefkeem wrote...
As a brand new Amazon Affiliate, I came back to re-study this fantastic tutorial. Thank you for spending endless hours over these detailed instructions so we can save time...you're an angel! (Re-blessed by another one!) :-)
Midnytefire wrote...
Thank you for sharing this fantastic info. I learn something new everyday.
Rajays wrote...
Squidoo Angel Blessings to this most helpful lens. I have applied your amazon widget tutorial onto some of my lenses and they work great! Thanks a ton.
JanTUB wrote...
Absolutely fabulous tutorial! Can I give it multiple stars? Deserved. 5 anyhow, and a fave. Thanks for the easy to follow instructions.
MeredithCrosby wrote...
Thanks, Bookmarking and giving ya 5 Stars! Just what I need plus a great source to come back to while learning the ropes!
JenniferAkers wrote...
Excellent step-by-step instructions. I was able to successfully add a couple Amazon widgets, thanks to your lens. I'm off to add them in other lenses as well. Thanks so much for this guide! 5*!
sandyspider wrote...
This is featured in my Squidoo Tips lens Squidoo Widgets, PayPal and Tools Since I first read on how to put an Amazon widget on my lens. I have been using it all the time. And other widgets, like playlist and Zazzle. Great information. Thanks.
ElizabethJeanAllen wrote...
I have an Amazon affiliate account but every time I've tried to put something on my lens, I've gotten so frustrated that I've resorted back to the Squid modules. I may try again.
Thanks for sharing
Lizzy
24websurf wrote...
I should have known when I started looking for this that you would be the genius to have it! OMG!! I did it! Thank you! I put the carousel on my Book of Shadow lens!
mysticmama wrote...
OMG! thank you so much for making this lens...I was just trying to figure out how to do exactly this! wow, you rock!
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