WebLink Widgets place content directly into the pages where you embed the JavaScript and HTML code. While modifications are technically possible, widgets are intended to be used as provided. This approach helps preserve compatibility with future enhancements and reduces long-term maintenance risk.
Use the following best practices to keep your WebLink implementation stable, supportable, and easier to maintain over time.
Table of contents
- Use supported configuration options
- Avoid CSS overrides
- Avoid heavy custom styling
- Use Branding for visual control
- Plan for future updates
- When to contact Support
- Related widget-specific articles
Use supported configuration options
Use the WebLink Builder to configure supported widget behavior whenever possible.
- Many visual and functional adjustments can be made through supported widget parameters.
- The builder is maintained to reflect available options for supported widgets.
- Using supported configuration is safer than changing widget output after render.
In general, choose the simplest widget that meets your requirement rather than embedding a more complex widget and trying to hide parts of it later.
For example, if you only need upcoming dates, a filtered Event List widget is usually a better choice than embedding a more complex Course Details experience and suppressing sections with CSS.
Avoid CSS overrides
Do not use CSS overrides such as display: none; to hide or alter widget structure, layout, or functionality.
- Hiding built-in elements can interfere with future updates or new features.
- Layout assumptions may change as widgets evolve, which can break custom overrides.
- CSS-based suppression is difficult to maintain and troubleshoot over time.
If you need a widget to behave differently, first confirm whether the behavior is already supported through widget configuration.
Avoid heavy custom styling
Avoid applying extensive custom styling directly to widget elements.
- Heavy styling can conflict with default widget styling.
- Accessibility or browser compatibility improvements may affect elements your custom CSS depends on.
- Future widget changes may make custom selectors unreliable.
Light surrounding page styling is usually fine. Direct manipulation of widget internals is where most maintenance problems begin.
Use Branding for visual control
Use supported Branding configuration to control styling and visual presentation across your WebLink experiences.
Branding is the correct place to manage supported visual identity elements such as:
- colors
- logos
- shared learner-facing visual consistency
This is safer and more maintainable than styling widget internals individually.
Plan for future updates
WebLink widgets are centrally maintained and may gain enhancements over time.
- New features are typically introduced in a way that allows customers to opt in when ready.
- Implementations that stay within supported configuration patterns are less likely to break when widgets evolve.
The more your implementation depends on unsupported DOM or CSS manipulation, the more maintenance risk you take on.
When to contact Support
If you are considering customization beyond supported configuration, contact Support first to understand long-term maintenance implications.
If the change you need is not supported today, you can also submit a suggestion through the Product Ideas forum.