If you’ve ever admired the round, tappable story icons at the top of Instagram and wished you could use something similar on your website, you’re in luck. With just three simple files — PHP, JavaScript, and CSS — you can create a custom “Stories Bar” for your own website without getting too deep into code.
This guide will walk you through it in simple, beginner-friendly steps. You can see a fully working example we made for an escorts site in Argentina called Pkadoras.
🧠 What Is a “Stories Bar”?
A Stories Bar is a horizontal strip of round images (avatars), usually at the top of a page, that users can click or tap to view quick content updates. This feature mimics what we see on social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook — an engaging and visual way to highlight new posts, promotions, user profiles, or behind-the-scenes content.
On a website, this can be used for:
- Highlighting blog posts
- Featuring team members
- Promoting products or services
- Showcasing testimonials or short stories
📁 What You’ll Need
You can create your Stories Bar with a custom WordPress plugin or integrate it directly into your website’s theme. Either way, you only need three core files:
- PHP file – to hook into WordPress or your website backend and output the bar.
- JavaScript file – to add interactivity (clicking, sliding, etc.).
- CSS file – to style the bar (rounded images, spacing, hover effects, etc.).
No advanced coding knowledge is required — just basic copy-paste and a sense of curiosity!
🧩 Step 1: Create the Plugin Folder
Start by creating a new folder on your computer or in your WordPress wp-content/plugins/ directory. Call it something like:
vbnetCopyEditcustom-stories-bar
Inside this folder, you’ll create the following three files:
custom-stories-bar.phpcustom-stories-bar.jscustom-stories-bar.css
📄 Step 2: Create the PHP File
The PHP file is like the engine that brings everything together. It will:
- Register and load the CSS and JS files
- Output the HTML structure (your stories)
Here’s what your custom-stories-bar.php will do in plain terms:
- Tell WordPress it’s a plugin
- Add the story bar HTML to your site
- Load the CSS and JavaScript to make it look and feel good
📝 Even if you’re not technical, think of this as the blueprint your site will follow.
🎨 Step 3: Add Styling with CSS
The CSS file is where the real magic happens visually. It turns ordinary image blocks into a beautiful, horizontally scrollable bar of round profile icons.
Basic CSS tasks will include:
- Making images circular
- Lining them up side-by-side
- Adding spacing and hover effects
- Making it mobile responsive
You can easily copy pre-written styles from other examples or tweak them in tools like CSS Gradient.
⚙️ Step 4: Add Interaction with JavaScript
The JavaScript (JS) file adds behavior — when a user clicks on one of the story bubbles, this script will define what happens:
- Does it open a modal window?
- Does it slide through multiple stories?
- Does it show text or images?
The idea here is to keep things lightweight and functional, especially if you’re just displaying short pieces of content.
If you don’t want to custom-code this part, you can even use a basic lightbox plugin or slider library and integrate it in your JS file.
✍️ Step 5: Add Content (Stories)
To make the Stories Bar dynamic and useful, you can:
- Manually add images and links inside the PHP file
- Pull in blog posts using WordPress functions
- Add custom content (e.g., daily tips, announcements)
Each “story” would include:
- A thumbnail image (typically circular)
- A name or label (e.g., “New Post” or “Behind the Scenes”)
- A clickable action
You can create these manually with image URLs, or dynamically by loading your latest blog posts.
🧩 Optional: Make It a Reusable Plugin
Once you’ve got your three files set up and working together, you can:
- Zip the folder
- Upload it to WordPress as a plugin
- Activate it in the admin panel
Now you’ve got a modular, reusable Stories Bar you can tweak and reuse on multiple sites!
🛠️ Customize It Further
You can customize the Stories Bar in endless ways:
- Add animations when a user clicks on a story
- Include a timer to show how long each story lasts
- Use background gradients for more flair
- Add a label like “NEW” for fresh content
- Make the stories expire after 24 hours (advanced)
Even non-developers can make many of these changes with the help of a visual builder or simple plugins.
📱 Make It Mobile-Friendly
A good Stories Bar should work just as well on mobile devices. The CSS should be responsive by default, but you can:
- Test on mobile browsers
- Add media queries for smaller screens
- Enable swipe gestures using libraries like Swiper.js or Flickity
This ensures your visitors get a smooth experience no matter the device.
🌍 Use Cases for Different Websites
For Blogs: Feature your latest posts as round story icons with titles like “Top Tips,” “Editor’s Pick,” or “Daily Update.”
For E-commerce Sites: Highlight sales, promotions, or new arrivals.
For Portfolios: Showcase past work in a slideshow format.
For Agencies: Introduce team members or client testimonials.
For Personal Brands: Share daily moments or quick updates without needing a blog post.
✅ Summary
Creating an Instagram-style Stories Bar for your website is simpler than you might think. By using a basic plugin approach with just three files — PHP, CSS, and JS — you can have a powerful, engaging visual component that mimics one of the most popular social features online.
💼 You’ll End Up With:
- A custom, horizontally scrolling bar of story icons
- Interactive click events to view content
- A modern, mobile-friendly user experience
🔚 Final Thoughts
If you want your site to feel more dynamic, modern, and social, a Stories Bar is a smart, low-effort way to do it. Whether you’re a blogger, business owner, or designer, this little feature can make your content pop and your visitors stay engaged.
You don’t need to be a developer — just follow the structure, plug in your content, and let your Stories Bar shine.
Let your stories be seen. 🚀
