Documentation: VK Community Widget for Joomla
System Requirements
System requirements differ for Joomla 3, Joomla 4, Joomla 5 and Joomla 6, so please refer to the section corresponding to your version.
Joomla 3
Joomla 4
Joomla 5 and Joomla 6
Extension Installation
The extension installation process is slightly different for Joomla 3 and Joomla 4/5/6, so please refer to the section corresponding to your version.
Installation for Joomla 3
- Download the extension package.
- Go to the Joomla 3 administration panel.
- Open "Extensions" -> "Extension Manager".
- Click on the "Upload Package" tab.
- Select the downloaded extension package and click "Upload and Install".
Installation for Joomla 4, Joomla 5, and Joomla 6
- Download the extension package.
- Go to the Joomla 4/5/6 administration panel.
- Open "System" -> "Extensions".
- Click on the "Upload Package" tab.
- Drag and drop the downloaded extension package into the upload area or click "Select Package".
- Click "Upload and Install".
Extension settings
The module settings are located in different places depending on the Joomla version. Please use the paths below to find the module:
- Joomla 3: "Extensions" -> "Module Manager"
- Joomla 4/5/6: "Content" -> "Site Modules"
In the module list, find "IWS.BY VK Community Widget". Click on the module name, and a page with available settings will open. Let's review each field below.
License key
Enter the license key obtained when purchasing the module on the IWS.BY website. Without a key in this field, the module will not be able to access the update server and update automatically.
Connect Open API
This option is responsible for connecting the public API of the VK social network to your website. If you already have the VK public API connected, select "No" in this option. Without the public API, widgets from the VK social network will not work on your website.
Website ID
You need to enter the ID of your website, which is created in the account at https://dev.vk.ru/en/mini-apps/management/creating-new-apps. Read more in the "Changes in VK Open API" section of the documentation below.
Community ID
You need to enter the numeric ID of the community in the VK social network, the information of which you want to display in the widget. How to find the community ID is described on the page above, in the "Getting the VK Community ID" section.
Display mode
This option is responsible for the mode of information displayed in the widget about the community. There are three options for displaying information in total. Members - the widget will display members who are part of the community. News - the widget will display a feed with the latest posts from the community. Name only - the widget will display only the community name with a subscribe button.
Do not use cover art
If you check this option, the cover art uploaded to the community will not be displayed in the widget.
Advanced mode
This option is available only if "News" is selected in the "Display mode" option. If the checkbox is checked, the information in the widget will be displayed in advanced mode.
Widget width
This option is responsible for the type of width applied to the widget. Automatic — the widget width will be equal to the width of the parent block. Manual — the width will be set for the widget from the "Width" field.
Width
The field is filled with a fixed widget width, which is specified as a number in pixels.
Widget height
This option is available only if "News" is selected in the "Display mode" option. The option is responsible for the type of height applied to the widget. Automatic — the widget height will be equal to the height of the parent block. Manual — the height will be set for the widget from the "Height" field.
Height
The field is filled with a fixed widget height, which is specified as a number in pixels.
Background color
The option specifies the background color in the widget block. The value is specified in HEX format.
Text color
The option specifies the text color in the widget block. The value is specified in HEX format.
Button color
The option specifies the button color in the widget block. The value is specified in HEX format.
Getting the VK Community ID
Before starting the module configuration, you need to get the ID of your community for which the widget will be displayed. Go to your community page in the VK social network. In the right part of the opened page, find the "Statistics" menu item.
Pay attention to the address bar in your browser, it contains the VK community ID.
The number 111111111 is the unique numeric ID of the VK community. Write it down.
Changes in VK Open API
On September 7, 2026, VK introduced mandatory registration for websites using the public API. To continue using free widgets, you must register your website address. More details are available at https://dev.vk.ru/en/api/open-api/getting-started in the "Getting started" section. You need to register the website as an application of the "Website" or "Standalone application" type at https://dev.vk.ru/en/mini-apps/management/creating-new-apps. After registration, your website will be assigned a unique ID. It must be used on the website so that the widgets continue to work. The module has a "Website ID" field that needs to be filled with the one received during registration. Attention! If a website ID is already being used on the website, it is recommended to leave the "Website ID" field empty.
Extension update error
If you encounter an error when updating an extension in the Joomla control panel, this section of the instructions is for you.
Error appears in several cases, all of which are related to the extension's license key.
1) You have not filled in the license key in the extension settings.
Go to the extension settings and check if the "License key" field is filled in. Without a license key, it is not possible to download updates. Sometimes, you may have added a license key, but the Joomla CMS did not save it correctly. In this case, in the extension settings, after entering the license key, click "Save" and then click "Save & Close".
2) Your license key has expired.
To check the expiration date of your license key, go to https://iws.by/en/my-account/view-license-keys. In the list of license keys, find the key for your extension and check its validity in the "Valid until" column. If the license key has expired, it is not possible to get updates. To resolve this issue, place a new order and obtain a current license key.
3) The license key is not valid on your current site.
Our update system is designed so that the first time you access the update server, the license key is assigned to the site that requested it. If you try to use the license key on multiple sites, updates will be available for only one site. If you need updates for multiple sites, purchase multiple license keys on our website. Sites without license keys will not be able to receive updates.
Attention! If you have changed your site's address and cannot download updates, write to us at support@iws.by with the new site address. We will update the data on our update server, and within 24 hours you will be able to receive updates.
Support
IWS.BY support service for questions regarding our products is available via email: support@iws.by.
All available support options are available on the Support page: Go to.