How to Install ShareThis Share Buttons Without Creating an Account

You can install ShareThis Share Buttons without an account using the Share Buttons Generator. For additional customization, saved configurations, multi-site management, and access to more tools, create a free ShareThis account.

The setup works on any website and requires just two steps:

  1. Add the ShareThis script site‑wide (in your <head> or <footer>), then
  2. Add the Share Buttons HTML where you want the buttons to appear.

Before you begin

Make sure you (or your developer) have:

  • Access to your website’s HTML <head> (or the ability to add site‑wide scripts using your CMS/website builder)
  • A way to add HTML to the page content (often called “Custom HTML”, “Embed”, “HTML block”, or similar)

Step 1: Generate your Share Buttons code

  1. Open the Share Buttons Generator page.
  2. Choose the button type you want:
    • Inline Share Buttons (buttons placed inside your page content)
    • Sticky Share Buttons (floating buttons while visitors scroll)
  3. Select the social networks you want, and customize the style (size, alignment, labels, counts, etc.).
  4. Click “Get the code” to generate your Share Buttons HTML.

Step 2: Install the ShareThis script (site‑wide)

  1. Copy the script shown in the Share Buttons Generator.
  2. Paste it into your website’s <head> or <footer> (site‑wide).
  3. Save/publish your changes.

Example script (use the exact snippet shown in the generator):

<script type="text/javascript" src="https://platform-api.sharethis.com/js/sharethis.js" defer></script>

Tip: You just need to install the script once per site (not on every page individually).

Step 3: Add the Share Buttons HTML (placement code)

  1. Copy the Share Buttons HTML generated for you.
  2. Paste it into your page content where you want the buttons to appear (for example, above/below a blog post, product description, or landing page CTA).
  3. Save/publish your page.

Example: Inline Share Buttons

<!-- ShareThis BEGIN -->
<div class="sharethis-share-buttons" data-type="inline-share-buttons">
  <span data-network="facebook"></span>
  <span data-network="twitter"></span>
  <span data-network="linkedin"></span>
  <span data-network="email"></span>
  <span data-network="sharethis"></span>
</div>
<!-- ShareThis END -->

Example: Sticky Share Buttons

<!-- ShareThis BEGIN -->
<div class="sharethis-share-buttons" data-type="sticky-share-buttons">
  <span data-network="facebook"></span>
  <span data-network="twitter"></span>
  <span data-network="linkedin"></span>
  <span data-network="email"></span>
  <span data-network="sharethis"></span>
</div>
<!-- ShareThis END -->

How it works

  • The data-type value controls the layout (inline-share-buttons vs sticky-share-buttons).
  • Each <span data-network=”…”> represents a social network button, and the order of the spans controls the order of the buttons.

Verify your installation

After publishing:

  1. Load the page where you added the placement code.
  2. Confirm the buttons appear and open share dialogs when clicked.

Note: The SMS button only appears on mobile devices (it may show in desktop preview for reference).

Optional: Customize without an account

You can adjust your button setup directly in the placement HTML:

  • Add/remove networks: add or delete <span data-network="..."></span>
  • Reorder networks: reorder the <span> elements
  • Inline size: add data-size="small|medium|large" (inline only)
  • Labels: add data-labels="cta|counts|none" (inline or sticky)
  • Total share count: add data-show_total="true" (inline or sticky)
  • Sticky alignment: add data-alignment="right" to move sticky buttons to the right side

Troubleshooting

Buttons don’t appear

  • Confirm the ShareThis script was added to your site’s <head> or <footer> and your changes are published.
  • If buttons still don’t show, check the container/section where you placed them—very narrow or fixed-size containers (or strict layout rules) can prevent the buttons from displaying.