sanketio · Oct 13, 2026
diff --git a/src/js/_enqueues/admin/widgets.js b/src/js/_enqueues/admin/widgets.js
@@ -30,6 +30,32 @@ window.wpWidgets = {
 			sidebars = $('div.widgets-sortables'),
 			isRTL = !! ( 'undefined' !== typeof isRtl && isRtl );
 
+		// Keep the single-widget screen link for keyboard and screen reader users only.
+		$( '#widgets-left, #widgets-right' ).find( '.widget-control-edit' )
+			.removeClass( 'hide-if-js' )
+			.addClass( 'screen-reader-text' );
+
+		// Point the link at the widget's current sidebar and position, which change without a reload.
+		$( '#widgets-left, #widgets-right' ).on( 'focusin', '.widget-control-edit', function() {
+			var link = $( this ),
+				widget = link.closest( 'div.widget' ),
+				sidebar = widget.closest( 'div.widgets-sortables' ),
+				url = new URL( link.prop( 'href' ) );
+
+			if ( sidebar.length ) {
+				url.searchParams.set( 'editwidget', widget.find( 'input.widget-id' ).val() );
+				url.searchParams.set( 'sidebar', sidebar.attr( 'id' ) );
+				url.searchParams.set( 'key', sidebar.children( '.widget' ).index( widget ) );
+				url.searchParams.delete( 'addnew' );
+				url.searchParams.delete( 'num' );
+				url.searchParams.delete( 'base' );
+			} else if ( url.searchParams.has( 'num' ) ) {
+				url.searchParams.set( 'num', widget.find( 'input.multi_number' ).val() );
+			}
+
+			link.attr( 'href', url.toString() );
+		} );
+
 		// Handle the widgets containers in the right column.
 		$( '#widgets-right .sidebar-name' )
 			/*

diff --git a/src/wp-admin/css/widgets.css b/src/wp-admin/css/widgets.css
@@ -544,6 +544,35 @@ div#widgets-right .closed .widgets-sortables {
 	border-color: #dcdcde;
 }
 
+.widget-title-action .widget-control-edit.screen-reader-text:focus {
+	clip-path: none;
+	width: auto;
+	height: auto;
+	margin: 0;
+	padding: 0 15px;
+	border-left: 1px solid #dcdcde;
+	top: 0;
+	right: 100%;
+	white-space: nowrap;
+	z-index: 1;
+
+	/* Restores the link focus style removed by .screen-reader-text:focus. */
+	box-shadow: 0 0 0 var(--wp-admin-border-width-focus, 1.5px) var(--wp-admin-theme-color, #3858e9);
+
+	/* Only visible in Windows High Contrast mode */
+	outline: 2px solid transparent;
+}
+
+.widget-title-action .widget-control-edit.screen-reader-text:focus .edit,
+.widget-title-action .widget-control-edit.screen-reader-text:focus .add {
+	position: static;
+	clip-path: none;
+	width: auto;
+	height: auto;
+	margin: 0;
+	overflow: visible;
+}
+
 #available-widgets .widget-control-edit .edit,
 #available-widgets .widget-action .edit,
 #widgets-left .inactive-sidebar .widget-control-edit .add,

diff --git a/tests/e2e/specs/widgets-classic.test.js b/tests/e2e/specs/widgets-classic.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+/**
+ * WordPress dependencies
+ */
+import { test, expect } from '@wordpress/e2e-test-utils-playwright';
+
+test.describe( 'Classic widgets screen', () => {
+	test.beforeAll( async ( { requestUtils } ) => {
+		const pluginsMap = await requestUtils.getPluginsMap();
+		if ( ! pluginsMap[ 'classic-widgets' ] ) {
+			await requestUtils.rest( {
+				method: 'POST',
+				path: 'wp/v2/plugins?slug=classic-widgets',
+			} );
+			await requestUtils.getPluginsMap( /* forceRefetch */ true );
+		}
+		await requestUtils.activatePlugin( 'classic-widgets' );
+		await requestUtils.deleteAllWidgets();
+		const created = await requestUtils.rest( {
+			method: 'POST',
+			path: 'wp/v2/widgets',
+			data: {
+				id_base: 'search',
+				sidebar: 'sidebar-1',
+				instance: { raw: {} },
+			},
+		} );
+		await requestUtils.rest( {
+			method: 'POST',
+			path: 'wp/v2/sidebars/sidebar-1',
+			data: { widgets: [ created.id ] },
+		} );
+	} );
+
+	test.afterAll( async ( { requestUtils } ) => {
+		await requestUtils.deleteAllWidgets();
+		await requestUtils.deactivatePlugin( 'classic-widgets' );
+	} );
+
+	for ( const [ column, label ] of [
+		[ '#widgets-right', '.edit' ],
+		[ '#available-widgets', '.add' ],
+	] ) {
+		test( `${ column } link is only shown on focus`, async ( {
+			admin,
+			page,
+		} ) => {
+			await admin.visitAdminPage( 'widgets.php' );
+
+			const link = page
+				.locator( `${ column } .widget-control-edit` )
+				.first();
+
+			await expect( link ).toHaveClass( /screen-reader-text/ );
+			await expect( link ).toHaveAttribute( 'href', /editwidget=/ );
+			// boundingBox ignores clip-path, so check the clipping itself.
+			await expect( link ).toHaveCSS( 'clip-path', 'inset(50%)' );
+
+			await link.focus();
+
+			await expect( link ).toHaveCSS( 'clip-path', 'none' );
+			await expect( link ).not.toHaveCSS( 'box-shadow', 'none' );
+			expect( ( await link.boundingBox() ).width ).toBeGreaterThan( 20 );
+			expect(
+				( await link.locator( label ).boundingBox() ).width
+			).toBeGreaterThan( 10 );
+		} );
+	}
+
+	test( 'links follow a widget added without a reload', async ( {
+		admin,
+		page,
+	} ) => {
+		await admin.visitAdminPage( 'widgets.php' );
+		await page
+			.locator( '#available-widgets .widget-top' )
+			.filter( { hasText: 'Archives' } )
+			.click();
+		await page.locator( '.widgets-chooser-add' ).click();
+
+		const added = page.locator( '#widgets-right .widget' ).last();
+		await expect( added.locator( 'input.widget-id' ) ).toHaveValue(
+			/^archives-\d+$/
+		);
+		const addedId = await added.locator( 'input.widget-id' ).inputValue();
+
+		const addedLink = added.locator( '.widget-control-edit' );
+		await addedLink.focus();
+		await expect( addedLink ).toHaveAttribute(
+			'href',
+			new RegExp( `editwidget=${ addedId }&sidebar=sidebar-1&key=1$` )
+		);
+
+		const paletteWidget = page
+			.locator( '#available-widgets .widget' )
+			.filter( { hasText: 'Archives' } );
+		const nextNumber = await paletteWidget
+			.locator( 'input.multi_number' )
+			.inputValue();
+		await paletteWidget.locator( '.widget-control-edit' ).focus();
+		await expect(
+			paletteWidget.locator( '.widget-control-edit' )
+		).toHaveAttribute( 'href', new RegExp( `num=${ nextNumber }&` ) );
+	} );
+} );