How to Build a Custom News Ticker Widget for Your Website

Want to display breaking news, announcements, or updates in a dynamic scrolling banner? Whether it's latest headlines, stock prices, sports scores, or important notices, I'll show you how to create custom news ticker widgets in minutes - no coding required.

News tickers are one of the most effective ways to communicate timely information without interrupting user experience. They grab attention, keep visitors informed, and add a professional news-style element to your website.

In this guide, I'll walk you through creating custom news ticker widgets using AI, focusing on building a breaking news ticker with smooth scrolling. If you're new to custom widgets, start with our complete guide on how to build custom widgets first.

Why Add News Ticker Widgets to Your Website?

News ticker widgets serve powerful purposes:

Real-Time Updates: Display breaking news, announcements, or time-sensitive information
Space Efficient: Communicate multiple messages without cluttering your layout
Attention Grabbing: Scrolling motion naturally draws the eye
Professional Look: Add credibility with news-style presentation
Continuous Display: Show rotating updates that visitors can't miss
Non-Intrusive: Inform without blocking content or requiring popups

News sites use them for headlines, financial sites for stock tickers, sports sites for live scores, and businesses for announcements, promotions, or emergency notices.

Building Your Custom News Ticker with Embeddable AI

Creating news tickers with Embeddable's AI is incredibly simple. No JavaScript marquee libraries, no complex animation code - just describe what you want.

Step 1: Start with Your Ticker Concept

Before you begin, think about what your ticker should display:

Content Type: News headlines, announcements, stock prices, scores?
Position: Top banner, bottom bar, or sidebar?
Animation: Horizontal scroll, vertical scroll, or fade transitions?
Speed: Fast breaking news feel or slower, readable pace?
Interaction: Click to read more, pause on hover, or continuous?

For our example, we're building a breaking news ticker with smooth horizontal scrolling, clickable headlines, and pause-on-hover functionality.

Step 2: Describe Your Ticker to the AI

Open Embeddable and describe your news ticker in natural language. Here's the exact prompt we'll use:

Create a news ticker for breaking news headlines with smooth horizontal scrolling animation, clickable headlines that link to full articles, and pause on hover. Make it responsive and add a "Breaking News" label on the left

The AI understands what you want and builds a complete ticker widget with:

Smooth horizontal scrolling animation
Clickable headlines with article links
Pause-on-hover functionality
"Breaking News" label badge
Seamless looping of content
Responsive design for all screens

Custom News Ticker Prompt Example

Step 3: Provide Your Website URL for Design Analysis

This is where the magic happens. Give Embeddable your website URL, and the AI will:

Match your brand colors to the ticker design
Adapt typography for headlines and labels
Style the ticker bar to feel native
Ensure the ticker integrates seamlessly

The result? A news ticker that looks like it was custom-designed for your brand, not a generic scrolling banner plugin.

News Ticker Widget in Editor

Step 4: Refine Your Ticker

Once the AI generates your ticker, refine it through conversation:

"Make the scrolling speed slower and more readable"
"Change the 'Breaking News' label to red with white text"
"Add a subtle separator line between headlines"
"Make headlines bold and add icons before each item"
"Change to vertical scrolling instead of horizontal"
"Add fade-in effects as headlines appear"

Each change happens instantly. Watch your ticker update in real-time as you perfect every detail.

You can also use Embeddable's visual editor to adjust colors, spacing, and styling yourself.

Step 5: Test Your Ticker Animations

Before embedding, test your ticker thoroughly:

Test Scrolling: Verify smooth, continuous animation
Check Speed: Ensure headlines are readable at current speed
Try Hover: Confirm pause-on-hover works properly
Test Clicks: Make sure headlines link correctly
Verify Looping: Ensure seamless repeat without gaps
Test Responsiveness: View on desktop, tablet, and mobile

The preview environment shows exactly how your ticker will behave on your website, so you can fine-tune before going live.

Embedding Your News Ticker on Any Website

Your custom news ticker works everywhere. Once you're satisfied, you'll get a simple embed code that works on:

WordPress: Add to header, footer, or any widget area
Shopify: Display on all pages as an announcement bar
Wix / Squarespace: Embed in any section
Custom websites: Add to any HTML page

The process is the same everywhere:

Get Your Embed Code: Click "Publish" and copy the code snippet
Paste Into Your Website: Add where you want the ticker to appear
Publish Your Page: The ticker goes live with smooth scrolling

Your ticker automatically:

Scrolls smoothly with perfect animation
Pauses on hover for reading
Loops seamlessly without gaps
Scales perfectly on all screen sizes
Updates easily when you add new headlines
Loads fast without impacting page speed

Types of News Tickers You Can Build

The same AI-powered process works for any ticker style:

Breaking News Tickers

Latest news headlines from your site
Emergency alerts or important notices
Industry updates and announcements
Press release highlights
Blog post notifications

Financial Tickers

Live stock prices with change indicators
Cryptocurrency prices and trends
Exchange rates and forex updates
Market indices and performance
Economic indicators and data

Sports Score Tickers

Live game scores and updates
League standings and rankings
Player stats and highlights
Upcoming game schedules
Tournament brackets and results

Announcement Tickers

Company news and updates
Product launches and releases
Event promotions and reminders
Sales and special offers
Policy updates and changes

Social Media Tickers

Latest tweets from your account
Instagram post captions
LinkedIn updates
YouTube video titles
Community highlights

Weather Tickers

Current conditions and temperature
Hourly and daily forecasts
Severe weather alerts
Pollen counts and air quality
Sunrise and sunset times

Start with a Template or Build from Scratch

Not sure where to start? Embeddable offers free news ticker widget templates you can customize:

Breaking News Ticker - Horizontal scroll with headline links
Stock Price Ticker - Live financial data with color indicators
Announcement Bar - Static rotating messages
Sports Score Ticker - Live scores with team logos
Vertical News Ticker - Sidebar scrolling headlines
RSS Feed Ticker - Auto-updated from RSS feeds

Choose a template close to your vision, then customize it with AI to match your exact needs and brand.

Why News Tickers Improve User Experience

Well-designed news tickers enhance your website:

They Communicate Continuously: Display important information without requiring clicks or navigation.

They Save Prime Real Estate: Deliver multiple messages in a compact space, keeping your layout clean.

They Create Urgency: Scrolling motion and "breaking news" style create a sense of timeliness and importance.

They Don't Block Content: Unlike popups or modals, tickers inform without interrupting user flow.

They Support Scanning: Users can quickly glance and catch important updates while browsing.

Making Your Tickers More Powerful

Take your news tickers to the next level with these enhancements:

Add Color Coding

Use different colors for different types of news (red for urgent, blue for info, green for positive)

Include Icons

Add visual indicators before each headline for quick recognition

Enable Click Actions

Link headlines to full articles or trigger modal windows with details

Add Time Stamps

Show when news was posted for freshness and credibility

Include Source Badges

Display news source logos or tags for authority

Connect to Live Data

Pull real-time data from APIs, RSS feeds, or news sources

Add Sound Alerts

Play subtle notification sounds for breaking news updates

Embeddable supports integrations to pull content from RSS feeds, APIs, Google Sheets, and other sources.

Best Practices for News Ticker Design

Follow these principles for maximum impact:

Keep Text Concise

Write short, scannable headlines that communicate quickly

Use Readable Speed

Scrolling should be slow enough to read comfortably but fast enough to feel dynamic

Maintain High Contrast

Ensure text is highly visible against the background color

Don't Overuse

Limit tickers to truly important information to maintain impact

Position Strategically

Top of page for critical announcements, bottom for secondary info

Allow Pausing

Always enable pause-on-hover so users can read at their own pace

Ensure Accessibility

Add screen reader support and keyboard navigation

Test Mobile Carefully

Verify touch interactions and ensure text size is readable on small screens

Creative News Ticker Ideas

Go beyond basic scrolling with these creative applications:

Multi-Lane Tickers

Display two or three rows of different content simultaneously

Directional Tickers

Alternate scroll directions between multiple ticker bars

Countdown Tickers

Show time remaining for events, sales, or deadlines

Interactive Tickers

Let users submit content that appears in the ticker

Themed Tickers

Match ticker style to holidays, seasons, or events

Ticker Widgets

Combine ticker with other elements like search, social icons, or CTAs

Animated Transitions

Use fade, slide, or flip effects between headline changes

Ticker vs. Other Notification Options

Choose the right format for your use case:

Use News Tickers When:

Information needs continuous visibility
You have multiple short messages
Real-time updates are important
Space is limited but visibility is critical

Use Announcement Bars When:

You have one critical message
Call-to-action is more important than motion
Static display is more appropriate
Simpler implementation is preferred

Use Popups When:

Immediate user action is required
Message is time-sensitive and critical
You can interrupt user flow temporarily
Conversion is the primary goal

Ready to Build Your News Ticker?

That's it! No JavaScript needed, no marquee plugins to configure, no animation skills required. Just describe what you want and AI builds your custom news ticker in minutes.

Your ticker will:

Match your website's design perfectly
Scroll smoothly and seamlessly
Work on every platform and device
Support touch interactions naturally
Load fast and perform flawlessly
Update easily when you add news

Ready to get started?

Option 1: Start with a Template Browse free news ticker widget templates and customize one to your needs.

Option 2: Build Custom with AI Head to Embeddable and describe your ticker - the AI will build it in minutes.

Need More Widget Ideas?

More Tutorials:

Start keeping your visitors informed with custom news tickers now!