This invention discloses the creation of widgets that display portions of content. Using the teachings from this invention: an entity can create a widget to be programmatically embedded on any kind of a computing device such as a personal computer, or a mobile device. The widget is personalized for each individual user—both in appearance and in content. Users can choose which portions of content they want to see in their widget. Furthermore, the widget has the additional ability to be dynamically updated: including the ability to display content that had not even been created at the time of creation of the widget itself. Amongst other things—with embedded links in the widget, it is an attractive mechanism for content publishers to have ongoing engagement with users; and a powerful way for users to selectively and quickly view portions of content that they are most interested in.