How to Customize Your WordPress Dashboard

Customizing your WordPress dashboard is essential for creating a more productive, streamlined and branded workspace. Whether you’re managing multiple websites, working with clients or running an online business, a personalized custom dashboard can save time and improve navigation. From simple changes like reordering menu items or adjusting color schemes to deeper customizations like adding custom CSS or using WordPress hooks and filters, these modifications allow you to tailor the dashboard to suit your specific needs.

In this guide, we’ll explore practical methods for customizing your dashboard. Plus, we’ll cover best practices like maintaining performance, testing thoroughly and backing up your site to ensure your changes are both effective and secure.

Simple WordPress customization options

1. Changing the admin color scheme

One of the simplest ways to customize your WordPress dashboard is by changing the admin color scheme. Here’s how to do it:

• Navigate to Users > Profile in the left sidebar.
• Scroll down to the Admin Color Scheme section.
• Choose a color scheme as per your preference. You’ll see options like Default, Light, Modern and more.

• Once you’ve chosen a scheme, click Update Profile to save your changes.

2. Using screen options to customize your WordPress dashboard layout

WordPress’s “Screen Options” feature allows you to control which custom dashboard widgets appear on your dashboard and how they are arranged.

• Visit your dashboard and click the Screen Options tab in the top-right corner.

• You’ll find a dropdown menu with the available widgets (e.g., “At a Glance,” “Activity”).
• To hide or show specific dashboard widgets, simply check or uncheck the corresponding boxes.
• You can also adjust the number of columns in the dashboard. If you want more or fewer columns, select your preferred layout in the Screen Options menu.

3. Customize your WordPress dashboard user profile settings

User profile settings allow you to personalize how your custom WordPress dashboard functions.

• Go to Users > Profile.
• In the Name section, you can edit how your name is displayed across the website. This is useful if you want to display a professional or business name.
• In the Personal Options section, you can enable or disable the visual editor. If you prefer using the text editor for writing, check the box that disables the visual editor.

• Finally, you can change the admin dashboard area language in the Language section. This won’t affect the front-end language of your site.

Plugins for advanced customization

If you’re looking for more advanced customization options, you can use plugins to further personalize your WordPress dashboard. These plugins offer additional features that go beyond the default WordPress settings.

1. Using Ultimate Dashboard to create custom dashboard widgets

• Install and activate the Ultimate Dashboard plugin by going to Plugins > Add New and searching for “Ultimate Dashboard.”

• Once activated, go to Ultimate Dashboard > Add New to create a custom widget. You can add images, text HTML or WordPress shortcodes to display the information you need.

• To remove unwanted WordPress widgets, go to Ultimate Dashboard > Remove Widgets. Check the boxes for any widgets you want to hide, such as “WordPress News” or “Quick Draft.”

• You can also white-label the dashboard by going to Ultimate Dashboard > Branding. Here, you can replace the WordPress logo with your own, giving your dashboard a professional, branded look.

2. Customize your WordPress dashboard admin menu with Adminimize

• Install and activate the Adminimize plugin.

• Visit the plugin settings by clicking on Settings > Adminimize.
• You’ll see a list of all the admin menu items and meta boxes. You can check or uncheck the boxes for each role to show or hide specific menu items. For example, you can hide the Settings menu for contributors, ensuring they only see the features they need.

• Click Save Changes to apply your customizations.

3. Managing widget visibility with Widget Options

• Install and activate the Widget Options plugin.

• Go to the widget settings by navigating to Appearance > Widgets and selecting any widget you want to customize in WordPress custom dashboard.
• You’ll see new options for controlling widget visibility. You can show or hide widgets based on user roles, page types or even device types (desktop, mobile, etc.).

• You can also add custom CSS classes to each widget to apply advanced styling.

Customize your WordPress dashboard admin menu

You can customize the WordPress admin menu with numerous powerful plugins like Admin Menu Editor, WP Custom Admin Interface and Ultimate Dashboard. Here, we’ll use the Admin Menu Editor plugin to reorder menu items and create custom links.

1. Reordering menu items 

Install the Admin Menu Editor plugin: 

• Go to Plugins > Add New, search for Admin Menu Editor and click Install Now. 
• Once installed, click Activate. 

Access the plugin settings: 

• After activation, navigate to Settings > Menu Editor. This is where you can view all the items currently in your admin menu. 

Reorder menu items: 

• The plugin provides a simple drag-and-drop interface. To reorder the menu items: 
• Click and hold the menu item you want to move. 
• Drag the item to its new position and drop it in the desired location. 
• You can also move submenu items (e.g., moving “Plugins” under a different main menu item like “Settings”). 

Save your changes: 

• After reordering the items, click Save Menu at the top of the admin page to apply the changes to your WordPress dashboard.

2. Creating custom menu items 

Open the Admin Menu Editor settings: 

• Go to Settings > Menu Editor in the dashboard. 

Add a new custom menu item: 

• In the Menu Editor interface, select the + New Menu Item icon at the top of the menu list. 
• A new blank item will appear in the menu. You can now customize the WordPress label (the text that appears in the admin menu) and add a URL. 

Add an internal or external link: 

• For internal pages (like a landing page or form), simply copy and paste the WordPress login URL of the page into the URL field. 
• For external resources, paste the link to any external website (e.g., Google Analytics, documentation sites or collaboration tools). 
• You can also assign custom icons to these new items by clicking on the Icon option, which helps distinguish them visually. 

Position the custom item: 

• Use the drag-and-drop interface to place the new menu item in the desired position, either as a main menu item or a submenu under an existing section. 

Save your changes: 

• Once you’re happy with your new custom menu item, click Save Menu to add it to your dashboard. 

3. Advanced menu management 

Admin Menu Editor also offers full control over your WordPress admin menu layout. Beyond reordering items and adding custom links, this plugin allows you to: 

Hide menu items: 

• You can hide specific menu items from certain user roles. For example, if you’re managing a WordPress website with multiple users, you can hide the “Settings” menu for contributors or editors to prevent them from accessing sensitive areas. 

Rename menu items: 

• If you want to change the names of default WordPress sections, like renaming “Posts” to “Blog,” you can easily do that by clicking the downward arrow next to the menu item and updating the label. 

Assign different menus based on roles: 

• You can create different menu layouts for various user roles. For instance, administrators can have a full menu, while contributors or clients might only see the options they need to perform their tasks. 

Coding for deeper customization (optional)

While plugins provide a user-friendly way to customize your WordPress dashboard, adding custom CSS and using WordPress hooks and filters can take your customization to the next level. This option is great for advanced users who want complete control over the look and behavior of their admin area. Here’s how you can dive deeper into WordPress customization with code.

1. Adding custom CSS

With Custom CSS, you can modify the appearance of dashboard elements beyond what plugins offer. By applying custom styles, you can tailor the look of your WordPress admin dashboard to fit your specific needs or branding requirements.

How to add custom CSS to the WordPress admin area

1. Open your theme’s functions.php file or create a custom plugin:

To ensure that your CSS changes are applied only to the WordPress admin area, you’ll need to add the custom styles in the right location.

You can either add the following code to your theme’s functions.php file or, for a cleaner approach, create a custom plugin. You can also use WordPress customizerto make changes to your site’s apperance.

2. Add the CSS through a function:

Add this function to your functions.php file or custom plugin:

// Function to apply custom CSS to the WordPress admin area
function custom_admin_css() {
    echo '<style>
        /* Custom styles for WordPress admin */
        #adminmenu, 
        #adminmenu .wp-submenu, 
        #adminmenuback, 
        #adminmenuwrap {
            background-color: #282c34; /* Change menu background color */
        }
        
        #wpadminbar {
            background-color: #20232a; /* Change top admin bar background color */
        }
        
        #wpadminbar .ab-item, 
        #wpadminbar a.ab-item {
            color: #61dafb; /* Change top bar link colors */
        }
    </style>';
}

// Hook to apply the custom CSS to the admin head
add_action('admin_head', 'custom_admin_css');

This example changes the background color of the admin menu and top bar, while also altering the link colors to create a more personalized WordPress admin theme.

3. Modify other elements:

You can customize any part of the WordPress admin by targeting its specific CSS classes. For instance, to change the appearance of buttons in the dashboard:

function custom_admin_button_css() {
    echo '<style>
    /* Change button background and text color */
    .button-primary {
        background-color: #0073aa;
        color: #fff;
    }
    </style>';
}
add_action('admin_head', 'custom_admin_button_css');

4. Test and adjust:

After adding your custom styles, refresh the WordPress dashboard to see the changes. If needed, tweak the CSS rules to achieve the desired look.

By adding custom CSS, you can have complete control over the aesthetics of your WordPress admin area, ensuring a branded and cohesive design that matches your overall website.

2. Using WordPress hooks and filters to customize your WordPress dashboard

For users who want to go beyond visual changes and modify the behavior or functionality of the WordPress dashboard, WordPress hooks and filters offer a powerful toolset. With hooks and filters, you can programmatically alter how certain dashboard elements behave.

What are hooks and filters?

Hooks are points in WordPress where you can inject custom code to alter functionality. They come in two types:

• Action hooks: Lets you add or modify functionality at specific stages in the WordPress execution process.
• Filter hooks: Let you modify data before it is sent to the database or displayed on the screen.

How to use WordPress hooks for admin customization

1. Adding custom actions with hooks:

If you want to add custom functionality to Customize the WordPress admin dashboard (such as displaying a notice or adding an extra button), you can use action hooks.

Example: Adding a custom notice to the dashboard:

// Function to display a custom notice on the WordPress dashboard
function custom_dashboard_notice() {
    echo '<div class="notice notice-success is-dismissible">';
    echo '<p>Welcome to your custom WordPress dashboard!</p>';
    echo '</div>';
}

// Hook to add the custom notice to the admin dashboard
add_action('admin_notices', 'custom_dashboard_notice');

This code snippet adds a custom success notice to the dashboard, which can be useful for showing important messages to users or clients.

2. Modifying admin menu items with hooks:

You can also use hooks to modify the admin menu programmatically. This is especially useful if you want to add, remove or alter menu items without relying on a plugin.

Example: Adding a custom admin menu item:

// Function to create custom menu page
function custom_menu_page() { 
    add_menu_page( 
        'Custom Menu Page',          // Page title
        'Custom Menu',               // Menu title
        'manage_options',            // Capability
        'custom-menu-slug',          // Menu slug
        'custom_menu_page_content',  // Function to display page content
        'dashicons-admin-generic',   // Icon
        6                            // Position
    ); 
}

// Hook to add the custom menu to the admin menu
add_action('admin_menu', 'custom_menu_page');

// Function to display content on the custom menu page
function custom_menu_page_content() { 
    echo '<h1>Welcome to the Custom Menu Page</h1>'; 
}

This snippet adds a new menu item called “Custom Menu” to the WordPress dashboard. When clicked, it opens a new custom admin pages with custom content.

How to use filters to customize your WordPress dashboard

Filters allow you to alter specific data before it’s displayed. For example, you might want to modify the footer text in the WordPress dashboard.

1. Changing the admin footer text:

By default, WordPress displays “Thank you for creating with WordPress” in the footer. You can change this using the following filter:

function custom_admin_footer_text() {
    return 'Powered by Your Company - Making websites better!';
}
add_filter('admin_footer_text', 'custom_admin_footer_text');

This replaces the default footer message with your own custom text, providing a branded experience for users or clients.

2. Customize your WordPress dashboard login page error message:

By default, WordPress shows a generic error message when someone enters the wrong credentials. You can customize this message to make it more helpful:

function custom_login_error_message() {
    return 'Oops! Something went wrong. Please check your username and password and try again.';
}
add_filter('login_errors', 'custom_login_error_message');

Combining hooks, filters and CSS for total customization

For advanced users, combining hooks, filters and custom CSS gives you total control over both the appearance and functionality of your WordPress admin dashboard. You can create a fully branded experience that is tailored to your team or clients.

• Example: Combine custom CSS with a custom login notice using hooks:

function custom_login_notice_css() {
    echo '<style>
    .custom-login-notice {
        background-color: #f1f1f1;
        border: 1px solid #0073aa;
        padding: 10px;
        margin: 10px 0;
    }
    </style>';
}
add_action('login_head', 'custom_login_notice_css');

function custom_login_notice_message() {
    return '<div class="custom-login-notice">Welcome to the admin panel! Contact support if you need help.</div>';
}
add_filter('login_message', 'custom_login_notice_message');

Best practices and considerations

1. Keeping it user-friendly

One of the most important aspects of customization is making sure that the dashboard remains user-friendly. Over-customizing can overwhelm users, especially if you’re managing a team or client website. Here’s how to keep the dashboard simple and functional:

a. Prioritize essential elements

Focus on customizing only the elements that will directly improve user experience or efficiency. For instance, rearranging the admin menu to put frequently used items at the top can save time, while hiding unnecessary widgets reduces clutter. Avoid adding too many custom widgets or menu items, as this can lead to a cluttered, confusing interface.

b. Tailor customization to user roles

Use role-based customization to simplify the dashboard for less experienced users. For example, if your site has multiple contributors, you can hide advanced options like “Settings” or “Plugins” from their view using plugins like Adminimize. This ensures that users only see the features they need, reducing confusion and the risk of accidental changes.

2. Maintaining performance

While customizing your WordPress dashboard is beneficial, it’s crucial to ensure that performance isn’t negatively impacted. Excessive plugin usage or unoptimized code can slow down your WordPress site, affecting both the admin area and the front end.

a. Minimize plugin usage

Using too many plugins can lead to performance issues, including slower page load times and conflicts between plugins. When customizing your dashboard, try to use as few plugins as possible. Instead of installing multiple plugins for minor changes, consider combining functions into one robust plugin, like Admin Menu Editor or Ultimate Dashboard, which offer a range of customization options in one tool.

b. Optimize custom code

If you’re adding custom CSS or using hooks and filters, ensure that your code is optimized and efficient. Avoid overloading your functions.php file with too many scripts, as this can slow down the backend. Instead, consider creating a site-specific plugin to handle custom functionality. This keeps your theme files clean and ensures that customizations aren’t lost if you switch themes in the future.

3. Testing thoroughly

Customizing the dashboard may affect how users interact with the admin area, and it’s important to test your changes thoroughly. Here’s how to ensure that your customizations work seamlessly across different browsers and devices:

a. Test across browsers

After making any significant changes to the dashboard, test it on multiple browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge) to ensure compatibility. Sometimes, custom CSS or JavaScript can behave differently depending on the browser, so it’s important to catch any inconsistencies early on.

b. Test on different devices

If users need access to the dashboard on mobile or tablet devices, make sure your customizations are responsive. For example, ensure that any changes you make to the dashboard layout (like column arrangement or widget visibility) still look good and function properly on smaller WordPress admin screens.

c. Test user roles

When using role-based customizations, test the dashboard from different user perspectives (administrator, editor, contributor, etc.) to make sure each role sees only what they need and nothing more. This helps you catch any issues related to permission settings or missing functionality for certain users.

4. Backing up your website

Before making any significant changes to your WordPress dashboard, it’s crucial to create a backup of your website. This ensures that if something goes wrong during customization—whether it’s a plugin conflict, coding error or performance issue—you can quickly restore your site to a working version without losing data.

a. Backup your site with a plugin

Use a reliable backup plugin like UpdraftPlus or BackupBuddy to create a full backup of your website. These plugins allow you to schedule automatic backups and save them to external locations like Google Drive or Dropbox. Before making dashboard customizations, run a manual backup to ensure you have a recent restore point.

b. Backup your database

Your WordPress database contains all your site’s content, user information and settings. Before making changes that could affect functionality, such as adding custom code or installing new plugins, back up your database to prevent data loss. This can be done through your hosting provider’s control panel or a plugin like WP-DBManager.

c. Use a staging environment

For more significant changes, consider using a staging environment. A staging site is a clone of your live site that allows you to test changes in a safe environment without affecting your live site. Many hosting providers, including Bluehost, offer staging environments as part of their hosting plans. Once you’ve tested your changes in staging and confirmed everything works, you can push those changes to your live site.

Final thoughts: Designing a user-friendly WordPress dashboard

Customizing your WordPress dashboard is a great way to improve your workflow and create a workspace that suits your needs. From reorganizing menu items to adding custom branding on the WordPress login screen, these adjustments can make managing your site easier and more efficient. Using plugins or custom code can give you even more control over how your dashboard looks and functions.

As you customize, make sure to test your changes, keep performance in mind and always back up your site before making any major modifications. By following these best practices, you can create a personalized, user-friendly dashboard that enhances your WordPress experience.

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