How to Customize WordPress Admin Interface

The WordPress admin interfaceits where you write your fantastic blog posts, beautify your site, and so much more. Its your home for anything and everything WordPress. But just like your real home, its not really yours until you move in, rearrange the furniture, and put up some pictures. Hence the need to customize WordPress admin interface.Thats what this post is all about. Making wp-admin your own. Turning it from a generic fresh WordPress install into the exact setup to help you, your clients, or your members get the most out of WordPress.Ill show you how to:Customize the wp-admin login pageSimplify your wp-admin using Screen OptionsCustomize wp-admin menus and other detailsCompletely change your wp-admin designWhy Customize WordPress Admin?There are three main reasons to customize WordPress admin interface, though they wont all apply to your site:Youre the only person with access to your admin panel and you just want to change its appearance or functionality.You run a membership s ite, BuddyPress, or other type of site where users are regularly logging into WordPress.Youre a WordPress designer who wants to provide a client-friendly admin section.Create a Unique WordPress Login PageThe login page is the gate to your wp-admin section. And its also generic and boring by default:Every default login page has the same logo, the same design, the same links. Thats pretty boring. And its the complete opposite of brandable.You can fix that by following some simple steps outlined in this guide. Its the most user-friendly way to customize your login page because it uses the native WordPress Customizer. That means you can preview all the changes you make in real time. No guessing what your login page will look like!Declutter Your Admin Interface with Screen OptionsWhens the last time you read the WordPress News section on your dashboard? Probably sometime between never and Theres a WordPress News section!? It takes up space without really offering anything of value.Thankf ully, its easy to pick and choose which boxes display inside your wp-admin. All these options are available after clicking the not-very-well-known Screen Options button:Just give the button a click. Then, you can pick and choose which widgets you want. Just uncheck the boxes you dont want:You can do this for most pages in your wp-admin. For example, if you wanted to edit what information appears when you create a new post, you can repeat the same process on that page:Browse through all your admin pages and be amazed at how much you can declutter your wp-admin!Change Menus and Customize in DetailIf you want to customize WordPress admin beyond whats available in the Screen Options tab, youll need to turn to another plugin. This time, youll use one called WP Admin UI Customize: WP Admin UI Customize Author(s): Administrator role. If youre editing for others, make sure to select the appropriate user roles:Then, you can customize nearly everything about your admin panel. Covering ever y option would require a whole post of its own, so Ill just hit the highlights:1. Change the wp-admin SidebarIf youve installed a lot of plugins, your wp-admin sidebar menu might be getting a little cluttered. You can organize everything by going to the Sidebar option. You can then edit your internal menu using the same interface you use to create custom front-end menus:Just drag and drop everything where you want it. You can also edit sub-menus by clicking the expand arrow, which gives you powerful control over how everything works:2. Change the Floating Admin BarYou can also use the plugin to similarly customize the floating admin bar that appears when users are logged in. Just navigate to the Admin bar section and you can drag and drop using the same interface. The only difference is that the admin bar is divided into two sections: left and right.Totally Change the Design with Admin ThemesOk, Ive covered all these tweaks you can make to functionality inside wp-admin. But what if you really want to totally change how things look? Say you hate looking at the drab WordPress design and want something with a little more oomph. Or maybe you prefer a lighter interface. Whatever your motivation, you can make major aesthetic changes to your wp-admin section using admin themes.Youre probably familiar with how themes affect your frontend site. The same concept applies to your admin section. While these admin themes are technically plugins, theyll redesign your admin section and add functionality just like a theme.Here are some of the best options:1. Slate Admin Theme Slate Admin Theme Author(s): Ryan SommersCurrent Version: 1.2.1Last Updated: February 23, 2019slate-admin-theme.1.2.1.zip 96%Ratings 74,440Downloads WP 4.0+Requires This free admin theme plugin provides a darker admin interface thats much easier on the eyes. Beyond some minor reorganization, dont expect any added functionality. This one is all about aesthetics:All you need to do is install the plu gin and activate it to see the changes.2. Fancy Admin UI Fancy Admin UI Author(s): Bob OrchardCurrent Version: 2.1Last Updated: December 27, 2017fancy-admin-ui.zip 90%Ratings 36,415Downloads 3.9.0Requires If the dark interface of Slate isnt quite your speed, you can go lighter with the free Fancy Admin UI. Whereas Slate went black, Fancy Admin UI goes blue. It has a light, airy feel to it that Im a big fan of:Again, no settings or details to customize. Just install the theme, activate, and ogle your new wp-admin design.3. First WordPress Admin ThemeIf youre willing to go premium, First WordPress Admin Theme provides the most beautiful design of the bunch. In addition to re-skinning the wp-admin, it will also give you loads of customization options.Most of these options overlap with the WP Admin UI Customize plugin I discussed earlier, though. So dont feel like you need to purchase this plugin just for those functionality add-ons.After installing the plugin, heres what youll be looking at every time you log in:First WordPress Admin Theme costs $20.Wrapping things up on how to customize WordPress adminWeve covered a lot today! You learned how to customize every aspect of your wp-admin experience. From logging in, to decluttering, to changing functionality, and even fully changing the design.Now its time to put these concepts into action, go customize WordPress admin, and give yourself the perfect wp-admin section!Is there anything you need help with? Feel free to speak up in the comments!Free guide5 Essential Tips to Speed Up Your WordPress SiteReduce your loading time by even 50-80% just by following simple tips. About the author:Â  Colin Newcomer is a freelance writer for hire with a background in SEO and affiliate marketing. He helps clients grow their web visibility by writing primarily about digital marketing, WordPress, and B2B topics. You can find him at www.cnewcomer.com.