I love my simple WordPress dashboard.
However, the standard WordPress experience can be overwhelming and confusing as soon as you log in.
In this post, I’ll share a few simple steps you can take to clean up your WordPress dashboard.
Plugin Option (No Nonsense)
I really love this plugin that basically gives you a checklist of quick actions as well as some really smart clean up options in a single dashboard. I do like to keep my plugins to a minimum, but this lightweight admin-only plugin is certainly a convenient tool to have in your toolkit if you install WordPress frequently.
Screen Options
The very first thing I do on a new WordPress installation is hide the standard WordPress dashboard widgets.
Doing this is simple… IF you know where to look!
From your WordPress Dashboard, look for the tab in the top right corner of your screen that says “Screen Options.”
I like to deselect every option except for “At a Glance.”
Color Options
You can set the color scheme for the WordPress admin area in your user profile (easily accessed in the top right corner of the screen).
Disable Admin Notices
If this is a brand new installation of WordPress, you probably won’t have an issue with admin notices.
If you’ve had your WordPress site for a while, and have any popular “freemium” plugins installed, your dashboard is probably plagued with banners asking you to review a plugin or upgrade to a premium version.
You can almost always dismiss the notices individually, but this will often require clearing notifications every time you log in.
You can also use a simple plugin to hide the admin notices. My favorite is Hide Admin Notices.
This plugin keeps the notices, but hides them under a “Show Notices” tab in the top right, near screen options.
Another option you can test is Clarity – Ad Blocker for WordPress.
Other Dashboard Widgets
As you continue to use WordPress, you’ll find other ways to make your dashboard your own. Many plugins will include new admin widgets you can enable, and you’ll be able to decide exactly what you want to see when you log into WordPress!
Leave a comment if you have other suggestions on simplifying the WordPress admin area!
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