Reducing excess main menu entries WP admin

Reducing excess main menu entries in the WordPress backend can help streamline the admin interface, making it more user-friendly and efficient. Here are some suggestions to achieve this:

1. Use a Custom Admin Menu Plugin

Plugins like Admin Menu Editor allow you to customize the WordPress admin menu. You can rearrange, hide, or rename menu items to suit your needs.

• Admin Menu Editor:
  • Install and activate the plugin.
  • Go to Settings > Menu Editor.
  • Drag and drop to rearrange menu items or hide unnecessary ones.

2. Remove Unnecessary Plugins

Deactivating and deleting plugins that you don’t use can reduce menu clutter.

• Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins.
• Deactivate and delete plugins that are not essential.

3. Use Custom Post Types UI (CPT UI)

If you have custom post types that you don’t frequently use, consider disabling their menu entries.

• Install and activate the Custom Post Types UI plugin.
• Go to CPT UI > Edit Post Types.
• Modify the settings to remove the post type from the menu.

4. Role Management

Different roles have access to different menu items. Use a role management plugin to limit menu items based on user roles.

• User Role Editor:
  • Install and activate the plugin.
  • Go to Users > User Role Editor.
  • Adjust capabilities to limit access to specific menu items.

5. Custom Code in functions.php

For those comfortable with coding, you can add custom code to your theme’s functions.php file to remove specific menu items.

function remove_menus() {
    // Remove unnecessary menu items
    remove_menu_page('edit-comments.php');       // Comments
    remove_menu_page('tools.php');               // Tools
    remove_menu_page('edit.php?post_type=page'); // Pages
    // Add more remove_menu_page() calls as needed
}
add_action('admin_menu', 'remove_menus');

6. Streamline with a Custom Dashboard

Creating a custom dashboard can help organize important links and reduce the need for numerous menu items.

• Custom Dashboard Widgets:
  • Use the plugin Custom Dashboard Widgets to add custom links and widgets to your dashboard.
  • This can help centralize frequently used links and functions.

7. Multisite Considerations

If you’re using a multisite setup, consider network activating plugins only when necessary. This can help reduce clutter across multiple sites.

• Network Admin:
  • Go to My Sites > Network Admin > Plugins.
  • Network activate only essential plugins.

8. Training and Documentation

Educate your team on using the backend efficiently. Proper training can help users navigate without relying on excessive menu items.

Conclusion

By customizing and streamlining the WordPress admin menu, you can create a more efficient and user-friendly interface. Using plugins like Admin Menu Editor, role management tools, or even custom coding can significantly reduce clutter and improve productivity in the backend.