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Adminimize: Customize the WordPress Dashboard

Adminimize lets you control menus, submenus, and role-based permissions to keep your dashboard clean and tailored to each user.

2 min read

Adminimize is a plugin (an add-on installed in WordPress to add new features) designed to customize and simplify the administration dashboard. With this tool, you can modify and control access to various functions and elements of your dashboard.

The plugin transforms the look of the control panel and gives you full control over permissions (who can access each area) in specific sections. Administrators can enable or disable each menu item, including those in submenus.

Adminimize has an advantage: it optimizes the control panel's menu space, making it cleaner and more efficient. This customization is applied based on the user role (administrator, editor, author...), so each user only sees what they need. It's a similar idea to hiding elements manually with Code Snippets, which I explained in How to Remove Items from the WordPress Admin Menu with Code Snippets, but here done from a settings screen.

Uses and Features

Adminimize is a very useful tool for anyone who wants to simplify their admin dashboard and gain efficiency. You can use it to:

  • Customize the interface: adjust the WordPress interface to fit your needs and preferences.

  • Improve security: limit access to critical functions to prevent unwanted changes.

  • Simplify the user experience: if you manage a site with multiple collaborators, you can simplify their admin experience to avoid confusion.

Differences with Other Similar Plugins

Although there are other plugins that offer admin dashboard customization options, Adminimize stands out for its versatility and extensive customization options. Its ability to work alongside popular editors like Gutenberg, Elementor, and Bricks makes it a preferred choice for many users.

Notable Alternatives

If Adminimize is an excellent option, here are some of the highest-rated alternatives in the WordPress.org repository:

  1. User Role Editor: allows detailed management of user roles and capabilities.

  2. Admin Menu Editor: specialized in customizing the admin menu.

  3. White Label CMS: offers a complete set of customization tools for the admin dashboard.

I also use it for another reason: a cleaner dashboard is noticeable even in small details like the day/night mode toggle button, which I wrote about in Day/Night Mode Toggle Button: Aesthetics and User Experience.