WordPress Tutorial: Easy Way to Customize WordPress Admin

Either you have just adopted the WordPress, or sporting with it incorporating the default functionality. However, if you wish to explore some more advanced worthy and affable ways to customize your website which is empowered by WordPress, then WordPress Admin area and backend is considered as a perfect place to initiate. One most interesting thing I would like to state here is that in account of simple PHP functions, each part of WordPress backend can be customized in very affable way without meeting any hindrances.

However, after going through this post WordPress Tutorial: Easy Way to Customize WordPress Admin you will be able to customize WordPress login page with your own desired logo, incorporate distinct useful and novice widgets to dashboard, include custom footer content to the admin page, render it more convenient to check-in and check-out from admin area and much more. Therefore, when you will attempt to drag it together, it will result in enhanced accessibility, branding and usability of your site empowered by WordPress.

How to Transform the Default Login URL in WordPress

By default, in order to login in WordPress admin area you are required to employ either /wp-content or /wp-login.php that should be included in the URL. However, you can modify the login URL to more memorable and enhanced branded for most easy and affable access. Thus, .htaccess file manipulation will be required to implement this technique. Generally, it is a hidden file which sits in the root of your installation of WordPress. It is automatically generated by WordPress after defining a custom permalinks through URL rewriting.

First of all you are required to analyze SFTP/FTP client preferences in order to display the hidden files – which is cultivated by most of the FTP clients. Now, ensure the existence of .htaccess file. In the case, if doesn’t exist you are supposed to create it by employing notepad. You should prefer Notepad++ software on windows to accomplish this task. Next, open this file and include the below listed line on top:

RewriteRule ^login$ http://YOUR_SITE.com/wp-login.php [NC,L]

Now you are supposed to transform the login keyword with your own desire keyword and your website’s URL

Now, you can visit your default web-browser in order to reach at http://yoursite.com/login, and within a couple of time you will be arrived at WordPress login page. So, the point should be marked as well as remember that there is a probability that your clients would not be acquainted with in-depth usages of WordPress – Therefore, it is far better and appreciated to enclosed a user friendly URL which is also easy to remember rather than of /wp-login.php. It is easy to remember, easy to learn and easy to teach.

How to Change the Default External Link of WordPress Login Page

After you log into WordPress, for retrieving logo it connects to WordPress.org by default. Now, let me take you with a quick tip that will enable you to employ your own link for logo. Towards this direction you are supposed to put a little bit of efforts to open the function.php file. Next, include the following snippet of code and ensure to remember PHP tag enclosure.

// Use your own external URL logo link
function wpc_url_login()
{
return "http://wpchannel.com/"; // your URL here
}
add_filter('login_headerurl', 'wpc_url_login');

Finally, save the file and log out to see the result.

Customize the Logo on Login Page without any Plugin

By rendering the default login logo of WordPress with your own desired one, you can reinforce your brand in an elegant way. Undoubtedly, the logo is considered as one amongst most significant elements of your brand. In account of which logo make an unforgettable impact and etch in people’s mind in such way that they memorize it even at first sight and for a long time. When you will attempt to open WordPress login screen, following image will appear as its default screen.

In order to make it more advance, you can include this code fragment in your functions.php:

// Custom WordPress Login Logo
function login_css()
{
wp_enqueue_style( 'login_css', get_template_directory_uri() .'/css/login.css' );
}
add_action('login_head', 'login_css');

Where, the third line winks towards an other separate stylesheet. Apart of this, you have liberty to employ here your own default CSS theme. However, as for example you may employ and implement accordingly a Firefox add-on like Firebug or any other distinct Web development tool which are available at wide length that must have capability to edit your website in real-time. As, you can observer here, just by changing one line in code snippet you can achieve your desired logo for your WordPress powered site’s login page.

#login h1 a {
background-image: url("https://YOUR-WEBSITE.com/wp-content/themes/YOUR_THEME/images/custom_logo.png") !important;
}

Here, you are free to change the URL of logo, in the case when it doesn’t exist in your theme folder. Now, lets have a look over your login page incorporated by your desired logo.

If this not belong to the case, you are required to ensure that no white lines are sitting at the end point of your functions.php file.

How to Change the Footer of Your WordPress Administration

By default, Footer of WordPress admin thanks you for utilizing their content management system as well as links to WordPress.org. However, you might want to customize this footer area in context of branding of your site and professional use.
However, in order to accomplish this task open the Appearance menu and click on Editor. Point out the function.php which sits at right side of your screen then click on this. Moreover, you can also access the footer area by employing an FTP client to designate /wp-content/themes/NAME_OF_YOUR_THEME/functions.php.

Next, etch the below provided code fragment by taking a great care to insert them between PHP tags.

// Custom WordPress Footer
function remove_footer_admin ()
{
echo '© 2012 - WordPress Channel, Aurélien Denis';
}
add_filter('admin_footer_text', 'remove_footer_admin');

Also, you can customize the content just by putting a little bit of efforts to transform the second line comprised by echo, between the quotes. Eventually, you may see the result by refreshing your browser.

Including Custom Widgets to Your Dashboard

It might be obvious to incorporate your desired widget into your dashboard in order to deliver commercial or general information. It can be achieved in very easy and convenient way as well as very exponentially. Now, again you are required to open your functions.php file and include the following snippet of code:

// Add a widget in WordPress Dashboard
function wpc_dashboard_widget_function()
{
// Entering the text between the quotes
echo "<ul>
<li>Release Date: March 2012</li>
<li>Author: Aurelien Denis.</li>
<li>Hosting provider: my own server</li>
</ul>";
}
function wpc_add_dashboard_widgets()
{
wp_add_dashboard_widget('wp_dashboard_widget', 'Technical information','wpc_dashboard_widget_function');
}
add_action('wp_dashboard_setup', 'wpc_add_dashboard_widgets' );

In this example, include the desired text between the echo tag followed by quotes. You are also free to include HTML; an unordered list for example. Define a name for your widget – it will be title of your widget – By transforming “Technical information” with your own title of your choice. This is the thing that will appear identical of this.

In the case if your custom widget doesn’t appear, you are required to click on the Options menu screen that can be found at top right of the window to make it visible.

How to Hide Unwanted WordPress Dashboard Widgets

The WordPress dashboard incorporate various distinct widgets that can be move in very convenient and affable way of dragging and dropping as well as even without meeting any hurdles. In order to mask them accurately, you can just include the below provided line into the functions.php file:

add_action('wp_dashboard_setup', 'wpc_dashboard_widgets');
function wpc_dashboard_widgets()
{
global $wp_meta_boxes;
// Today widget
unset($wp_meta_boxes['dashboard']['normal']['core']['dashboard_right_now']);
// Last comments
unset($wp_meta_boxes['dashboard']['normal']['core']['dashboard_recent_comments']);
// Incoming links
unset($wp_meta_boxes['dashboard']['normal']['core']['dashboard_incoming_links']);
// Plugins
unset($wp_meta_boxes['dashboard']['normal']['core']['dashboard_plugins']);
}

Here, you will got complete freedom to choose what widgets you would like to retain and what to hide on your WordPress dashboard. In this example, “Right Now”, “Incoming links”, “Recent Comment”, and “Plugins” have been eliminated from your WordPress dashboard.

How to Change the WordPress Admin Color Scheme

In the case, if you are satisfied with color scheme of your WordPress Admin panel and avid to render its color scheme according to your desire. Here is how can you customize your WordPress admin color scheme in simple and easy way. Only you are required to build a new CSS stylesheet. In this illustration, we will define it as admin.css as well as store in a folder named entitled/css. Next, once again you are required to edit the functions.php file and include this fragment of code.

// Custom WordPress Admin Color Scheme
function admin_css()
{
wp_enqueue_style( 'admin_css', get_template_directory_uri() .'/css/admin.css' );
}
add_action('admin_print_styles', 'admin_css' );

However, one noticeable thing that must be keep in your mind that your admin.css file must incorporate those styles which are supported by WordPress.

Hopefully, this pot WordPress Tutorial: Easy Way to Customize WordPress Admin would be highly worthy and useful for you especially for those who have fad to work with WordPress, doesn’t matter either they are professional, experts or freshers. Moreover, this tutorial about how to customize WordPress Admin will also liked and appreciated by all those people who owned a WordPress powered site.

I hope this post have make you educated with some earnest tips about customizing your WordPress admin easily which also act more like a white label Content Management System (CMS). Do remember, customization is not only a technique for branding but also referred as an efficient method to boost up your productivity by enhancing user-friendliness. Even, if you are not familiar or comfortable with PHP, you can also bring most of these changes by employing White Label CMS i.e. WordPress plugin.