This is How to Easily Hide or Remove the Dashboard Settings Tab in WordPress Through a Plugin
As a WordPress site owner or administrator, you may sometimes want to hide or remove certain dashboard features to streamline the user experience and enhance security. One such feature is the Dashboard Settings tab, which gives users access to important site-wide configurations.
While WordPress allows you to control user permissions and access to various dashboard sections, the Settings tab can sometimes pose a security risk, especially if you have multiple users with administrator-level access. Fortunately, there's a simple solution – you can hide or completely remove the Settings tab through a custom WordPress plugin.
In this comprehensive guide, we'll walk you through the process of creating a plugin that removes the Dashboard Settings tab, ensuring your WordPress site remains secure and user-friendly.
Why You Should Consider Hiding or Removing the Dashboard Settings Tab
The Dashboard Settings tab in WordPress provides access to critical site-wide configurations, such as general settings, writing, reading, discussion, media, and permalinks. While this functionality is essential for site administrators, it can also pose a security risk if mishandled.
Here are some key reasons why you might want to consider hiding or removing the Dashboard Settings tab:
-
Enhanced Security: By limiting access to the Settings tab, you reduce the risk of unauthorized changes to your site's critical configurations, which could potentially lead to security breaches or website downtime.
-
Streamlined User Experience: If you have multiple users with administrator-level access, the Settings tab may clutter the dashboard and confuse less experienced users. Hiding or removing it can simplify the user interface and improve the overall experience.
-
Compliance and Regulatory Requirements: Certain industries or organizations may have specific compliance or regulatory requirements that mandate tighter control over access to sensitive site settings. Hiding the Settings tab can help you meet these requirements.
-
Prevent Accidental Changes: Even experienced users can sometimes make unintended changes to site settings, leading to unexpected issues. Removing the Settings tab can help prevent these kinds of accidents.
By creating a custom plugin to hide or remove the Dashboard Settings tab, you can address these concerns and maintain a more secure and user-friendly WordPress environment.
How to Create a Plugin to Hide or Remove the Dashboard Settings Tab
To create a plugin that hides or removes the Dashboard Settings tab, follow these steps:
-
Create a new plugin file: In your WordPress site's wp-content/plugins
directory, create a new file named remove-dashboard-settings.php
.
-
Add the plugin header: At the top of the remove-dashboard-settings.php
file, add the following plugin header information:
<?php
/*
Plugin Name: Remove Dashboard Settings
Plugin URI: https://flowpoint.ai
Description: This plugin removes the Dashboard Settings tab from the WordPress admin menu.
Version: 1.0
Author: Flowpoint.ai
Author URI: https://flowpoint.ai
*/
- Add the function to remove the Settings tab: Inside the plugin file, add the following PHP function:
function remove_dashboard_settings() {
remove_menu_page( 'options-general.php' );
}
add_action( 'admin_menu', 'remove_dashboard_settings' );
This function, remove_dashboard_settings()
, uses the remove_menu_page()
function to remove the "Settings" menu item from the WordPress admin menu. The 'options-general.php'
slug is the unique identifier for the Settings tab.
The add_action()
function then hooks the remove_dashboard_settings()
function to the 'admin_menu'
action, which ensures that the Settings tab is removed when the admin menu is generated.
- Activate the plugin: Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard, go to the "Plugins" section, and activate the "Remove Dashboard Settings" plugin.
And that's it! With this simple plugin, the Dashboard Settings tab will now be hidden or removed from your WordPress site's admin menu.
Verifying the Changes
To ensure that the Settings tab has been successfully hidden or removed, follow these steps:
-
Check the Admin Menu: After activating the plugin, log out of the WordPress admin dashboard and then log back in. You should no longer see the "Settings" menu item in the left-hand admin menu.
-
Try Accessing the Settings Page Directly: Even though the Settings tab is hidden, users with administrative access can still try to access the Settings page directly by entering the URL https://your-site.com/wp-admin/options-general.php
. If the plugin is working correctly, they should be redirected to the WordPress admin dashboard without the Settings page being displayed.
-
Test with Different User Roles: Try logging in with user accounts that have different roles (e.g., Editor, Author, Subscriber) to ensure that the Settings tab is hidden for all user types, not just administrators.
By verifying these changes, you can be confident that the Dashboard Settings tab has been successfully hidden or removed from your WordPress site.
Considerations and Limitations
While the plugin we've created is effective in hiding or removing the Dashboard Settings tab, there are a few important considerations and limitations to keep in mind:
-
Backdoor Access: Even though the Settings tab is hidden from the admin menu, users with administrative access can still access the Settings page directly by entering the URL. This means that the plugin only hides the tab, but doesn't completely prevent access to the Settings page.
-
Compatibility with Other Plugins: Make sure to test your site thoroughly after activating the "Remove Dashboard Settings" plugin, as it may interfere with the functionality of other plugins that rely on the Settings tab or the options-general.php
page.
-
Updates and Maintenance: Remember to keep your plugin up-to-date and maintain it regularly, as WordPress core updates or changes to the admin menu structure could potentially break the plugin's functionality.
-
User Experience Considerations: While hiding the Settings tab can improve the user experience for some users, it may also frustrate power users or site administrators who need quick access to the Settings page. Consider your specific user needs and preferences when deciding whether to hide or remove the tab.
To address the backdoor access issue and provide more comprehensive control over the Settings page, you may want to consider implementing additional security measures, such as:
- Implementing User Role Restrictions: Use WordPress' built-in user role system to grant or revoke access to the Settings page based on user roles.
- Leveraging the
remove_action()
Function: Instead of using remove_menu_page()
, you can try using the remove_action()
function to remove the Settings page from the admin menu and the admin_menu action.
- Exploring Third-Party Security Plugins: There are various security plugins available for WordPress that offer more advanced options for controlling access to sensitive dashboard features.
By carefully considering these factors and potential solutions, you can create a more secure and user-friendly WordPress environment that meets the needs of your site and its users.
Conclusion
In this article, we've shown you how to easily create a custom WordPress plugin that hides or removes the Dashboard Settings tab from the admin menu. By taking this step, you can enhance the security and user experience of your WordPress site, preventing unauthorized access and simplifying the dashboard for your users.
Remember, while this plugin is a great starting point, it's important to continually assess your site's security and user needs to ensure that you're providing the best possible experience for your visitors. Stay vigilant, keep your plugins up-to-date, and don't hesitate to explore additional security measures if needed.
If you're looking for a comprehensive solution to optimize your WordPress site's performance, user experience, and conversion rates, be sure to check out Flowpoint.ai. Our AI-powered platform can help you identify and address technical, UX, and content-related issues that may be impacting your website's success
Get a Free AI Website Audit
Automatically identify UX and content issues affecting your conversion rates with Flowpoint's comprehensive AI-driven website audit.