Hate the WordPress Dashboard? Try This Clean New Admin Interface

Summary

Paul C. reviews Minn Admin, a free WordPress plugin that provides a cleaner, more organized admin interface. It runs alongside the standard WordPress dashboard rather than replacing it, and can be set as the default interface after login. The regular dashboard remains accessible.

Main Features Demonstrated

• Overview: A dashboard homepage with site totals, recent activity, activity summaries over 7-, 30-, or 90-day periods, and links to content and other areas.
• Content management and editor: View content status, authors, and dates; duplicate, draft, or trash items. Minn’s simpler editor supports WordPress blocks through the / command, and content can also be opened in the standard Gutenberg editor. The editor includes page settings, revisions and history, word count, reading duration, and a word-count goal.
• Media and comments: Browse and filter the media library, and manage comments and their approval status.
• Plugin integrations: The Extensions area lists installed plugins and recommends integrations designed for Minn. The presenter demonstrates SEOPress settings inside the editor, while noting that other WordPress plugins can still be installed.
• Users and preferences: Manage users, choose light, dark, or system appearance, set Minn as the default admin, and adjust toolbar and session options.
• Menus, widgets, and site structure: Organize menus with drag-and-drop controls, access WordPress widgets, and create basic custom post types, taxonomies, and terms. The presenter says these structure tools are simpler than dedicated tools such as ACF or Meta Box.
• System tools and settings: Review diagnostics, inspect environment details and integrations, and enable debugging or logging. WordPress settings can also be adjusted through Minn’s interface.

Review and Takeaway

The presenter finds the interface cleaner and potentially less intimidating for clients, while emphasizing that preferences will vary. Minn’s built-in custom post type and taxonomy features are basic, and it does not prevent users from returning to the standard WordPress admin.

The video also includes a brief FastPixel sponsor segment describing image optimization, CDN delivery, caching, and lazy loading.

Main Speaker and Source

• Paul C., from WPTuts — presenter and reviewer.