My 2018 WordCamp Sacramento session. At first glance, the WordPress admin can be pretty daunting, especially if it’s your first experience with a content management system (CMS), let alone WordPress. This talk will give designers and developers tips and tricks on ways they can customize the admin to create a better experience for their clients and create peace-of-mind for themselves. We’ll cover things like how to customize the Dashboard widgets, hiding menu items, defining roles and capabilities, creating an Options page, and a variety of plugins that can help.

1. Optimizing The
WordPress Admin
For Users
Creating a Better User
Experience for Clients

2. Cristina Robinson
UI/UX Designer at Three29
Blogger at TheLovelyGeek.com
@LovelyGeek #wcsac
@TheLovelyGeek #wcsac

3. Optimizing the WordPress Admin For Users
1.
Value the importance of
customizing the admin
2.
Take the time to define
user roles and capabilities
3. Streamline the Dashboard
4.
Utilize the Advanced
Custom Fields plugin
5.
Make WordPress Easier
to Use
6. Anticipate Future Errors
7. Train Your Client Before
Giving Them Access
8. Putting it All Together

4. Why should I care?

5. WordPress Can Be
Intimidating
• Clients aren’t used to WordPress
• Information overload
• Put what matters in front of them
• You’re the pro, not them

6. They Can Break Things
• Run updates
• Mess with settings
• Break the theme
• Fixes can be frustrating
• Do you want to fix it now or
later?
“With great power comes great
responsibility.” - Uncle Ben

7. Put Your Best
Foot Forward
• Reduce emails
• Client satisfaction
• Provide value
• Enhance your reputation

8. Define User Roles
and Capabilities

9. Get Organized
• Determine who should have
access to the admin
• Create a spreadsheet
• Document name, username,
password, email, and roles

10. Plugin:
User Role Editor
• Create a new role called Client
• Base it off Administrator role
• Assign your clients to this role
• Determine what they can/
cannot do

11. Plugin:
Adminimize
• Hide sections of the admin
based on role
• Restrict access to areas that can
get them into trouble
• Hide Dashboard widgets
• Tip: do this after all needed
plugins have been installed

12. Plugin:
User Switching
• Allows you to switch to different
users without having to log out
• Test your custom roles
• Verify they see what they’re
supposed to see
• Handy for troubleshooting

13. Streamline the
Dashboard widgets

14. Hide Unnecessary
Dashboard Widgets
• At a Glance
• Quick Draft
• WordPress Events & News
• Plugin-related widgets (e.g.
Yoast SEO)
• Do this through code or
Adminimize plugin

15. Personalized
Custom Widget
• Theme notes
• Image sizes
• Documentation (cheat sheets)
• Resources
• Do this through code
• Build this into your default
theme

16. Plugin:
Google Analytics
Dashboard for WP
• Overview of Google Analytics in
your Dashboard
• Easy for clients to see their stats
• Google Analytics tracking code
is automatically inserted

17. Optional Plugin:
Search Meter
• See what visitors are searching
for on your site
• Great for content strategy

18. Optional Plugin:
JetPack
• All-in-one plugin by the makers
of WordPress.com
• Includes traffic tools and stats
• See top posts, searches,
referrers, and geographic
locations
• Get insights about most popular
content and times

19. Utilize the Advanced Custom
Fields plugin

20. Create an Options
Page
• Logo
• Contact information
• Social media
• Tracking pixels
• Typekit/Font Awesome

21. Create Notes and
Reminders
• Image sizes, formats
• Guide your user
• Hide unneeded sections on a
page/post

22. Make WordPress
Easier to Use

23. Style the Visual
Editor
• add_editor_style function to
functions.php
• Create separate stylesheet
dedicated to editor styles
• wpfill.me

24. User Friendly
Editing
• Theme Customizer
• Widgets
• Custom Fields
• Assume the client should be
able to edit the site without
knowing code

25. Anticipate Future Errors

26. Monitor via an
Activity Log Plugin
• Handy for troubleshooting
• Can see who is doing what
• Recommend: Stream, WP
Security Audit Log or Simple
History
• Tip: use Adminimize to hide
access from client
• Activate after training

27. Train Your Client Before
Giving Them Access

28. WordPress Training
• Show them how to login with
the credentials you’ve created
for them
• Set expectations
• Educate on best practices
• Documentation for reference

29. Documentation
• Create cheat sheets on the
basics and brand them
• Create Google Docs and revisit
whenever there’s a major
WordPress release
• Link to them in the Dashboard
• Remember this is new to them

30. Putting It All Together

32. Create An Admin
You Can Be Proud Of

33. Thank you!
www.TheLovelyGeek.com