The Command Center is EdminBoost’s control hub inside wp-admin. It’s where you shape how the WordPress admin looks and works for your site:
- Which shortcuts appear in the top admin bar
- Which sidebar menu items show up (via layout presets)
- How wp-admin looks (colors, light/dark mode, fonts)
- Optional tools for productivity, security, and performance
After you finish the first-run setup wizard, the Dashboard becomes your home base — a quick snapshot of your current layout, theme, and top bar, with one-click paths to fine-tune each piece.
How to open it
- Log in to wp-admin as an Administrator
- In the left sidebar, click EdminBoost
- The Dashboard opens by default
Direct URL:wp-admin/admin.php?page=edminboost-smart-admin-productivity-tool
If setup isn’t finished yet, you’ll see the 4-step setup wizard instead of the overview.
Two ways to navigate
EdminBoost uses two navigation layers. They reach the same pages — pick whichever feels natural.
Left sidebar (always visible)
| Menu item | What it’s for |
|---|---|
| Dashboard | Overview cards — quick changes to layout and theme |
| Layouts | Full preset library, role assignments, save custom layouts |
| Theme | Visual skins, admin bar cleanup, font size, favicon, and more |
| Top Bar | Drag-and-drop builder for admin bar shortcuts |
| Menu Studio | Reorder, hide, and style the left admin sidebar |
| Billing | Plan comparison and upgrade links |
| Settings | JSON backup and import |
Top tab bar (after setup)
A horizontal tab row appears at the top of Command Center pages. It includes everything in the sidebar plus tab-only pages:
- Productivity — hide notices, dashboard widgets, screen options, and more
- Security — XML-RPC, REST API, comments, login redirects
- Performance — emoji scripts, asset optimization, Heartbeat
- White Label — agency branding and system status footer
Tabs load without a full page reload — the content area updates while you stay in EdminBoost.
The Dashboard at a glance
Once setup is complete, the Dashboard shows a short intro:
All your major admin tools in one place. Configure layout, appearance, and your top bar to build a workflow that works for you.
Below that are three overview cards in a grid. Each card summarizes one part of your Command Center and links to the full editor.
1. Layout preset
What it controls:
Your top bar shortcuts and sidebar menu layout together. Choosing a preset applies a ready-made combination for a use case (client site, agency) or a WordPress role (Administrator, Editor, etc.).
On the card you can:
- Open the layout preset dropdown — grouped as:
- Current layout — Default or Custom
- By use case — Friend’s Website, Client’s Website, Small Business, and others
- By role — one preset per editable WordPress role
- Your saved layouts — custom presets you created on the Layouts page
- See a mini sidebar preview — up to five menu items from the selected preset
- Click Manage layout presets to open the full Layouts page (role assignments, visibility matrix, save custom layouts)
Important:
Selecting a new layout preset saves automatically and reloads the page. The preset replaces your current top bar and sidebar configuration. Custom sidebar links you saved earlier are preserved at runtime when a role preset is assigned.
2. Color theme
What it controls:
The visual skin applied across wp-admin — admin bar, sidebar, buttons, links, and EdminBoost screens.
On the card you can:
- Open the color theme dropdown — 20+ presets (Default, Midnight, Terminal, Nord, Dracula, and others)
- See a live mini preview — top bar, sidebar, and color swatches for the active preset
- Click Customize appearance to open the full Theme page (light/dark/auto mode, custom colors, font size, admin background, favicon, declutter toggles)
Important:
Choosing a new theme saves automatically in the background — no Save button on the Dashboard. The preview updates immediately, and the new theme applies across wp-admin on your next page load.
3. Top bar
What it controls:
Shortcuts that appear in the WordPress top admin bar (#wpadminbar) when you’re logged in — on admin screens and on the front end when the admin bar is visible.
On the card you can:
- Open the links dropdown — read-only list of configured shortcuts (label, icon, open behavior)
- Read a short summary — e.g. “5 links configured — 3 open directly; 2 open in a slide-out drawer”
- See a compact top bar preview — icons with tooltips on hover
- Click Edit top bar to open the full Top Bar builder (add/remove links, set drawer interaction, badge counters)
Note:
You cannot edit top bar links from the Dashboard card — only review them. Use Edit top bar for changes.
How saving works on the Dashboard
Unlike other Command Center pages, the Dashboard has no Save button. Changes save automatically:
| Action | What happens |
|---|---|
| Pick a layout preset | Saves via AJAX, then reloads the page so previews and sidebar config stay in sync |
| Pick a color theme | Saves silently in the background; preview updates live |
| Switch to another tab | If a layout save is in progress, EdminBoost waits for it to finish before loading the next tab |
You don’t need to click Save on the Dashboard — but other pages (Theme extras, Top Bar, Menu Studio, etc.) still use Save and Reset to defaults in the form footer.
What you see in the live admin
After the Dashboard reflects your choices, the effects show up outside EdminBoost screens too:
| Setting | Where it appears |
|---|---|
| Top bar links | WordPress admin bar at the top of every admin page (and front end when logged in) |
| Visual theme | wp-admin colors, admin bar, sidebar, buttons, and links |
| Layout preset sidebar | Left admin menu order and visibility (via Menu Studio config from the preset) |
Open any wp-admin page (Posts, Plugins, etc.) to confirm your top bar shortcuts and theme are active.
Dashboard vs. setup wizard
| Setup wizard (first run) | Dashboard overview (after setup) | |
|---|---|---|
| When | Before setup is complete | After you save the wizard |
| Steps | 4-step guided flow | 3 summary cards |
| Tab nav | Hidden | Visible |
| Layout + theme | Choose in steps 1–2, review in 3–4 | Change anytime from cards |
| Save | Save and launch button on step 4 | Auto-save on card changes |
You can always return to the Dashboard from EdminBoost → Dashboard or the Dashboard tab.
Common tasks from the Dashboard
| I want to… | Do this |
|---|---|
| Switch to a client-site layout | Layout preset card → choose Client’s Website (saves and reloads) |
| Try a dark admin theme | Color theme card → pick Midnight or Terminal |
| See what’s in my top bar | Top bar card → open the links dropdown |
| Add a new shortcut | Edit top bar → drag a page from the discovered list to the canvas → Save |
| Hide the WordPress logo in the admin bar | Customize appearance → Admin bar cleanup toggles |
| Reorder sidebar menu items | Menu Studio (sidebar or tab) |
| Assign different layouts per role | Manage layout presets → Who sees what section |
| Turn on “hide admin notices” | Productivity tab |
Tips
Start with presets, then customize.
Layout presets and theme skins get you 80% there. Use Top Bar and Menu Studio only when you need granular control.
Layout changes replace top bar + sidebar.
Switching presets on the Dashboard overwrites your current top bar and Menu Studio config from the preset. Save a custom layout on the Layouts page first if you want to keep a personal setup.
Theme picks save instantly.
Experiment freely with color themes from the Dashboard — each selection saves automatically.
Check the live admin bar.
The top bar preview on the Dashboard is compact. Visit any wp-admin page to see full labels and drawer panels in action.
Tab navigation preserves your place.
Use the top tabs to hop between Theme, Top Bar, and Productivity without leaving EdminBoost. Browser back/forward works too.
Troubleshooting
I still see the setup wizard.
Setup isn’t marked complete. Finish all four wizard steps and click Save and launch, or ensure at least one top bar link is saved.
Layout preset change didn’t stick.
Wait for the page reload after selecting a preset. If you switched tabs mid-save, try selecting the preset again.
Theme changed on Dashboard but not on other pages.
Hard-refresh the target admin page (Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + R). Confirm EdminBoost is enabled under Settings.
Top bar is empty on the Dashboard card.
No links are configured. Open Edit top bar, add items from the discovered list, and Save.
I don’t see Productivity / Security tabs.
Complete the setup wizard first. Tab navigation appears only after setup is complete.