What should happen
When a top bar link is set to Drawer (slide-out panel), clicking it opens a panel from the right with the admin screen inside. You close it with X, clicking outside, or Escape.
If nothing opens, the panel is blank, or you see an error, try these steps.
- The link is really a drawer link
- EdminBoost → Top Bar → select the item on the canvas.
- Interaction must be Drawer, not Redirect.
- Click Save.
Panel & badges settings only apply when at least one drawer link exists.
- Drawer scripts are loading
Drawers need EdminBoost’s admin bar script and the drawer shell on the page.
- Reload wp-admin after saving Top Bar.
- If you only use drawers on the front end, you must be logged in with the admin bar visible there too.
- Security token expired
Drawer URLs use a short-lived security check. An old tab left open for a long time can fail.
- Refresh the page (F5) and click the drawer link again.
- The target page is allowed in the drawer
Only whitelisted admin paths configured in your top bar can load in the panel. Invalid or blocked paths may show “Invalid drawer request” or a blank frame.
- Re-add the link from the discovered list on Top Bar instead of typing a odd path.
- For custom paths, use normal admin URLs (for example edit.php, plugins.php) without typos.
- Preview drawer on Top Bar fails
Preview only works on the Top Bar page for administrators.
- If preview fails, read the message (permission denied, security check failed, path not allowed).
- Refresh Top Bar and try again.
- Browser extensions or strict security
Ad blockers, privacy extensions, or “block third-party cookies” sometimes interfere with iframes.
- Try a private window with extensions off, or another browser.
- The screen refuses to run inside a frame
A few plugins or hosts send headers that block iframe embedding. The drawer may stay blank even though redirect works.
- Set that link to Redirect instead of Drawer, or open the screen from the sidebar.
- Interaction changed to redirect (some builds)
On older premium builds, drawer mode could be limited when Pro is not active. The WordPress.org build includes drawers. If links behave like normal navigation only, update EdminBoost or check Top Bar after save.
Quick test
- Add plugins.php as a drawer link on Top Bar → Save.
- Refresh wp-admin → click the new shortcut.
- If that works, the problem is likely the original path or role visibility—not drawers in general.