Overview
AdminLocks replaces wp-admin's default dashboard with a focused, branded control panel that shows only relevant information. Instead of the cluttered default WordPress dashboard with its quick draft widget, WordPress events feed, and news panels, you get a streamlined view designed for day-to-day site management.
The replacement dashboard is policy-aware, meaning it automatically adapts its display based on the active policies applied to the current user. Administrators see the full suite of controls, while restricted users see only what their assigned policies allow.
The dashboard replacement is enabled by default when AdminLocks is activated. You can disable it at any time from the plugin settings without affecting other AdminLocks features.
What Changes
When the replacement dashboard is active, the following default WordPress widgets are removed:
- Welcome panel — the introductory panel shown to new WordPress installations
- Quick Draft — the inline post drafting widget
- WordPress Events and News — the community events and blog feed
- At a Glance — the default content counts widget
- Activity — the recent posts and comments widget
These are replaced with AdminLocks stat cards and automated health checks that give you actionable information about your site's security posture and administrative activity.
Stat Cards
The dashboard displays four stat cards at the top of the page, each showing a live count with a brief label:
| Card | Description |
|---|---|
| Active Policies | Count of currently enabled policies applied to user roles |
| Audit Events Today | Number of audit log entries recorded since midnight |
| Pending Approvals | Items waiting for administrative review in the approval queue |
| Snapshots | Total number of snapshots currently stored in the database |
Each card updates on every dashboard page load. The counts are pulled directly from the AdminLocks database tables, so they always reflect the current state of the system.
Health Checks
Below the stat cards, AdminLocks runs a series of automated health checks every time the dashboard loads. Each check displays a pass/fail status with a brief explanation:
- WordPress version — confirms you are running the latest stable release
- PHP version — verifies your server meets the minimum supported PHP version
- File permissions — checks that plugin and theme directories have correct permissions
- Debug mode status — warns if
WP_DEBUGis enabled on a production site - Cloud connection — shows the sync status if AdminLocks Cloud is configured
Health checks that fail are highlighted in yellow or red depending on severity. Address any critical failures promptly to maintain your site's security posture.
Customizing the Dashboard
The dashboard reads the active policies assigned to the current user and adjusts its display accordingly. When Client Mode is enabled for a user's role, the dashboard shows a simplified view with only the stat cards relevant to that user's permissions.
Administrators with the adminlocks_bypass capability always see the full dashboard, regardless of any active policies. This ensures that site owners and agency administrators always have complete visibility into the system's status.
If you need to add custom widgets alongside the AdminLocks dashboard, you can use the adminlocks_dashboard_widgets action hook to register additional dashboard sections programmatically.
Disabling the Replacement
If you prefer to use the original WordPress dashboard, you can disable the replacement at any time:
- Navigate to AdminLocks → Settings → General.
- Uncheck the "Replace WordPress Dashboard" option.
- Click Save Settings.
The original WordPress dashboard will be restored immediately. All AdminLocks functionality (policies, audit logging, approvals, snapshots) continues to work normally — only the dashboard display changes.
Even with the replacement disabled, you can still access AdminLocks stat cards and health checks from the AdminLocks → Dashboard page in the sidebar.