WordPress is the most versatile CMS in the world, but by the time you install a theme, a few essential plugins, and an e-commerce suite, your admin dashboard can start to look like a cluttered cockpit. For many website owners and agency developers, a bloated backend is more than just an eyesore—it is a distraction that slows down productivity and confuses clients who only need access to specific features. 

In 2025, with the WordPress ecosystem becoming even more feature-heavy, learning the best ways to hide unnecessary items from WordPress admin is essential for maintaining an efficient workflow. Whether you want to simplify the experience for yourself or “client-proof” a site, here are the most effective methods to declutter your dashboard.

Why Should You Declutter the WordPress Admin?

A cluttered admin area leads to “feature fatigue.” When a user is confronted with dozens of menu items they never use (like “Comments” on a site that doesn’t have a blog, or specific plugin settings that should only be touched by a developer), the risk of accidental errors increases. By hiding these items, you: 

1. Improve Focus: Speed up the content creation process.
2. Enhance Security: Prevent clients or junior editors from accidentally breaking site settings.
3. Provide a Premium Experience: A clean, branded backend feels more professional to a paying client. 

1. Using “Screen Options” (The Easiest Way)

Before diving into code or plugins, use the native functionality built into WordPress. At the top right of almost every admin page, you will find the “Screen Options” tab. 

• How it works: Click the tab and uncheck the boxes for widgets or columns you don’t want to see. For example, on the main Dashboard, you can hide the “Welcome” panel, “WordPress Events and News,” and “Quick Draft.”
• Limitation: This is a per-user setting. If you hide an item for yourself, it will still show up for other users on the site. 

2. Using the “Admin Menu Editor” Plugin

If you want total control over the sidebar menu without writing code, the Admin Menu Editor is the gold standard in 2025. 

• The Benefit: It allows you to hide menu items for specific user roles. For instance, you can hide the “Plugins” and “Tools” menus for anyone with the “Editor” role.
• The Power: You can also rename menu items (e.g., changing “Posts” to “News”) or drag and drop items to reorder them into a more logical sequence. 

3. Implementing Code in Functions.php

For developers who prefer to keep their site lightweight, one of the most effective ways to hide unnecessary items from WordPress admin is using the remove_menu_page() and remove_submenu_page() functions.

• Example: To remove the “Comments” and “Links” menu items, you can add this to your theme’s functions.php file:
• php

function custom_remove_menus(){

  remove_menu_page( ‘edit-comments.php’ ); // Comments

  remove_menu_page( ‘link-manager.php’ );   // Links

}

add_action( ‘admin_menu’, ‘custom_remove_menus’ );

• Use code with caution.
• Pro Tip: Always use a Child Theme or a code snippets plugin like WPCode to ensure your changes aren’t lost during an update. 

4. Hiding Admin Bar Items (The Top Bar)

The black bar at the top of the site is often filled with items like the WordPress logo, search, and update notifications. You can clean this up using the wp_before_admin_bar_render action. 

• The Benefit: This is especially useful for hiding the “Comments” bubble or the “New Content” dropdown from users who shouldn’t be using those shortcuts.

5. Using “Ultimate Dashboard” for a Custom Experience

If you want to go beyond just hiding items and actually replace the WordPress dashboard with something custom, Ultimate Dashboard is a top choice for 2025. 

• How it works: It allows you to remove all the default WordPress widgets and replace them with your own icons, text, or links. You can create a “Support” widget that links directly to your agency’s help desk. 

6. Hiding Plugin-Specific Notifications

One of the most annoying parts of the 2025 WordPress experience is “Admin Notices”—those colorful banners at the top of the page asking for reviews or promoting “Pro” versions. 

• The Solution: Use a plugin like Disable Admin Notices Individually. This allows you to hide persistent banners forever, giving you back valuable screen real estate. 

7. Role-Based Access Control

Sometimes you don’t want to hide an item globally; you just want to hide it from certain people.

• The Method: Use the User Role Editor plugin. By stripping a user role of the “manage_options” capability, many menu items (like Settings and Plugins) will automatically disappear for that user. This is one of the most secure ways to hide unnecessary items from WordPress admin. 

8. Cleaning Up the Gutenberg Editor Sidebar

The block editor (Gutenberg) has its own sidebar filled with settings. If you use a lot of plugins, this sidebar can become extremely long. 

• The Solution: Click the three dots (options) in the top right of the editor, go to “Preferences,” and then “Panels.” Here you can disable specific panels like “Discussion,” “Tags,” or specific plugin settings panels that you don’t use daily. 

9. Hiding the “Help” and “Screen Options” Tabs 

If you are delivering a site to a client and want to make the interface as simple as possible, you can hide the “Help” and “Screen Options” buttons altogether.

• The Code: You can use CSS in the admin head or a specific PHP function to remove these tabs, preventing the client from accidentally changing the layout you painstakingly configured. 

10. White Labeling the Dashboard

For agencies, “White Labeling” is the ultimate way to hide the “WordPress-ness” of a site. Plugins like White Label CMS allow you to hide the WordPress logos, update nag messages, and version numbers. 

• The Result: The client sees your brand and a simplified menu tailored exactly to their needs, which significantly reduces support requests. 

The 2025 Admin Cleanup Checklist

Before you finish your site, go through this checklist to ensure a clean backend: 

1. Have I removed unused Dashboard widgets via Screen Options?
2. Are the “Comments” and “Posts” menus hidden if the site doesn’t use them?
3. Are all unnecessary “Pro” upgrade banners dismissed or disabled?
4. Have I tested the dashboard as a “Subscriber” or “Editor” to see what they see?
5. Is there a clear, branded “Help” widget for the client? 

Conclusion

A clean WordPress admin is the mark of a professional website. By utilizing these ways to hide unnecessary items from WordPress admin, you create an environment where content creators can thrive without being overwhelmed by technical clutter.

In 2025, the goal is “less is more.” Whether you use a lightweight code snippet or a powerful white-labeling plugin, the time you spend decluttering today will save you hours of frustration and support calls in the future. For more advanced WordPress customization tips, keep an eye on the WordPress.org Documentation to stay updated with the latest API changes. Simplify your site, simplify your life!