How to add WP Admin button to the main Navigation bar

Add the WP Admin link back to the MainWP Dashboard navigation sidebar using PHP and CSS code snippets with the Custom Dashboard extension.

The WP Admin link was moved to the three-dot menu in the top right corner to streamline the navigation bar. If you prefer having it in the main navigation sidebar, you can add it back using PHP and CSS snippets.

What You’ll Learn

• How to add a WP Admin link to the sidebar
• How to position it at the bottom of the navigation

Prerequisites

• Custom Dashboard extension (free)

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Add the WP Admin Button

This requires both a PHP snippet (to create the menu item) and a CSS snippet (to position it at the bottom).

Step 1: Add PHP Code

1. Open Custom Dashboard

   Navigate to the Custom Dashboard extension settings.

2. Add the PHP snippet

   Go to the PHP tab and add this code:

   add_filter( 'mainwp_main_menu', 'mycustom_mainwp_main_menu', 10, 1 );
   function mycustom_mainwp_main_menu( $left_menu ) {
       $index = 10; // Position in the menu
       $sub_menu_after = array_splice( $left_menu['leftbar'], $index );
   
       $addition_item = array();
   
       $addition_item[] = 'WP Admin';           // Menu item title
       $addition_item[] = '';                   // Parent key
       $addition_item[] = 'index.php';          // URL to WP Admin dashboard
       $addition_item[] = 'custom-wp-admin-item'; // HTML ID attribute
       $addition_item[] = '';                   // Icon (optional)
   
       $left_menu['leftbar'][] = $addition_item;
       $left_menu['leftbar'] = array_merge( $left_menu['leftbar'], $sub_menu_after );
   
       return $left_menu;
   }
   

   
3. Save the PHP code

   Click Save Changes.

Step 2: Add CSS Code

1. Go to CSS tab

   Switch to the CSS tab in the Custom Dashboard extension.

2. Add the CSS snippet

   Add this code to position the button at the bottom of the sidebar:

   #custom-wp-admin-item {
       padding-left: 10px;
       padding-right: 10px;
       position: absolute;
       bottom: 0;
   }
   

   
3. Save the CSS code

   Click Save Changes. The WP Admin button now appears at the bottom of the navigation sidebar.

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Customization Options

Option	Change
Position in menu	Modify $index value (lower = higher in menu)
Button text	Change 'WP Admin' to your preferred label
Link destination	Change 'index.php' to another admin page
Visual position	Modify CSS bottom value or remove position: absolute

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Self-Check Checklist

• Custom Dashboard extension installed
• PHP code added to PHP tab
• CSS code added to CSS tab
• Both snippets saved
• WP Admin button visible in navigation sidebar

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Related Resources

• Add Menu Entries - Add other custom menu items
• Custom Dashboard Extension - Full extension documentation