Admin Bar & Dashboard Access Control
by Collins Agbonghama · Admin & Utilities
Also makes 1 other plugin · 7K+ installs across the portfolio →
Disable admin bar and control users access to WordPress dashboard.
Try it live opens a temporary test site in your browser, which can take about 20 seconds to load. Plugins that rely on outside services or a full server may not work completely there.
Health
B 78/100
no flags
Active installs
3K+
≈3.5K estimated
Momentum
+50%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Swap “toolbar”, “admin dashboard” and “admin bar” for “dashboard access”, “disable admin toolbar” and “admin toolbar”. “toolbar” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “dashboard access” sits at #9 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “admin dashboard” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #22. “disable admin toolbar” sits at #15 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “admin bar” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #14. “admin toolbar” sits at #19 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
78 health vs 56 average across 5,897 Admin & Utilities plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →4.2%
of downloads still active
At least 3K of 72.2K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Admin & Utilities plugin keeps 0.6%, across 4,190 plugins.
Downloads count every update, not just first installs, so older and more frequently released plugins read lower. Compare against other Admin & Utilities plugins, not across the directory. wp.org reports active installs as the bottom of a band, so the real rate is this or higher.
This plugin shipped 1 release in the last 12 months, and every existing install that updated counted as another download. wp.org publishes no split between first installs and updates, so we show the raw rate rather than guess at one.
Details
Recent review vibe
read from the latest 12 reviews to 2026-05-14Reviewers keep calling it the simple tool that actually hides the dashboard when bloated alternatives didn't, with the main gripes being an unwanted sidebar menu item and a long gap between updates.
Directory ranking optimization
How it's scored →How well this listing is tuned to rank in WordPress.org search, on the factors an owner controls. Not popularity, optimization.
Excellent listing optimization
Well tuned across the board
Updated 332 days ago, past the ~180 days where wp.org starts discounting
Tested up to WordPress 6.9.11, the current branch or newer
4.7★ over 18 reviews, smoothed to 4.26★ and held back under 25 reviews
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
Search visibility
How it's tracked →Directory searches this plugin turns up in, and which way each one is moving. WordPress.org publishes no history of search positions, so this starts the day we first tracked a keyword and never backfills.
35
Momentum
Losing ground
-1.1
Velocity
places per keyword, 28d
16%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 28d
-0.2
Acceleration
recent half vs earlier
wp.org is where the directory puts the plugin for that search. On merit is where it would sit if results were ranked on rating, support and updates, without the install boost. The last column is how far the wp.org position moved, from our first reading in the last 90 days to the latest.
| Keyword | wp.org | On merit | wp.org move, 90 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| dashboard access | #9 | #13 | 0 |
| access control | #10 | #18 | down 2 |
| disable toolbar your tag | #11 | #16 | up 1 |
| disable admin bar your tag | #12 | #16 | down 2 |
| admin bar your tag | #14 | #18 | down 2 |
| dashboard control | #7 | #11 | down 1 |
| admin dashboard your tag | #22 | #16 | down 8 |
| disable admin toolbar | #15 | #16 | down 2 |
| admin toolbar | #19 | #18 | up 1 |
| admin control | #12 | #14 | down 1 |
| admin bar disable | #15 | #19 | 0 |
| no admin bar | #18 | #19 | — |
| dashboard admin | #22 | #18 | down 1 |
| control access | #23 | #22 | down 1 |
| toolbar your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
21 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 14 listed. 7 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 1 of its tags isn't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- Swap “toolbar”, “admin dashboard” and “admin bar” for “dashboard access”, “disable admin toolbar” and “admin toolbar”. “toolbar” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “dashboard access” sits at #9 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “admin dashboard” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #22. “disable admin toolbar” sits at #15 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “admin bar” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #14. “admin toolbar” sits at #19 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
- Slipping on “admin dashboard”. Down 8 places since 2026-09-29, now #22. Check what shipped around then, and what moved above you.
- One page off on “admin bar”. #14 puts you just past the first ten results, where almost all the clicks stop. The gap to close is small.
- One page off on “disable admin bar”. #12 puts you just past the first ten results, where almost all the clicks stop. The gap to close is small.
Daily downloads
Since 5 Oct 2022 · 1,489 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 3.6K · peaks are release surges
Directory rank vs rivals
wp.org popularity rank over time · higher is better · when a rival's line climbs above yours, they've overtaken you
Rating trend
Star average over time · dips mark rough releases
Health trend
Composite health score, snapshotted daily
Update activity
How busy the existing users are, measured as downloads in the last 30 days for every 1,000 active sites. A spike means a new release everyone's pulling; a long, slow decline means an aging user base that updates less.
Release cadence
Occasionally updatedHow often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.
1
releases in the last 12 months
11mo ago
latest release · v1.2.9 · 4 Dec 2025
14
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin · 98% run the current release. Green is the current release; a big slice on older versions is a user base that has stopped updating.
Estimated active installs
The public count shows “3K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 18 months ago; the previous band took 2 years to cross, which places it about 50% of the way through.
Install history since 9 Aug 2016
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ out46mo ago
Happy to have found the plugin. Works as described, great! Thank you. This topic was modified 2 months, 1 week ago by out4.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ dreubens814.9y ago
After trying a few bloated plugins, i tried this and it was wonderfully simple UI. I have multiple custom roles in my site and it instantly recognised them too. Perfect. Only slight concern is the plugin has not been updated in over a year so I hope it will not break in a future version of WP. Thank you!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ laerpel6.5y ago
I’ tried several of the “hide admin bar” plugins, but none offered the option to disable dashboard access.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ wasanajones7.8y ago
just what the ‘ol press needed
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ robeblue7.9y ago
Really does what it says, so glad that I found this plugin.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ hartmutnz7.9y ago
Thanks, that works, hides dashboard fine. Didn’t disturb other functions, so far so good.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ suvikki8.1y ago
Works well 🙂
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Arnaud3d8.1y ago
Light and efficient.
Read on wp.org ↗
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
- — Version 1.2.9 Fixed XSS in admin settings page. 1.2.9
- — Version 1.2.8 Fixed bug where admin bar showed up for guests. 1.2.8
- — Version 1.2.7 Improved admin bar disabling. Improved dashboard blocking detection. PHP 8 improvements. 1.2.7
- — Version 1.2.6 Bumped tested up to readme. 1.2.6
- — Version 1.2.5 Tuned down admin notices. 1.2.5
- — Version 1.2.4 Improve compatibility with WordPress 5.0 1.2.4
Security history
via Wordfence IntelligenceThe 1 disclosed vulnerability is patched in the current version (1.2.9). Sites still on an older version should update.
- Patched Medium · 4.4 Admin Bar & Dashboard Control <= 1.2.8 - Authenticated (Administrator+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting ↗2023-10-31 CVE-2023-47184 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects < 1.2.9 Patched in 1.2.9
Vulnerability records provided by Wordfence Intelligence. Copyright 2012-2026 Defiant Inc. License and terms.
CVE records: Copyright 1999-2026 The MITRE Corporation. CVE terms of use.
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 1 language, 0 at 90% or more
AI assistants
How it's measured →Whether ChatGPT and Claude name this plugin when asked the category question, and whether the readme gives them something to quote.
Not measured yet for this plugin’s topics. Its tracked searches are not among the measured topics. See the topics measured so far.
Readme readiness
1 of 8 pass · checked 28 Oct 2026Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
- ! Says what it does Short description names no action; say what the plugin does for the site.
- ! Has a FAQ No FAQ section.
- ! FAQ asks real questions No FAQ to judge.
- ! Names who it is for Never says who the plugin is for or what they use it for.
- ✓ Names what it works with Mentions Stripe, PayPal.
- ! Headings and lists 1 heading and 1 list; assistants quote headed sections and bullet lists, not paragraphs.
- ! Enough to quote 571 characters of description; under 1,000 there is little to quote.
- ! Tags match the text Only 2 of 5 tags appear in the text ("admin dashboard", "disable toolbar", "toolbar" missing).
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2025-05-06 4K+ → 3K+ down after 739 days in tier
- 2023-04-28 5K+ → 4K+ down after 2 days in tier
- 2023-04-26 4K+ → 5K+ up after 39 days in tier
- 2023-03-18 5K+ → 4K+ down after 1 days in tier
- 2023-03-17 4K+ → 5K+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2023-03-16 5K+ → 4K+ down after 1 days in tier
- 2023-03-15 4K+ → 5K+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2023-03-14 5K+ → 4K+ down after 1212 days in tier
Competes with
The plugins that solve the same job, ranked by shared tags then reach, closest match first. The letter on the right is each plugin's health grade (A best, F worst).
-
Hide Admin Bar Based on User Roles – Disable the WordPress Toolbar by Role or Capability 20K+ installs · 3.9★ · 2 shared tags A -
Hide Admin Bar from Non-Admins 10K+ installs · 4.2★ · 2 shared tags A -
Bricks Navigator 8K+ installs · 4.6★ · 2 shared tags A -
Auto Hide Admin Bar 3K+ installs · 4.6★ · 2 shared tags A -
Admin Bar Editor – Toolbar Customization with User Role based access & Custom menus 3K+ installs · 4.2★ · 2 shared tags A - D Disable Toolbar 1K+ installs · 4.5★ · 2 shared tags D
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Admin Bar & Dashboard Access Control into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/admin-bar-dashboard-control" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Admin Bar & Dashboard Access Control — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Admin Bar & Dashboard Access Control: 3K+ active installs, 4.7★ (18 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-11-01. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/admin-bar-dashboard-control
Spotted a number that looks wrong? Report a data issue and we'll check it against the source.