Description
The option to change the number of columns of the main WordPress Dashboard was removed in WordPress 3.8 in favor of a more dynamic/responsive approach. For most people, this change is great because it simplifies the UI. But for those who like more control over how their admin dashboard looks like, this feels restrictive.
With the help of Dashboard Columns you can now easily change the number of columns in your admin dashboard. By selecting your preferred layout from the Screen Options menu you can now better customize the look and feel of your widgets. And all that without compromising the responsive UI:
- On large screens you have the option to choose between 1, 2, 3 or 4 columns
- On medium screens you have the option to choose between 1 or 2 columns
- On small screens everything is displayed using 1 column
This plugin doesn’t have an options page. Just set it and forget it!
Screenshots
Layout with 1 column 
Layout with 2 columns 
Layout with 3 columns 
Layout with 4 columns
Installation
Automatic Installation
The automatic installation is the easiest option to install a plugin as WordPress handles the file transfers itself. To do an automatic install, log in to your WordPress dashboard and follow the steps below:
- Navigate to the Plugins menu and click “Add New”
- In the search field type “Dashboard Columns” and click “Search Plugins”
- Once you have found the plugin install it by clicking “Install Now”
- Activate “Dashboard Columns” from the “Plugins” menu
Manual Installation
The manual installation method involves downloading the plugin and uploading it on your server via SFTP. To do a manual install follow the steps below:
- Download the plugin to your local computer
- If downloaded as a zip archive extract it to your Desktop
- Upload the plugin folder to the /wp-content/plugins/ directory
- Activate “Dashboard Columns” from the “Plugins” menu
FAQ
-
Does it work with WordPress Multisite?
-
Yes, it does. You can change the number of columns on both admin dashboards. ( site dashboard and network dashboard )
Reviews
Contributors & Developers
“Dashboard Columns” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.
Contributors
“Dashboard Columns” has been translated into 1 locale. Thank you to the translators for their contributions.
Translate “Dashboard Columns” into your language.
Interested in development?
Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.
Changelog
Version 1.3.1
- Minor improvements to admin notices
Version 1.3.0
- CSS improvements in the admin dashboard
- Minor code refactoring
- Language files updated
Version 1.2.0
- Minor code refactoring
Version 1.1.1
- Fixed a bug that was causing the onboarding message to appear to all users
Version 1.1.0
- Minor code refactoring
- Added an onboarding message for new users
Version 1.0.0
- First release