Panelra – Custom Admin Dashboard Builder

Description

Panelra transforms the default WordPress dashboard into a modern visual workspace.

Instead of forcing users into the classic cluttered WordPress admin experience, Panelra lets you build — or instantly apply — beautiful custom dashboard templates designed for clients, teams, agencies, and businesses.

🎥 Watch the full Panelra tutorial:

New in Panelra 2.0 — Dashboard Templates

Panelra now includes ready-to-use dashboard templates with live previews and one-click activation.

Choose the experience you want:

Tutorial Dashboard

Perfect for onboarding clients, courses, internal documentation, training videos, or guided experiences.

Statistics Dashboard

Display analytics, quick stats, reports, business KPIs, progress blocks, and operational overviews.

Welcome Dashboard

Create a modern branded WordPress welcome experience with quick actions, help sections, resources, and links.

From Scratch

Start from a completely empty dashboard and build your own experience visually.

All templates are:
– Fully editable
– Drag & drop compatible
– Role-aware
– Designed to feel modern and clean
– Optimized for a professional admin experience

Visual Dashboard Builder

Build fully custom dashboards visually.

  • Sections and responsive grids
  • Headings, buttons, text, images, videos
  • Statistics cards
  • Video tutorial blocks
  • Quick action cards
  • Internal/external links
  • Role visibility controls
  • Hero banners
  • Custom support/help sections

Turn WordPress into a true operational workspace.

First Activation Experience

Panelra automatically activates the Custom Dashboard Builder on first install and immediately shows template choices directly inside the dashboard.

Users can:
– Select a dashboard template instantly
– Preview layouts visually
– Return to the classic WordPress dashboard anytime

Even when using the classic dashboard, Panelra continues suggesting visual dashboard templates through a dedicated onboarding widget.

Clean & Simplify WordPress

Remove distractions and create a cleaner admin experience:

  • Hide admin notices
  • Remove default dashboard widgets
  • Hide Screen Options and Help tabs
  • Reduce visual clutter
  • Create focused workspaces for clients

Customize the WordPress Admin

Make WordPress feel like your own platform:

  • Modern dashboard layouts
  • Admin color customization
  • Typography controls
  • Layout spacing controls
  • Modern sidebar presets

Perfect For

  • Freelancers
  • Agencies
  • Client websites
  • Membership platforms
  • Internal company dashboards
  • Online courses
  • White label projects
  • Teams and operators

Free vs Pro

The free version gives you everything you need to:
– Build custom dashboards
– Use dashboard templates
– Customize the admin UI
– Simplify WordPress for clients

Panelra Pro (coming soon) will unlock:
– Advanced dashboard blocks
– White label mode
– Advanced role logic
– Export/import systems
– Team onboarding flows
– Advanced admin automation

How it works

  1. Install and activate Panelra
  2. Choose one of the dashboard templates
  3. Customize your layout visually
  4. Save your dashboard
  5. Transform your WordPress admin experience

Developer Friendly

  • Clean architecture
  • Extendable block system
  • WordPress native integration
  • Lightweight and optimized

Notes

  • Works with most themes and plugins
  • Designed to be lightweight and fast
  • Does not permanently modify WordPress core behavior

Feedback

We’re actively improving Panelra.

If you like it:
⭐ Leave a review
💬 Share feedback
🚀 Suggest features

Screenshots

  • Custom dashboard builder interface
  • Clean dashboard with custom layout
  • Admin UI customization panel
  • Menu and role management
  • Maintenance mode settings
  • Dashboard template selection screen
  • Tutorial Dashboard template
  • Statistics Dashboard template
  • Welcome Dashboard template
  • From Scratch dashboard builder

Installation

  1. Upload the plugin to /wp-content/plugins/
  2. Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ screen
  3. Go to Panelra in the admin menu
  4. Choose a dashboard template or start from scratch

FAQ

Can I use this for client websites?

Yes. Panelra is perfect for simplifying the admin experience for clients.

Does it affect frontend users?

No. It only modifies the WordPress admin area.

Can I hide dashboard widgets?

Yes. You can completely replace the default WordPress dashboard.

Can I create different dashboards for different roles?

Yes. You can control visibility by user role.

Is coding required?

No. Everything is visual.

Reviews

There are no reviews for this plugin.

Contributors & Developers

“Panelra – Custom Admin Dashboard Builder” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.

Contributors

Changelog

2.0.0

  • Added a completely redesigned Dashboard Templates system.
  • Added four ready-to-use dashboard templates:
    • Tutorial Dashboard
    • Statistics Dashboard
    • Welcome Dashboard
    • From Scratch
  • Added visual template previews inside Dashboard Builder and WordPress Dashboard onboarding.
  • Added first-run onboarding experience with instant template selection.
  • Automatically enables the Custom Dashboard Builder on first activation.
  • Added classic WordPress dashboard fallback with persistent Panelra template CTA widget.
  • Added editable hero banners, tutorial sections, statistics layouts, support blocks, and quick action grids.
  • Added modern full-width dashboard shell with improved spacing and visual hierarchy.
  • Added embedded video tutorial cards with popup playback support.
  • Added configurable “View all videos” links and editable tutorial metadata.
  • Improved dashboard responsiveness and premium template rendering.
  • Improved visual consistency across all bundled templates.
  • Improved onboarding flow for non-technical users and client websites.

1.0.9

  • Improved default admin appearance on first activation with Roboto, 15px font size, 220px menu width, and a modern sidebar color.
  • Improved WordPress default color handling so native admin colors, links, and buttons are no longer overwritten unexpectedly.
  • Improved link and button contrast handling when using Panelra appearance presets.

1.0.8

  • Improved the empty custom dashboard state with a clearer onboarding message and a direct button to the Dashboard Builder.

1.0.7

  • Improved Dashboard Builder onboarding by enabling all dashboard cleanup options the first time the custom dashboard is activated.
  • Ensures users see an immediate visual change after enabling the custom dashboard.

1.0.5

  • Added a new Hide Dashboard Title option in Dashboard Builder.
  • Improved custom dashboard personalization for cleaner admin experiences.

1.0.4

  • Added a new Tutorials tab inside the plugin admin with the official Panelra video tutorial.
  • Updated plugin documentation and tutorial references.

1.0.3

  • Fixed video tutorial link

1.0.2

  • Added video tutorial to documentation

1.0.1

  • Fixed screenshot filenames and display issues

1.0.0

  • Initial release