Dashboard Columns Plugin

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!

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:

1. Navigate to the Plugins menu and click “Add New”
2. In the search field type “Dashboard Columns” and click “Search Plugins”
3. Once you have found the plugin install it by clicking “Install Now”
4. 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:

1. Download the plugin to your local computer
2. If downloaded as a zip archive extract it to your Desktop
3. Upload the plugin folder to the /wp-content/plugins/ directory
4. Activate “Dashboard Columns” from the “Plugins” menu

1. 

   Layout with 1 column

2. 

   Layout with 2 columns

3. 

   Layout with 3 columns

4. 

   Layout with 4 columns

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