Add content and RSS widgets to the Dashboard

Site administrators can add one custom HTML widget and one RSS widget for users who can open the site's WordPress Dashboard. Both controls are under Settings → POM Tweaks → White labelling → Dashboard and can be enabled independently.

Add your own content

  1. Enable Custom dashboard widget.
  2. Enter Widget title, or leave it empty to use Custom widget.
  3. Enter Widget content with links and safe HTML formatting.
  4. Select Save and open Dashboard → Home.

Empty content displays This is a custom widget. Scripts and unsafe markup are removed. PHP and shortcodes are not executed.

Display an RSS or Atom feed

  1. Enable RSS dashboard widget.
  2. Enter Widget title, or leave it empty to use Custom RSS feed.
  3. Optionally add HTML in Widget introduction.
  4. Enter the full public HTTP or HTTPS address in Feed URL.
  5. Set Number of items between 1 and 20. Empty or zero uses 3; other out-of-range values use WordPress's fallback of 10.
  6. Choose Show summary, Show author, and Show date independently. These display options are off by default for newly configured widgets.
  7. To add a link below the feed, select Show a Visit site button and enter Button URL. Leave Button text empty to use Visit site. The button opens an HTTP or HTTPS address in a new tab.
  8. Select Save and open Dashboard → Home.

WordPress retrieves and caches the feed. Updates can therefore appear after the feed cache expires. Item counts are a maximum: a feed with fewer entries displays fewer items. Author and date are shown only when the feed provides them. An unavailable feed shows a short message while retaining the introduction and configured button.

Visibility and layout

The widgets apply to this site's Dashboard, including users with access to it. They do not appear on public pages, post editors, Network Admin, or User Admin. Avoid placing content intended only for administrators in a widget visible to other Dashboard users.

The widgets are placed at the beginning of the normal column for users without a saved order; the RSS widget precedes the custom widget when both are enabled. WordPress still honors saved order, hidden widgets, and collapsed states. The separate Dashboard widgets control can force a column layout, lock movement or collapsing, or open widgets on load.

Verify and troubleshoot

  • Confirm each widget's title and content with a representative Dashboard user.
  • Toggle summary, author, and date separately, save, and reload the Dashboard.
  • Follow the optional button and confirm its destination.
  • If a widget is missing, check Screen Options and any widget-hiding rules. A redirect may also prevent access to the Dashboard.
  • If a feed is unavailable, check that its URL points to public RSS or Atom XML rather than a normal webpage. WordPress may reject private or unsafe destinations.
  • If the content looks different, use safe HTML formatting; scripts and unsafe attributes are not displayed.

Disable either tweak and select Save to remove only its widget. Disabling a widget preserves its configuration and the user's Dashboard preferences.

Configure editorial guidance, duplication and content lists
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