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A WordPress site’s admin sidebar can grow crowded as plugins add their own dashboard links. That clutter is the problem behind this title—and the idea of grouping related entries into folders. The available details do not establish which items overflowed, how the plugin works, or what testing it has undergone, so those specifics should not be invented.
Why the WordPress admin sidebar gets crowded
Plugins and themes can register their own administration pages and submenus, so installing more tools can mean more links in the site’s dashboard sidebar. This is the admin menu, not the public-facing navigation menu visitors use to browse a website.
The WordPress Developer Handbook explains the design constraint: “Adding a top-level menu should only be considered if you really need multiple, related screens to make WordPress do something it was not originally designed to accomplish.” That guidance helps explain why restraint matters: every additional top-level entry competes for attention, while related screens may fit better together.
What a foldering plugin is meant to solve
Grouping related admin links into folders is one way to make a long sidebar easier to scan. It addresses navigation and presentation; it should not be assumed to change what a user is allowed to access. Hiding a link does not necessarily prevent someone from opening its page directly, so access-control behavior must be verified separately.
#1 Best Overall
The title describes a plugin built to folder menu items, but no implementation details, feature list, or testing history are established here. It would therefore be misleading to claim how folders are created, what happens to submenus, or whether the plugin has been tested on a particular WordPress setup.
How menu-organization plugins differ
“Organizing” a menu can mean several different things. The following capabilities come from the plugins’ directory descriptions, not independent testing; check each current listing and documentation before relying on a feature.
Rank #2
| Plugin | Directory-described capabilities | Role or user controls |
|---|---|---|
| Admin Menu Editor | Reorder, hide or show entries, change permissions, move an item to another submenu, and create custom menus. Its Pro version adds further controls. | Permission controls are described; confirm current scope and behavior in its documentation. |
| Rabietta Admin Menu Organizer | Build three-level navigation with groups, create top-level menus and separators, reorder and rename links, and hide items. | Can apply layouts to selected roles. |
| WPG Dashboard Menu Manager | Reorder and rename items, change icons, hide entries, and add custom links. | Describes allow, deny, and inherit rules per role or user. |
These approaches are not interchangeable. If the goal is specifically to place related links into groups, look for explicit folder or group support rather than assuming that reordering, hiding, or moving links into submenus creates folders. If staff members need different views, investigate role- or user-specific controls. Also verify direct-URL behavior, submenu usability, and support for the site’s multisite arrangement in current documentation.
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- Grouping: Does the plugin create folders or groups, or does it only rearrange existing links?
- Visibility and access: Does hiding a link affect only the sidebar, or does the plugin also enforce permissions? Do not treat visual hiding as security without confirmation.
- People and roles: Can each role or individual user have a different menu, and is that control available in the version you intend to use?
- Navigation depth: Can existing submenus remain accessible after items are organized?
- Site configuration: Does the plugin support your WordPress version and, if relevant, your multisite setup?
For a sense of directory adoption—not evidence that menu overflow is common—Admin Menu Editor’s WordPress.org listing reported 300,000+ active installations in its 2026 listing. At that time, the listing also reported WordPress 5.9 or higher, PHP 7.4 or higher, and testing up to WordPress 7.1.3. These directory details can change; consult the current listing before installation.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What can be said about the original plugin
The premise is practical: when plugin-added links make a dashboard sidebar difficult to scan, folders are a plausible way to group related entries. But without the plugin’s feature details or a documented test, the title alone cannot establish how it behaves or what results it delivers. Any account of the build should be grounded in the author’s actual experience, including which links needed grouping and how the plugin handles them.
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