Have you ever wanted to leave notes, reminders or messages right within the WordPress dashboard? As a top WordPress consultant with over 15 years experience, I can show you two easy methods for adding a handy notepad widget to share information with other users who login.
Why Add a Dashboard Notepad in WordPress
With over 60% market share and 100+ million sites powered by WordPress, the popular CMS offers tons of possibilities through plugins and customization. Adding a notepad opens up new ways to use that flexible platform to improve team communication and workflow.
Some examples of using dashboard notes in WordPress:
Boost Content Workflow
- Leave article ideas or draft task checklists
- Create editorial guidelines for writers
- Outline publication schedules and timelines
- Track references and sources directly in the dashboard
Improve Team Communication
- Welcome new user roles like authors or editors
- Give guests quick site orientation links
- Set notifications or call attention to urgent issues
- Enable discussions right in the dashboard
Enhance Personal Productivity
- Paste code snippets or how-to processes for personal quick reference
- Set personal reminders for pending tasks or follow-ups
- Record meeting minutes or temporary logs accessible from anywhere
Method 1: Use the Native WordPress Sticky Notes
Since WordPress 5.8, dashboard widgets now include native Sticky Notes for quick text-based notes. They offer basic formatting like bold, italic, or bullets. Let‘s see how to set them up:
- Access your WP Admin Dashboard
- Click "Screen Options" tab > Enable Sticky Notes
- Scroll down to see new Sticky Notes widget
With native notes, you can:
- Change background color
- Drag-and-drop to reorder
- Directly edit text for instant updates
- Save with Enter key for auto updates
These on-dashboard sticky notes provide a built-in way to leave messages, lists, or reminders without any plugins.
Pro Tip: Add multiple sticky note widgets for more visible notes across your dashboard top section.
Method 2: Install WP Dashboard Notes Plugin
For more robust note-taking, a top plugin option is WP Dashboard Notes. With over 70,000 active installs, this plugin expands notepad functionality with:
- Formatted title display
- Mix paragraph and lists
- Set private notes
- Color categories
- Note ordering
- On-dashboard editing
To install:
- Go to Plugins > Add New
- Search "WP Dashboard Notes"
- Install and Activate the plugin
- New "Add Note" menu will now appear
Start leaving notes just like sticky widgets, but with added capabilities like only showing certain notes to logged in admins.
Pro Tip: Put critical notes at top, keep text scannable, and color-code by category or status.
Get the Most from Your Dashboard Notepads
Adding a notepad to the WordPress dashboard opens up communication opportunities and conveniences. But how do you make sure they are put to good use? Here are my top expert tips:
For Personal Notes
- Paste code snippets for quick access
- Outline article topics with bullet lists
- Put urgent personal tasks reminders front-and-center
For Team Communication
- Introduce new editors to key contacts
- Recap guest posting guidelines
- Request or remind about urgent issues
For Content Workflow
- Maintain an editorial calendar for writers
- Set targets for monthly post counts
- Track ideas with links or details for future posts
For Site Changes
- Maintain site change checklist with status
- List pending updates or fixes needed
- Set reminders for essential backups
Put thought into the best ways to utilize dashboard notes for your purposes, whether personal convenience or team workflows. Maintain scannability, use highlights judiciously, and update frequently.
I hope this guide helps you unlock excellent new use cases by adding a WordPress dashboard notepad widget using either built-in notes or an enhanced plugin. Let me know if you have any other questions!
Martin Harris
WordPress Expert
