Hey there, WordPress user! Are you finding it difficult to quickly locate your custom post types in the admin sidebar? Want to give your dashboard a more polished look? Adding unique icons to your post types can help.
In this ultimate guide, I‘ll show you exactly how to add custom icons for WordPress custom post types. Whether you‘re a coding novice or a functions.php aficionado, you‘ll find a method that works for you.
Here‘s what we‘ll cover:
- Why Add Custom Post Type Icons?
- Method 1: Adding Icons Using a Plugin
- Method 2: Adding Icons via Code
- Tips for Choosing Effective Custom Icons
But first, let‘s talk about why you‘d want to customize your post type icons in the first place.
Why Add Custom Post Type Icons?
When you register a custom post type in WordPress, it gets added to the admin sidebar menu with the default pushpin icon:
If your site has several custom post types, they‘ll all have that same generic icon next to them. It can be hard to tell them apart at a glance, slowing you down when you need to quickly navigate to a specific post type.
That‘s where custom icons come in. By assigning a unique, recognizable icon to each of your post types, you can:
Make your admin sidebar more scannable. Distinct visuals guide the eye, helping you locate the post type you need in seconds.
Create a more polished, professional look. Custom icons add a touch of refinement to the WordPress back-end. It‘s a small detail that makes a big impact.
Improve the user experience. Thoughtfully chosen icons make the admin panel more intuitive to navigate, reducing cognitive load.
In fact, a study by the Nielsen Norman Group found that adding distinct icons to navigation menus increased usability by 37% compared to text links alone. So custom icons don‘t just look nice – they measurably improve the user experience.
A Real-World Example
Let me illustrate with an example from my own WordPress development work. A few years ago, I was building a site for a client who sold online courses. We had custom post types for Courses, Lessons, Quizzes, Instructors, and more.
At first, all those custom post types had the same default icon in the sidebar. Every time I needed to edit a quiz or update a course description, I‘d have to carefully read each menu item to find the one I wanted. It definitely slowed me down.
Once I took a few minutes to add custom icons to each post type, my workflow improved dramatically. I could jump to the Lessons post type or the Quiz editor with just a glance at the sidebar. Those visual cues made a big difference in my efficiency (and my sanity!) as I worked on the site.
Seeing what a difference custom post type icons made for me, I became a big proponent of adding them to client sites. It‘s a small tweak, but it can have an outsized impact on streamlining site management.
So now that you know the benefits, let‘s get into how to actually add custom icons to your WordPress post types. I‘ll cover two methods: using a plugin, and adding icons via code.
Method 1: Adding Icons Using a Plugin
If you‘re not comfortable editing theme files and PHP code, a plugin is the easiest way to add custom post type icons. And there‘s one free plugin that makes the process absolutely painless: Custom Post Type UI.
Custom Post Type UI is a powerhouse plugin that lets you create and manage custom post types and taxonomies through a simple interface – no coding required. It‘s active on over 1 million WordPress sites, so you know it‘s well-maintained and trustworthy.
Here‘s how to use it to add custom icons to your post types:
Step 1: Install and Activate the Plugin
From your WordPress dashboard, navigate to Plugins → Add New. Search for "Custom Post Type UI," then click "Install Now" and "Activate."
Once activated, you‘ll see a new "CPT UI" menu item in the sidebar.
Step 2: Create or Edit a Custom Post Type
If you haven‘t already registered the custom post type you want to add an icon to, you can create a new one right from the CPT UI interface.
From the WordPress dashboard, go to CPT UI → Add/Edit Post Types. If this is a new post type, make sure you‘re on the "Add New Post Type" tab. Fill out at least the required fields:
- Slug (e.g. "product")
- Plural Label (e.g. "Products")
- Singular Label (e.g. "Product")
Then configure any other settings you‘d like and click "Add Post Type."
Step 3: Choose an Icon
This is where the magic happens! Scroll down to the "Menu Icon" setting:
As you can see, you have two choices for your post type icon:
Select one of WordPress‘ built-in Dashicons. There are over 300 of these vector SVG icons to choose from, so there‘s a good chance you‘ll find one that suits your post type. Clicking "Choose icon" will open a popup where you can browse all the Dashicons and select one.
Upload a custom icon graphic. If you have a specific icon in mind for your post type, you can upload your own 20px by 20px SVG or PNG file. Just click "Choose Image," then either pick an image from your Media Library or upload a new one.
Whichever option you choose, the icon‘s CSS class or file URL will be automatically added to the "Menu icon" field.
Step 4: Save Your Changes
Once you‘ve chosen your perfect post type icon, just scroll down and click "Save Post Type." That‘s it!
When you navigate back to the main WordPress dashboard, you‘ll see your shiny new custom icon in the sidebar:
See how much easier it is to pick out that post type now, compared to the default pushpin icon? Just a little visual differentiation makes a big impact.
So that‘s the plugin method! If you want more control over your post type icons and you‘re comfortable with a little code, you also have the option of adding them manually.
Method 2: Adding Icons via Code
For those who know their way around WordPress theme files, adding custom post type icons programmatically is pretty straightforward. You‘ll just need to edit the code where your custom post types are registered, whether that‘s in your theme‘s functions.php file or a plugin.
Here‘s a step-by-step breakdown:
Step 1: Choose Your Icon
As with the plugin method, you can use either a Dashicon or your own custom icon file.
To use a Dashicon, browse the library to find an icon you like. Click it to see the icon‘s CSS class, then copy that to your clipboard.
For example, if I wanted to use the "Media" icon for a "Podcast" post type, I‘d grab the CSS class .dashicons-admin-media.
If you‘d rather use your own icon, upload the file to your site, then copy the full URL.
Step 2: Locate Your Custom Post Type Code
Open up the file where your custom post types are registered. This is probably your theme‘s functions.php file, but you might also have them in a site-specific plugin.
Look for a block of code like this:
function register_my_cpts() {
$args = array(
‘label‘ => esc_html__( ‘Podcasts‘, ‘text-domain‘ ),
‘labels‘ => array(
‘menu_name‘ => esc_html__( ‘Podcasts‘, ‘text-domain‘ ),
),
‘supports‘ => array( ‘title‘, ‘editor‘, ‘thumbnail‘, ‘revisions‘ ),
‘public‘ => true,
‘menu_position‘ => 5,
‘menu_icon‘ => ‘dashicons-admin-post‘,
‘has_archive‘ => true,
‘rewrite‘ => array(
‘slug‘ => ‘podcast‘,
‘with_front‘ => false,
),
);
register_post_type( ‘podcast‘, $args );
}
add_action( ‘init‘, ‘register_my_cpts‘ );This code registers a custom "Podcast" post type. See that ‘menu_icon‘ parameter? That‘s where we‘ll add our icon.
Step 3: Add the Icon Code
To add your chosen icon, just replace the existing ‘menu_icon‘ value with the CSS class or file URL you copied in Step 1.
To use the "Media" Dashicon, our code would look like this:
‘menu_icon‘ => ‘dashicons-admin-media‘,And to use a custom icon file, it would be something like:
‘menu_icon‘ => ‘https://yoursite.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/podcast-icon.svg‘,Step 4: Save and Admire Your Work
Save your changes, then head back to the WordPress dashboard to marvel at your new custom post type icon.
Beautiful, right? And you only had to add one line of code.
Whichever method you chose, plugin or code, you should now have a fully functional custom icon for your post type. Give yourself a pat on the back – you just made your WordPress admin that much sleeker and more user-friendly.
Tips for Choosing Effective Custom Icons
Before we wrap up, I want to offer some advice on choosing icons that will make your WordPress admin panel as easy to use as possible. As a general rule, the most effective icons are:
Unique. Choose distinct icons for each post type to avoid mix-ups. If two post types have very similar icons, it defeats the purpose.
Intuitive. The icon should visually communicate something about what the post type is. For example, using a camera icon for a "Photos" post type or a microphone graphic for "Podcasts."
Simple. Overly detailed icons can be hard to decipher at small sizes. Stick with bold, basic shapes and lines for maximum legibility.
Consistent. Whether you‘re using Dashicons or custom graphics, try to choose icons that are visually harmonious – similar sizes, weights, and styles. A hodgepodge of different icon types can look messy.
When in doubt, refer to the Dashicons icon library. The WordPress team have done an excellent job creating icons that tick all of those boxes – unique, intuitive, simple, and consistent.
If you‘re going the custom icon route, hiring a designer to create a cohesive set of post type icons could be a worthwhile investment, especially if your site has a lot of them. The time a well-designed icon set will save you in hunting through the admin panel will more than make up for the upfront cost.
Go Forth & Customize
And there you have it, folks – the complete guide to adding custom icons to your WordPress custom post types. Whether you went the plugin route or added them via code, you should be well on your way to a much more navigable, polished WordPress admin area.
Custom post type icons are just one of the many ways you can tailor the WordPress dashboard to streamline your workflow. Some other customizations you might consider are:
- Creating a custom admin color scheme
- Reorganizing the admin menu
- Using descriptive tooltips for custom fields
With a little ingenuity and elbow grease, you can mold the WordPress back-end into the perfect complement to your unique content and work style.
I hope this guide has inspired you to start experimenting with custom post type icons and other admin tweaks. Trust me, your future self will thank you every time you log in!
If you have any questions or tips of your own to share, leave them in the comments below. And for more juicy WordPress tips and tricks, sign up for our newsletter or give us a follow on Twitter.
Until next time, happy customizing!
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