Admin Columns Manager

Take full control of your admin list tables. Add custom columns, remove clutter, reorder for your workflow, display custom fields, and set column widths—all through an intuitive drag-and-drop interface.

Use Cases#

• Add custom columns showing order total and payment status in WooCommerce orders
• Display member subscription level and expiration date directly in user lists
• Show word count, SEO score, and author name columns for editorial workflows

How It Works#

1. Navigate to Switchboard → Columns Manager
2. Select a post type from the left sidebar
3. Drag columns to reorder, toggle visibility, or configure settings
4. Click “Save” to apply your changes
5. Visit the post type’s list table to see your customizations

Accessing the Columns Manager#

The Columns Manager has its own dedicated page:

Location: Switchboard → Columns Manager

Or directly: admin.php?page=admin-columns-manager

Features#

Reorder Columns#

Drag the handle (⋮⋮) to rearrange column order. Put your most important columns first.

Toggle Visibility#

Use the toggle switch to enable or disable any column. Hidden columns don’t appear in the list table.

Rename Labels#

Change column header text to something more meaningful for your workflow:

• “Date” → “Published”
• “Author” → “Writer”
• “Categories” → “Topics”

Set Column Widths#

Specify exact widths for columns:

• 150px - Fixed pixel width
• 15% - Percentage of table width
• Check “Force width” to override WordPress table layout

Add Custom Field Columns#

Display any post meta field as a column:

1. Click “Add Column”
2. Select a meta key from the dropdown
3. Configure label and width
4. Save and view your new column

Quick Add Columns#

Instantly add common columns with one click:

Settings Per Column#

Supported Post Types#

The Columns Manager works with:

• Posts
• Pages
• All public custom post types
• WooCommerce products, orders, etc.
• Any CPT with show_ui = true

Verification#

After saving your column configuration:

1. Navigate to the post type’s list table (e.g., Posts → All Posts)
2. Verify columns appear in your specified order
3. Confirm custom field data displays correctly
4. Test sorting if you enabled sortable columns

FAQ#

Common Column Setups#

Blog Posts#

1. Featured Image (80px)
2. Title
3. Categories
4. Word Count (100px)
5. Author
6. Published Date

WooCommerce Products#

1. Thumbnail (80px)
2. Name
3. SKU
4. Price
5. Stock
6. Categories

Portfolio/Projects#

1. Featured Image
2. Title
3. Client (custom field)
4. Project Type (taxonomy)
5. Year (custom field)