Enjoy A Shiny New, Simplified Admin Bar
Remember your old admin bar (displayed at the top of your screen while you’re logged in to WordPress.com)? Up until today, it’s looked something like this while viewing an individual post:
But we wanted to make it easier for your visitors to interact with you via Likes and Follows, so we’ve cleaned it up a bit. Now it looks like this:
Better, right!? Now on the right hand side of the admin bar where your Gravatar is displayed, you have easy access to your user profile, all the blogs you can contribute to, and all the comments you’ve made across WordPress.com:
In the blog menu on the left side of the admin bar, you’ll see all the stuff related to the blog you’re currently viewing. If you’re looking at a post on your own blog, the menu will display links to your dashboard, post editor, comment moderation panel, custom menus, and widgets. Next to the blog menu are the Follow and Like buttons, along with a sparkline, which reflects the last 48 hours of page views on the blog:
When viewing posts on other blogs on WordPress.com, the blog menu on the left side of the admin bar will display the following options, as well as the shortlink and theme information:
If you hover over the WordPress.com logo in the left corner, you’ll see the following quick links:
Lastly, you may have noticed that you’re no longer able to reblog a post after clicking the Like button. Don’t worry — we’re cooking up some reblogging improvements that you’ll have access to very soon. Stay tuned!
- September 23, 2011
- Admin Bar
WordPress.com News 
I did notice the clutter-free look. Thanks!!
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Great update! It feels much cleaner and sophisticated! ❤
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Very nice. It is good to have quicker access to the comments section.
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Thanks for the info…I was a bit concerned that something was amiss when I logged on this evening. Thanks for clearing things up.
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Very handy and smart addition. It helps save time. Love the comment counter in dropdown. Thank you guys!
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Love the new, streamlined look. Well done.
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Please give back the My Blogs drop-down. It just became a total hassle to go between my sites.
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Look under your name in the upper right corner — you’ll find the complete list of your blogs along with your account-related links.
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I noticed the changes earlier right away, but am glad I just now read your explanation, too – now I know to click on my gravatar to find access to BOTh my blogs (not just the one I’m working on). I was confused there for a while….. 😉 THANKS!
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Beatrice
reblogged this from bckh and commented:
Actually, I am new to wordpress.com and I hate the change because I was getting used to checking what I blogged and being to easily edit posts and pages — Change–why doesn’t someone ask if WE want it changed?
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If you want to edit the page you’re currently on, you’ll find the Edit link under the blog menu on the left side of the admin bar.
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Oh, I like this very much. Good show!
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Clean. Clean. Clean.
As always WordPress….well done.
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How do you search for other wordpress blogs? I can’t find that function.
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We’re looking at coming up with a better way to replace the multiple button search form we previously had in the admin bar. In the mean time you can go to http://en.search.wordpress.com/
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I liked the way the old bar was as it worked better for me. I find this one hard to navigate with and when I go to another WordPress Blog site I cannot get back to my one easily as before and even when I’m in my site I cannot get back to my main page if I leave it to go to another area of my site. It is very frustrating. Simplified is not always best. Isn’t there someway to put it back the way it was?
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Matt Thomas
reblogged this from Matt Thomas and commented:
I made it special just for you.
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Yuck! It is horrible. I appreciate the work that was put into it, but it is too dark to navigate and is miserable on my eyes. If it were grey it would be much better.
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I tried to use the support contact form but could not find it. I really do not like the new Admin Bar. I liked everything in one spot and not all over the place. It did not look cluttered to me at all.
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On the right side, in the menu with your name and Gravatar is a Help link.
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I love the new toolbar!! Lean, clean, fighting machine!! Now, if you figure how why all the fonts in all my dashboards are so teeeny tiny the past 10 days but weren’t previously, I would sure appreciate it. WordPress is great. I wouldn’t have online journals anywhere else now, and we all did when we dropped by here and moved right on in.
Thank you, WordPress.
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Sounds like you’ve changed the text size of the browser. Most browsers will have a menu similar to View->Zoom->Reset.
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Very clean and a perfect match for our theme. Nice work!
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I’m glad you plan to return the reblog feature. 😀
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I only wish this would have been posted BEFORE it was released. I didn’t know what to do for awhile, but I figured it out on my own.
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How interestingly similar to Google+ now. The jury’s still out whether I like/don’t like. But then again, I admit to being slow to accept change.
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Love it! Thanks for all the ongoing efforts to improve our blogging site! =)
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Hi…really, really, REALLY don’t like that you think this is simplified. Please give us the choice…mine is to leave it as it was. Tried it, and I don’t like it.
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Short Link and News button are harder to use from now on … please move them back to the first tier. The other things look ok.
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This seems to be a step forward to betterment. We’ll see.
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The worst improvement WordPress ever made. Just in time when Facebook had their worst too.
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Facebook changing, Pandora changing, and now this.
It’s all for the better, right?
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How do I access my blog stats now? I hope it’s just one click away like it used tobe.
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When viewing the blog, click on the Stats sparkline on the admin bar. If you want to view stats for a different blog, you can use the My account menu and submenus on the right side under your name and Gravatar.
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Love the new admin bar! Very Google like 🙂
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I would actually prefer an option to restore mine to the way it was. This is too simplified and I miss the Site Statistics on the drop-down menu.
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I thought my blog or theme was hacked lol. Anyway, the simpler the better. Thanks.
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How do I bring up just my stats on a page?
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Cleaner, yes. But I’d like to continue to see the “New” dropdown, which is much quicker to go to a new post, media, page. I have never liked the multiple dropdown, mouseover, to a new dropdown that has replaced it.
The former “New” dropdown menu was much more intuitive than this current setup.
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Neat! I’m always excited by the improvements made by WordPress, knowing that it will all lead to something more beautiful.
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I like the old one better. It was much easier to watch my stats and dashboard. Not impressed.
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Super cool. Congrats and thanks again.
I’m a bit worried about your re-blog feature? I hope it’s not like “tumbling” because I precisely chose WordPress over Tumbler because of that. I know it’s a big hit but I personally dislike it. My fingers are crossed in hopes we will have the choice to disable it? Pretty please?
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I really like it, but I miss being able to see how many bloggers liked my post at the top. Now I only see Like or Unlike. That was one of my favorite features.
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I like it, even though it surprised me.
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I’m a content over form kind of person. I liked my dashboard right there. No clicking around to get to it. I like clean. But it can’t be at the expense of function. I firmly believe that when you look after content, or function, then form, or appearance takes care of itself or needs little effort. But, everything is customizable these days, including browsers. I simply added a link to my dashboard on my bookmark toolbar.
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I wish you folks would send out some kind of warning. I thought you’d deleted my other blog, and I kept searching around for it; and the right-hand side is the side we’re least programmed to see. If my mouse hadn’t happened to slip up there by accident when I was closing the blog in resignation, I never would have seen this “wonderful new feature”. Bleh.
Also, quit with the cryptic icon stuff.
Also, who the heck actually “interacts” with “Like”? When Facebook has followed MySpace into oblivion in a year or two, will this crud still be littering the Internet for the next twenty years?
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Hmmm… I feel this is a lot of getting used to.
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I don’t like it. Please reconsider the tiny edit button. For users in need of accessibility tools it is a real punishment there has to be activated a drop down to go to the edit function. It’s not simplified but impoverished this way.
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I like new top bar and I have posted on my blog specially for this change.
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Everything is perfect but I had really liked the shortlink in easy access – now that is moved to two more clicks.
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It should be the same number of click, just in a submenu instead of the top menu.
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Simplified? Oh really, before the change it was much easier to either blog a new post or to check the comments etc. Now I have to use two drop-downs -.- And I don’t use the “Follow” and “Like” option, so now I have the two things I don’t use getting the most attention. Great.
I want the old bar back………
Der Point.
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Very perfect!!!
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its a good update, keep up the good work 😀
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I do wish you wouldn’t keep changing things like this, suddenly without warning. I log on and have to fiddle about finding where everything is. It’s a blasted nuisance. The name of the game is stability not pointless changes because soon time-waster in your office hasn’t got enough to do.
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Okay, now it looks different, for some reason I didn’t have the left drop and down menu, where it says “New” and “Comments” and stuff. I had to go to the right.
I’m satisfied, nothing to complain anymore 😀
Der Point.
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Thank you, it is much tidier. It’s nice to see positive comments about change. Change is good when it improves on something. Facebook should learn from this!!!!!!!
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Please put the stats back on the drop down, I know it’s not all about stats but I like to see that people are visiting and where they have come from, making me do this in several clicks is a little frustrating!
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Stats is right on the top. When viewing your blog you can click on the sparkline.
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I love this move. Thanks WordPress. 😀
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This time I am not really enjoying the change. I find it a bit awkward having to click through the drop-down menu to access the “Edit” button when I want to make a change to something I am viewing. The rest is okay, this one feature annoys me a bit but, well, I shall get used to it somehow. 🙂
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You shouldn’t have to click through any of the menus to get to Edit, If you are viewing a post or page you want to edit, hover over the Blog menu on the left side and then click on Edit in the list.
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This is a very pragmatic enhancement for newcomers like me. Thank you WordPress.
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Good job WordPress.com! The new admin bar is not only looking great but is also a great help in navigating through important admin tasks.
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I guess I’ll get used to it. More than any specific complaints about where to find specific tabs and dropdowns, is that I think it makes things a lot more difficult to navigate if the admin bar is different depending on where/ what page I’m on.
My learning curve will be a lot slower this way! I would really prefer one consistent display of tabs/options in that bar (even if they are hidden and hard to find in order to look “sleeker”), rather than a different set depending on what page/ post I’m on.
Just a side question–who are we trying to look sleeker for? I mean, presumably it’s only people who already blog on WordPress who see the admin bar, right? Has anyone ever left WordPress or complained because that bar didn’t look sleek enough?
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Looking good! It’s clean and fresh!
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I really hate this change – might leave WordPress. It is much more trouble when writing than it was before.
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It is much more functional and beautiful. Thank you!
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This is great. Thanks WordPress!
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That’s the way, aha aha, i like it.
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Good move, very good move. You are definitely going into the right direction. However, I do not like that there is more space below the letters than there is above… (in Safari).
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Think the before dashboard was better…
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Where can I track the comments I’ve left on other blogs?
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On the right side of the menu under your name and Gravatar is an option labeled Track My Comments.
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You will get a thousand points for this! This is really perfect – I would have done the same (if I could -.-).
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Yes it looks very simple. The older was easier/quicker to use…
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I like this very much.
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So nice and lovely.
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Why o why there is no choice? I like it the old way
and plenty of people likes it the old way and they would never ever change to this. Facebook changing things all the time, always for worse, now you, and never giving us a choice other than accept what we dislike or bugger off and use other sites. Why? I did that already – moved here from other blog site because of all the changes all the time and now you’re doing the same. 😦
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Great ! It feels much cleaner and sophisticated!
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Now I know what this reminds me of: Google Plus.
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Looks great WordPress, however, I did like the old one better.
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Yeah, a good change. It becomes convenient. I like that.
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LOVE IT! Great Job!
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I’m all for clean and crisp layouts..
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Ok, I’ve just been playing around with this new ‘simplified’ admin bar. And IMO there is nothing simple about it. It’s really quite annoying that one must click on the right, or the left to access blogs, comments, dashboard … etc. The old admin bar had everything there and was simple, this new admin bar, there is nothing simple about it. But maybe that’s just me and my learning curve.
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Much better! 🙂
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The older bar was MUCH better – gave easier and more direct access to both editing and posting. ‘New’ (post, page etc) is now at the second level in a shaky drop down instead of being a very easily accesible button on the bar. I’ve no problems endorsing (and enjoying) novelty, but I definitely think this change is for the worse. I’d like the choice – and I’d take functional over sleek and shiny anytime!
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Sorry, but I don’t like the new layout 😦
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Cool! Many thanks!
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I loathe the new bar. It is NOT simplified.
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Thank you! I like this update.
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Do not like it. Miss the “read blogg” option.
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If you want to jump to a specific blog on your account those options are now on the right side under your name and Gravatar.
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Nice one! 🙂
Had already seen it last night before I got your newsletter and I think it is a definite improvement.
Thanks!
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Why did you have to change it? Now I can’t get my site stats any more. How am I supposed to get site stats? Please advise thanks.
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When viewing your site click on the Stats sparkline on the admin bar.
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I love it! Thanks. 🙂
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New looks to admin bar very nice 🙂
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Looks like it will be great, but it doesn’t seem to display correctly in IE 9. 😦
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I don’t see any advantage. The changes are just a distraction. It’s irritating to have to take time from writing to learn a new set-up that really doesn’t help in any way.
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Bad move, really bad move.
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Not digging this change at the moment. Get used to it i guess.
Is there a link thing happening to Google plus ??
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Thank you. I was worried I had brain damage when nothing was where I remembered it being!
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that’s a great change, Erica! I wish we had for WordPress.org users
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Very nice, and less cluttered 🙂
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I am glad you sent an email concerning this. I was wondering if you guys were in cahoots with Facebook! 🙂 I do hope we will be able to soon “like” and repost blogs as that is a great way of sharing bloggy love around. Thanks for the information—would have been better if we had a heads up maybe the day before the changes happened—just saying. The info in the email was helpful. Thanks!
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You know….I thought I was going CRAZY!!!!! You can’t sneak that in there like that on a 59 year old. I was about to make an appointment with a neurologist.
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Thank you for your efforts to simplify things. My problem is that i can’t copy shortlink.
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An announcement before it was done would have been appreciated. I thought I had lost my stuff. It looks too much like Google +.
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But I forgot to say it looks nice.
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