Start with a clear plugin prompt
Adapt this example to your site, then paste it into your workspace. Include your WordPress, PHP, and relevant plugin versions so the request describes the environment you need to support.
Create a WordPress plugin that adds an admin dashboard widget called Content Health. For editors and administrators, show counts of draft posts, posts without featured images, and pages not updated in 180 days. Include links to the matching WordPress admin lists and a Refresh button that uses an authenticated admin request. Add a settings page where administrators can set the stale-content threshold. Check capabilities, use nonces for form actions, escape output, and avoid loading the widget for users without edit_posts capability.
Start with an editorial or operational decision
The most useful dashboard widgets help a site manager notice and act on a small set of information. Define the decision the widget supports: reviewing stale pages, finding unanswered form submissions, checking upcoming events, or monitoring an editorial queue. Then state the roles that should see it and the related WordPress admin screens. A narrow purpose keeps the widget readable and helps the generated plugin use the right dashboard hooks, capability checks, and links rather than turning the WordPress home screen into a crowded report.
Connect to reliable WordPress admin data
Dashboard widgets can draw from posts, custom post types, comments, users, options, and carefully scoped queries. Explain the date ranges, statuses, taxonomies, or ownership rules that define each count or list. If the widget provides a button or setting, name the action and the expected result. The generated plugin can use WordPress dashboard registration hooks, admin URLs, query APIs, settings fields, and nonce-protected requests. Keeping the data source explicit makes it easier to test results with accounts that have different roles and permissions.
Test roles, actions, and admin performance
Test the widget with each intended role, including a user who should not see it. Verify that every linked list applies the expected filter and that actions require the correct capability and nonce. Populate staging with enough posts, comments, or records to confirm counts and empty states. Dashboard pages load frequently, so review how much work the widget does on each request and keep queries targeted. Finally, test the settings page and a normal dashboard refresh to make sure the widget remains useful without disrupting other administration tasks.
Frequently asked questions
Who can see a generated dashboard widget?
You can describe the WordPress capabilities or roles that should see it, such as administrators only or editors who can manage content.
Can the widget link to filtered admin lists?
Yes. State the records and filters to review, such as drafts, missing featured images, or content older than a selected threshold.