Is the Toolbar the same as the admin bar?

Yes, one bar, two names. WordPress 3.3 combined the older admin bar and the admin header into a single Toolbar in December 2011, and both names stuck. Developer code still uses the old name, such as the WP_Admin_Bar class and the show_admin_bar filter.

How do I hide the WordPress Toolbar for all users?

The profile checkbox hides the Toolbar only for your own account. To hide it site-wide, add add_filter( 'show_admin_bar', '__return_false' ); to a child theme’s functions.php or a small plugin. This filter affects only the front end; the admin screens keep the Toolbar.

Can I add my own links to the WordPress Toolbar?

Yes. Hook into admin_bar_menu and call $wp_admin_bar->add_node() with an ID, a title, and a link, from a child theme or plugin. Many plugins add their own Toolbar shortcuts the same way, which is why the bar grows as you install them.

Back to WordPress Glossary

What is the WordPress Toolbar?

The WordPress Toolbar, also called the admin bar, is a horizontal shortcut bar at the top of WordPress admin screens and, by default, above the live site for logged-in users. It links to tasks such as creating content, reviewing comments, managing updates, and editing your profile. Logged-out visitors never see it.

More About the WordPress Toolbar

When you’re logged in, the Toolbar appears at the top of every WordPress admin screen and, by default, above the pages of your live site. Visitors who aren’t logged in never see it. The Toolbar is also known as the admin bar, its original name.

The Toolbar makes it easy to create a new post or page. You can also add users, review comments, and see alerts when plugin or theme updates are available. What you see depends on your user role: an administrator gets the full set of links, while a subscriber sees only a few. Many plugins add their own items to the bar, too.

Turning the Toolbar off

To remove the Toolbar from your view of the site, go to Users > Your Profile in the dashboard and uncheck the “Show Toolbar when viewing site” option. This affects only your own account, and only the front end: the Toolbar can’t be hidden on the admin screens themselves.

Why the Toolbar isn’t showing

If you’re logged in but the Toolbar is missing from your site, WordPress.org’s Toolbar documentation points to 3 causes:

The profile setting: the “Show Toolbar when viewing site” box is unchecked. Recheck it under Users > Your Profile and save.
Your theme: the Toolbar loads through the wp_footer() function. If your theme’s footer.php file never calls it, the bar can’t appear on the front end.
A plugin: some plugins disable the Toolbar. Deactivate them one at a time until the bar comes back.

If the Toolbar is missing everywhere, including the admin screens, you’re logged out. Log back in and it returns.

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