Server Redirects to the WordPress Dashboard on Login
Blog readers who want to make comments often have to register and log in to a blog, as a measure of preventing spam comments. When the readers log in to a WordPress blog, the default behavior is to redirect them to the WordPress dashboard that contains a myriad of options they don't have access to and will never use. A more user-friendly approach is to redirect the users to a different page, for example the main content of the blog, and this can be accomplished through the use of plug-ins.
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WordPress Dashboard
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WordPress provides a dashboard screen that contains tools for tasks that are generally performed by blog authors and administrators, such as adding, editing, and deleting posts, pages and categories; installing plug-ins; and adding and modifying themes. The dashboard also provides the ability for a user to change the profile information, including name and password.
Redirect after Login
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When a user logs in to WordPress from the main content pages, the default behavior is to send the user to the WordPress dashboard page. This is not the best place to send a reader or casual user after logging in. These readers don't typically have any administrative role with the blog and only have the privileges to submit comments and change their passwords. The dashboard is seldom needed and can be very confusing to a casual user, who has to locate and click on the blog name at the top of the screen to navigate back to the content pages. A better choice for this user might be the content page from where he logged in, or even a special marketing or information page, depending on the user profile.
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WordPress Enhancement
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Prior to WordPress 2.6.2, you had to modify the WordPress source code to redirect a user somewhere other than the dashboard. This is not the ideal way to customize WordPress because you have to track and repeat these changes every time a WordPress update is released. WordPress 2.6.2 included a new filter that can be accessed by plug-in authors to write a plug-in that redirects a user after logging in. This solution is better for most WordPress administrators because it doesn't require any source code modifications to the core WordPress files.
WordPress Plug-ins
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There are several plug-ins available that allow you to redirect users to somewhere other than the dashboard after logging in. There are also plug-ins that allow you to show only the user profile information when a user lands on the dashboard to minimize confusion. For example, Theme My Login is a plug-in that allows you to redirect the user to a different page depending on her role and security permissions. The WP Hide Dashboard plug-in displays only user profile information if a user with the "subscriber" role lands on the dashboard screen.
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