Troubleshooting

Updated Sep 23, 2026

Troubleshooting

This guide covers common issues you may encounter while configuring or using Dran Admin Cleaner (DAC).

Most unexpected behavior is related to Global Audience targeting, Page Lock conditions, WordPress permissions, third-party plugins, or changes to the WordPress admin environment.

Before making major changes, identify:

  • Which user or role is affected.
  • Which DAC feature is involved.
  • Whether the issue affects shared cleanup or a Page Lock.
  • Whether the WordPress environment recently changed.

Avoid changing several DAC settings at once while troubleshooting.

Changing one thing at a time makes the cause easier to identify.

Start With These Checks

When something does not work as expected:

  1. Confirm that Dran Admin Cleaner is active.
  2. Identify the DAC feature involved.
  3. For Cleaner features, confirm that the affected user matches the intended Global Audience.
  4. For Page Locks, review the conditions of the affected Page Lock.
  5. Check whether the account is an Owner or Manager where shared cleanup is involved.
  6. Confirm that Recovery Mode or Safe Mode is not active.
  7. Save the relevant DAC configuration again.
  8. Test using the actual affected WordPress account when possible.
  9. Review Audit Log for recent DAC activity.
  10. Check whether a recent plugin, theme, or WordPress update changed the admin environment.

DAC Cleanup Is Not Applied to a User

If Menu Cleaner, Notice Cleaner, Dashboard Cleaner, or Admin Bar Cleaner does not apply as expected, check Global Audience first.

Verify:

  • The correct Audience mode is selected.
  • The user's role or account matches the selected targeting.
  • The correct user account is being tested.
  • The account is not an Owner or Manager that bypasses shared cleanup.

Remember that Global Audience provides three modes:

  • Everyone
  • Only selected
  • Everyone except

Only one mode is active at a time.

See Audience for details.

A Menu Item Is Still Visible

If Menu Cleaner is configured to hide an item but the user can still see it:

  1. Confirm that the user matches Global Audience.
  2. Confirm that the correct menu item or submenu is configured.
  3. Save the Menu Cleaner configuration again.
  4. Test with the affected user account.
  5. Check whether the item is generated dynamically by a plugin.
  6. Check whether a plugin update changed the menu structure.

Third-party plugins can register or rebuild WordPress admin menus in different ways, so behavior may vary for some plugin-generated items.

See Menu Cleaner for details.

A Hidden Menu Page Is Still Accessible

This can be expected.

Menu Cleaner controls navigation visibility.

Hiding a menu item does not necessarily prevent direct access to the underlying WordPress admin page.

For example, hiding Plugins from the admin menu may still allow a user with the required WordPress capability to open:

/wp-admin/plugins.php

If the page itself must not be accessible, use Page Locks.

Hide for clarity. Lock for access restriction.

A Page Lock Is Not Applied

If a user can still access a page that should be locked:

  1. Open the affected Page Lock.
  2. Confirm that the rule targets the intended role or user.
  3. Confirm that the correct admin page is locked.
  4. Test the exact page URL.
  5. Confirm that Recovery Mode or Safe Mode is not active.
  6. Check whether the third-party plugin uses a different admin URL than expected.
  7. Check whether the feature uses multiple admin pages or redirects between URLs.

Manual Page Locks use their own targeting conditions.

Do not rely on Global Audience when determining whether a Page Lock should apply.

Some plugin features use several admin URLs, so locking one page does not necessarily restrict every page related to that plugin.

See Page Locks for details.

A Page Lock Affects the Wrong User

If a Page Lock affects someone who should remain unaffected, review the Page Lock itself.

Check:

  • The targeted roles.
  • The targeted individual users.
  • Any other conditions defined by the rule.
  • The page being restricted.
  • Whether another Page Lock also affects the same workflow.

Do not troubleshoot a manual Page Lock by changing Global Audience unless there is also a separate cleanup issue.

Correct the Page Lock conditions, save the rule, then test again using the affected account.

A Locked Page Redirects Unexpectedly

If opening a locked page produces an unexpected redirect:

  1. Confirm that the Page Lock targets the intended page.
  2. Review its redirect behavior.
  3. Make sure the destination is accessible to the affected user.
  4. Check whether the destination is also locked.
  5. Check whether another Page Lock affects the destination.
  6. Check whether a third-party plugin performs its own redirect.

Avoid configurations where restricted pages redirect to other restricted pages.

If you encounter a redirect loop and cannot correct it normally, use the available recovery mechanisms.

I Cannot Access an Admin Page

First determine whether DAC is responsible for the restriction.

If you can still access Dran Admin Cleaner:

  • Check Page Locks if access to a specific page is blocked.
  • Check Global Audience and Cleaner configuration if navigation or admin UI is missing.
  • Check Owner and Manager configuration where applicable.
  • Correct the affected setting.
  • Save and test again.

If DAC itself or the required settings are inaccessible, use the Recovery URL.

If the Recovery URL is unavailable, enable Safe Mode.

The recommended recovery order is:

Access problem → Can you still access DAC? → Yes: Correct the affected configuration → No: Use Recovery URL → Still unavailable? → Enable Safe Mode → Correct the configuration → Return to normal operation

Do not use Factory Reset as your first response to an access problem.

I Cannot Access Dran Admin Cleaner

If DAC configuration prevents you from reaching the plugin normally, use its recovery mechanisms.

Recovery URL

Open your saved Recovery URL to activate temporary Recovery Mode.

Once access has been restored:

  1. Open Dran Admin Cleaner.
  2. Identify the affected feature.
  3. Review Global Audience for shared cleanup issues.
  4. Review individual Page Lock conditions for access issues.
  5. Correct the problematic configuration.
  6. Save your changes.
  7. Exit the recovery state and test normal access.

Safe Mode

If Recovery URL is unavailable, add the following constant to wp-config.php:

define('DRAN_AC_SAFE_MODE', true);

Correct the DAC configuration, then remove the constant or change it to:

define('DRAN_AC_SAFE_MODE', false);

See Recovery URL and Safe Mode for complete instructions.

A Dashboard Widget Is Still Visible

If Dashboard Cleaner does not hide a widget:

  1. Confirm that the affected user matches Global Audience.
  2. Confirm that the widget is selected correctly.
  3. Review the widgets detected by Dashboard Cleaner.
  4. Check whether the plugin uses the standard WordPress Dashboard widget system.
  5. Check whether the content is loaded dynamically.
  6. Test again after refreshing the page.

Some plugins create custom Dashboard content outside the standard WordPress widget system.

DAC may not be able to manage arbitrary content that only looks like a Dashboard widget.

See Dashboard Cleaner for details.

A Dashboard Widget Is Missing From Dashboard Cleaner

The available widgets depend on the current WordPress environment.

If a widget is not detected:

  • Make sure the plugin that provides it is active.
  • Confirm that the widget normally appears in the current environment.
  • Check whether the widget appears only for certain roles or users.
  • Check whether it is loaded dynamically.
  • Confirm that it is actually registered as a WordPress Dashboard widget.

Some third-party interfaces cannot be detected as standard Dashboard widgets.

A Notice Is Still Visible

Notice Cleaner works with supported WordPress admin notices.

If a message remains visible:

  1. Confirm that the affected user matches Global Audience.
  2. Review the Notice Cleaner configuration.
  3. Determine whether the message is a standard WordPress admin notice.
  4. Check whether it is generated dynamically with JavaScript.
  5. Check whether the plugin uses custom markup or its own admin interface.

Not every message displayed inside WordPress is technically a WordPress admin notice.

Third-party plugins may render promotional messages, banners, or alerts using their own systems.

DAC cannot guarantee control over every custom message created by every plugin.

An Important Notice Is Missing

If information you need is no longer visible, review Notice Cleaner.

Do not use Notice Cleaner simply to remove every message from WordPress.

Warnings and other information should remain visible to the people who need to understand or act on them.

If maintainers need technical notices while client-facing users do not, use Global Audience to provide the appropriate cleanup experience.

An Admin Bar Item Is Still Visible

If Admin Bar Cleaner does not hide a toolbar item:

  1. Confirm that the user matches Global Audience.
  2. Check that the correct toolbar item is configured.
  3. Test both the WordPress admin area and frontend when relevant.
  4. Check whether the item appears only in certain contexts.
  5. Check whether the plugin creates or modifies the item dynamically.

Third-party plugins may change Admin Bar structure based on the current page, user, or runtime state.

See Admin Bar Cleaner for details.

An Admin Bar Item Appears Only on Some Pages

This may be normal.

WordPress and plugins can add Admin Bar items conditionally.

An item may depend on:

  • The current admin page.
  • Whether you are viewing the frontend.
  • User capabilities.
  • Theme functionality.
  • Plugin configuration.
  • Current content.
  • Other runtime conditions.

Test Admin Bar Cleaner in the context where the item normally appears.

Preview Looks Different From the Actual User

Preview is intended to inspect DAC's role-based cleanup configuration.

It is not complete user impersonation.

An actual WordPress account may have:

  • Different capabilities.
  • User-specific settings.
  • Plugin-specific permissions.
  • Different preferences.
  • Conditions outside DAC's control.

Use Preview while configuring DAC, but perform final testing with an appropriate real user account for important workflows.

Page Locks should also be tested with actual accounts because they use their own targeting conditions.

See Preview for details.

Problems After Installing or Updating a Plugin

Plugins can change the WordPress admin environment by adding or modifying:

  • Admin menus.
  • Admin pages.
  • Notices.
  • Dashboard widgets.
  • Admin Bar items.
  • User capabilities.
  • Redirect behavior.

After installing or significantly updating a plugin, review the relevant DAC configuration.

Previously detected admin elements may have changed, and new elements may need to be configured.

A DAC setup should not be treated as permanently static when the WordPress environment around it changes.

Problems After Changing the Theme

Themes can also add or modify WordPress admin functionality.

After changing themes, review DAC if you notice:

  • New admin menu items.
  • New Dashboard content.
  • New toolbar shortcuts.
  • Theme-specific admin pages.

Remove obsolete DAC configuration related to the previous theme where appropriate.

Problems After Importing a Configuration

An imported DAC configuration may have been created for a different WordPress environment.

After importing, review:

  1. Owner and Manager access.
  2. Global Audience.
  3. User-specific targeting.
  4. Roles.
  5. Menu Cleaner.
  6. Page Locks and their conditions.
  7. Notice Cleaner.
  8. Dashboard Cleaner.
  9. Admin Bar Cleaner.

Pay particular attention to plugin-specific admin elements and Page Locks.

Treat an imported configuration as a starting point, not something that should automatically be correct for another website.

See Import & Export for details.

Problems After Restoring a Backup

A backup represents DAC configuration from a particular point in time.

The WordPress environment may have changed since that backup was created.

For example:

Backup created → New plugin installed → Theme changed → Users or roles changed → Older backup restored

The restored configuration may no longer match every part of the current website.

After restoring:

  • Review Global Audience.
  • Review Page Locks and their conditions.
  • Check plugin-generated menus.
  • Review Notice Cleaner.
  • Review Dashboard widgets.
  • Check Admin Bar items.
  • Preview relevant roles.
  • Test important workflows using actual WordPress accounts.

See Backup & Restore for details.

Safe Mode Is Still Active

If DAC cleanup or Page Locks appear to be disabled unexpectedly, check whether Safe Mode is still active.

Open wp-config.php and look for:

define('DRAN_AC_SAFE_MODE', true);

Once troubleshooting is complete, remove the constant or change it to:

define('DRAN_AC_SAFE_MODE', false);

Safe Mode intentionally bypasses DAC restrictions and should not remain enabled during normal operation.

Check the Audit Log

If DAC behavior changed unexpectedly, review Audit Log.

Look for recent supported activity involving the affected feature.

For example:

Unexpected Page Lock behavior → Check Audit Log → Find recent Page Locks activity → Review the affected rule

Audit Log can help identify when supported DAC activity occurred and which user performed it.

It is not a complete configuration history.

Use Backup & Restore when you need a known configuration state that can actually be restored.

Return to a Known Working Configuration

If several recent configuration changes make troubleshooting difficult, restoring a known working backup may be faster than correcting each setting individually.

Before restoring:

  1. Create a backup of the current configuration when possible.
  2. Select the correct known working backup.
  3. Restore it.
  4. Review the resulting configuration.
  5. Preview relevant roles.
  6. Test important workflows.
  7. Test Page Locks separately where applicable.

Remember that restoring an older configuration may require additional review if the WordPress environment has changed since the backup was created.

Avoid Factory Reset Unless Necessary

Factory Reset should not be the default troubleshooting tool.

If one feature is behaving incorrectly, investigate that feature first.

If access is blocked, use Recovery URL or Safe Mode.

If recent DAC changes caused the problem, consider restoring a known working backup.

Use Factory Reset only when you intentionally want to discard the existing DAC configuration and start over.

Browser and Cache Issues

Some admin behavior may appear outdated because of browser or caching behavior.

When appropriate:

  1. Reload the page.
  2. Perform a hard refresh.
  3. Test in a private or incognito browser window.
  4. Clear relevant browser cache.
  5. Review any caching or optimization system that affects WordPress admin.

Avoid clearing unrelated website data unless necessary.

Third-Party Plugin Compatibility

WordPress gives plugins significant flexibility in how they build admin interfaces.

A third-party plugin may:

  • Register standard WordPress admin elements.
  • Build completely custom admin pages.
  • Load elements dynamically with JavaScript.
  • Change admin URLs based on context.
  • Implement its own permission system.
  • Modify WordPress navigation after other plugins have loaded.

DAC is designed to work with supported WordPress admin structures, but identical behavior cannot be guaranteed for every third-party plugin.

If an issue affects one particular plugin, collect:

  • Plugin name.
  • Plugin version.
  • DAC feature involved.
  • Dran Admin Cleaner version.
  • WordPress version.
  • PHP version.
  • Affected role or user type.
  • Steps required to reproduce the issue.

This information makes compatibility problems much easier to investigate.

Before Reporting a Problem

Before requesting support, collect enough information to reproduce the issue.

Include:

  • Dran Admin Cleaner version.
  • WordPress version.
  • PHP version.
  • Affected DAC feature.
  • Affected WordPress role or user type.
  • Relevant third-party plugin and version, if applicable.
  • What you expected to happen.
  • What actually happened.
  • Clear steps to reproduce the problem.
  • Relevant screenshots or error messages.

For example:

DAC version: 1.x.x WordPress: 7.x PHP: 8.x Feature: Page Locks Affected role: Editor

Expected: Editor should be redirected when opening the selected admin page.

Actual: Editor can still access the page directly.

Steps:

  1. Create a Page Lock for the selected admin page.
  2. Target the Editor role.
  3. Save the rule.
  4. Log in using an Editor account.
  5. Open the protected page directly.

Clear reproduction steps make configuration and compatibility issues much easier to investigate.

The original troubleshooting page already asks users to provide environment details, reproduction steps, screenshots, and expected versus actual behavior; that structure is worth keeping because it makes support reports far more actionable.

Do Not Share Sensitive Information

When reporting a problem, do not include:

  • Passwords.
  • Recovery URLs.
  • Recovery tokens.
  • API keys.
  • Secret keys.
  • Database credentials.
  • Hosting credentials.
  • Other private authentication information.

If a screenshot contains sensitive information, remove or hide it before sharing.

Troubleshooting Checklist

When DAC does not behave as expected:

  • Confirm DAC is active.
  • Identify the affected DAC feature.
  • Check Global Audience for shared cleanup issues.
  • Check the affected Page Lock's own conditions for access issues.
  • Check Owner and Manager access where relevant.
  • Confirm Recovery Mode or Safe Mode is not unexpectedly active.
  • Review recent Audit Log activity.
  • Test with the actual affected user account.
  • Review recent plugin, theme, or WordPress changes.
  • Check third-party plugin behavior.
  • Use Recovery URL if normal access is blocked.
  • Use Safe Mode if Recovery URL is unavailable.
  • Restore a known working backup when appropriate.
  • Use Factory Reset only when you intentionally want to start over.

Getting Support

If the problem continues after completing the relevant troubleshooting steps, contact the support channel provided for Dran Admin Cleaner.

Include the environment information and reproduction steps described above.

The more clearly the problem can be reproduced, the easier it is to determine whether the cause is DAC configuration, WordPress behavior, or compatibility with another plugin.

Never send passwords, Recovery URLs, API keys, hosting credentials, or other sensitive authentication information through a public support channel.