Wire up remaining placeholder settings, implement menu search (v2.4.0)

- Custom dashboard, Modern plugins page, and Modern comments page
  toggles previously had no effect at all — their respective takeovers/
  redirects (DashboardTakeover, SubApps' Plugins/Comments handling,
  MenuSerializer's link rewrites) ran unconditionally regardless of the
  setting. All three now default to their previous always-on behavior
  but can actually be turned off.
- Menu search had zero implementation. Sidebar.vue now shows a real
  search box (gated on the setting) that filters both the WP-native menu
  and the Aurora nav section by title, auto-expanding matching sections.
- Removed "Modern posts table" and "Modern users page" toggles (and
  their now-empty Posts/Users settings categories) — both described a
  custom management page that was never built. A checkbox with nothing
  behind it is worse than no checkbox.

Verified all four live: dashboard/plugins/comments toggles correctly
flip between the Aurora and native experience and back; menu search
filters correctly and clears back to the full menu.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 5 <[email protected]>

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -5,6 +5,30 @@ version bump. Starts at 2.1.0 — earlier history (the theming rebuild,
 window chrome/taskbar, Site Editor support, etc.) lives in `git log` and
 `PROJECT_STATUS.md`, not reconstructed here.
 
+## [2.4.0] - 2026-07-04
+
+### Added
+- Settings > Menu's "Menu search" toggle now actually does something —
+  previously had no implementation at all. Shows a real search box at the
+  top of the sidebar that filters both the WP-native menu list and the
+  Aurora nav section by title, auto-expanding every section with a match.
+
+### Fixed
+- Settings > Dashboard's "Custom dashboard" toggle now actually gates the
+  dashboard takeover — previously the Aurora dashboard always replaced the
+  native one regardless of this setting, with no way to turn it back off.
+- Settings > Plugins' "Modern plugins page" and Settings > Comments'
+  "Modern comments page" toggles now actually gate their respective
+  takeovers/redirects the same way — previously both ran unconditionally
+  regardless of these settings.
+
+### Removed
+- Settings > Posts' "Modern posts table" and Settings > Users' "Modern
+  users page" toggles — both described a custom management interface that
+  was never built. Shipping a checkbox with nothing behind it is worse
+  than not having the checkbox; removed rather than left as dead UI. Their
+  categories are removed too, since they had no other fields.
+
 ## [2.3.1] - 2026-07-04
 
 ### Fixed

admin/src/Pages/DashboardTakeover.php

@@ -27,6 +27,13 @@ class DashboardTakeover
 
   public static function is_dashboard()
   {
+    // Settings > Dashboard > "Custom dashboard" — previously always on
+    // regardless of this setting; default true so existing installs keep
+    // their current behavior until explicitly turned off.
+    if (!Settings::get("use_custom_dashboard", true)) {
+      return false;
+    }
+
     return isset($GLOBALS["pagenow"]) && $GLOBALS["pagenow"] === "index.php";
   }
 

admin/src/Pages/SubApps.php

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ namespace AuroraAdmin\Pages;
 
 use AuroraAdmin\Utility\Assets;
 use AuroraAdmin\Licensing\License;
+use AuroraAdmin\Options\Settings;
 
 defined("ABSPATH") || exit();
 
@@ -111,6 +112,13 @@ class SubApps
   {
     global $pagenow;
 
+    // Settings > Comments > "Modern comments page" — previously always
+    // redirected regardless of this setting; default true so existing
+    // installs keep their current behavior until explicitly turned off.
+    if (!Settings::get("modern_comments", true)) {
+      return;
+    }
+
     if ($pagenow !== "edit-comments.php" || !current_user_can("edit_posts")) {
       return;
     }

admin/src/Shell/MenuSerializer.php

@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 <?php
 namespace AuroraAdmin\Shell;
 
+use AuroraAdmin\Options\Settings;
+
 defined("ABSPATH") || exit();
 
 /**
@@ -142,11 +144,14 @@ class MenuSerializer
       return "";
     }
 
-    if ($slug === "plugins.php") {
+    // Both checks default to true so existing installs keep their current
+    // behavior (previously always on regardless of these settings) until
+    // explicitly turned off in Settings > Plugins / Settings > Comments.
+    if ($slug === "plugins.php" && Settings::get("modern_plugins", true)) {
       return admin_url("plugins.php?page=aurora-admin-plugins");
     }
 
-    if ($slug === "edit-comments.php") {
+    if ($slug === "edit-comments.php" && Settings::get("modern_comments", true)) {
       return admin_url("admin.php?page=aurora-admin-comments");
     }
 

app/package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "aurora-admin-app",
-  "version": "2.3.1",
+  "version": "2.4.0",
   "private": true,
   "type": "module",
   "scripts": {

app/src/pages/settings/settingsConfig.js

@@ -152,20 +152,6 @@ export const settingsCategories = [
       },
     ],
   },
-  {
-    id: 'posts',
-    title: 'Posts',
-    subtitle: 'Post management and display preferences',
-    icon: 'dashicons-admin-post',
-    fields: [
-      {
-        key: 'modern_posts',
-        type: 'toggle',
-        label: 'Modern posts table',
-        description: 'Use the Aurora posts management interface.',
-      },
-    ],
-  },
   {
     id: 'plugins',
     title: 'Plugins',
@@ -230,20 +216,6 @@ export const settingsCategories = [
       },
     ],
   },
-  {
-    id: 'users',
-    title: 'Users',
-    subtitle: 'User management and administration settings',
-    icon: 'dashicons-admin-users',
-    fields: [
-      {
-        key: 'modern_users',
-        type: 'toggle',
-        label: 'Modern users page',
-        description: 'Use the Aurora users management interface.',
-      },
-    ],
-  },
   {
     id: 'comments',
     title: 'Comments',

app/src/shell/components/Sidebar.vue

@@ -86,13 +86,13 @@ const openId = ref(
       : null)
 );
 
-const isExpanded = (item) => openId.value === item.id;
+const isExpanded = (item) => isSearching.value || openId.value === item.id;
 
 const toggle = (item) => {
   openId.value = openId.value === item.id ? null : item.id;
 };
 
-const auroraExpanded = computed(() => openId.value === AURORA_ID);
+const auroraExpanded = computed(() => isSearching.value || openId.value === AURORA_ID);
 const toggleAuroraNav = () => {
   openId.value = auroraExpanded.value ? null : AURORA_ID;
   // Only Aurora's own expand state needs to persist across page loads —
@@ -101,6 +101,34 @@ const toggleAuroraNav = () => {
   localStorage.setItem('aurora-nav-expanded', auroraExpanded.value ? '1' : '0');
 };
 const isAuroraActive = (item) => normalize(item.url) === current.value;
+
+// Settings > Menu > "Show a search box at the top of the admin menu" —
+// filters both the WP-native menu list and the Aurora nav section by
+// title (own item or any submenu item), auto-expanding every section with
+// a match so results are visible without also having to click into them.
+const showMenuSearch = computed(() => !!props.serverData?.settings?.menu_search);
+const searchQuery = ref('');
+const isSearching = computed(() => searchQuery.value.trim() !== '');
+const matchesQuery = (text) =>
+  (text || '').toLowerCase().includes(searchQuery.value.trim().toLowerCase());
+
+const filteredMenu = computed(() => {
+  if (!isSearching.value) return props.menu;
+  return props.menu
+    .filter((item) => !item.separator)
+    .map((item) => {
+      const titleMatch = matchesQuery(item.title);
+      const matchingSubs = (item.submenu || []).filter((sub) => matchesQuery(sub.title));
+      if (!titleMatch && !matchingSubs.length) return null;
+      return titleMatch ? item : { ...item, submenu: matchingSubs };
+    })
+    .filter(Boolean);
+});
+
+const filteredAuroraNav = computed(() => {
+  if (!isSearching.value) return props.auroraNav;
+  return props.auroraNav.filter((item) => matchesQuery(item.title));
+});
 </script>
 
 <template>
@@ -111,8 +139,13 @@ const isAuroraActive = (item) => normalize(item.url) === current.value;
       <template v-else>{{ collapsed ? 'A' : 'Aurora' }}</template>
     </div>
 
+    <div v-if="showMenuSearch && !collapsed" class="sidebar__menu-search">
+      <span class="dashicons dashicons-search" />
+      <input v-model="searchQuery" type="text" placeholder="Search menu…" />
+    </div>
+
     <ul class="sidebar__list">
-      <template v-for="(item, index) in menu" :key="item.id || index">
+      <template v-for="(item, index) in filteredMenu" :key="item.id || index">
         <li v-if="item.separator" class="sidebar__separator" />
 
         <li v-else class="sidebar__item">
@@ -139,7 +172,7 @@ const isAuroraActive = (item) => normalize(item.url) === current.value;
               <span v-if="item.count" class="sidebar__count">{{ item.count }}</span>
             </a>
             <button
-              v-if="item.submenu && item.submenu.length"
+              v-if="item.submenu && item.submenu.length && !isSearching"
               type="button"
               class="sidebar__chevron"
               :class="{ 'sidebar__chevron--open': isExpanded(item) }"
@@ -173,9 +206,13 @@ const isAuroraActive = (item) => normalize(item.url) === current.value;
       </template>
     </ul>
 
-    <div v-if="auroraNav.length" class="sidebar__separator" />
+    <p v-if="isSearching && !filteredMenu.length && !filteredAuroraNav.length" class="sidebar__no-results">
+      No matching menu items.
+    </p>
 
-    <div v-if="auroraNav.length" class="sidebar__aurora">
+    <div v-if="filteredAuroraNav.length" class="sidebar__separator" />
+
+    <div v-if="filteredAuroraNav.length" class="sidebar__aurora">
       <div class="sidebar__row sidebar__aurora-brand" @click="toggleAuroraNav">
         <a href="#" class="sidebar__link" @click.prevent :title="collapsed ? 'Aurora' : null">
           <span class="sidebar__icon">
@@ -184,6 +221,7 @@ const isAuroraActive = (item) => normalize(item.url) === current.value;
           <span class="sidebar__title">Aurora</span>
         </a>
         <button
+          v-if="!isSearching"
           type="button"
           class="sidebar__chevron"
           :class="{ 'sidebar__chevron--open': auroraExpanded }"
@@ -194,7 +232,7 @@ const isAuroraActive = (item) => normalize(item.url) === current.value;
       </div>
 
       <ul v-if="auroraExpanded" class="sidebar__sublist">
-        <li v-for="item in auroraNav" :key="item.id" class="sidebar__subitem">
+        <li v-for="item in filteredAuroraNav" :key="item.id" class="sidebar__subitem">
           <a
             :href="item.url"
             class="sidebar__sublink"
@@ -265,6 +303,41 @@ const isAuroraActive = (item) => normalize(item.url) === current.value;
   object-fit: contain;
 }
 
+.sidebar__menu-search {
+  display: flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  gap: 8px;
+  margin: 0 12px 10px;
+  padding: 6px 10px;
+  border-radius: 8px;
+  background: var(--aurora-bg-subtle);
+  color: var(--aurora-text-muted);
+}
+.sidebar__menu-search .dashicons {
+  font-size: 15px;
+  width: 15px;
+  height: 15px;
+  flex-shrink: 0;
+}
+.sidebar__menu-search input {
+  flex: 1;
+  min-width: 0;
+  border: none;
+  background: none;
+  outline: none;
+  color: var(--aurora-text);
+  font-size: 0.8125rem;
+}
+.sidebar__menu-search input::placeholder {
+  color: var(--aurora-text-muted);
+}
+
+.sidebar__no-results {
+  margin: 4px 16px;
+  font-size: 0.8125rem;
+  color: var(--aurora-text-muted);
+}
+
 .sidebar__list,
 .sidebar__sublist {
   list-style: none;

aurora-admin.php

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
  * Plugin Name: Aurora Admin
  * Plugin URI: https://aurora.co
  * Description: A modern, fast WordPress admin interface.
- * Version: 2.3.1
+ * Version: 2.4.0
  * Author: Aurora
  * Text Domain: aurora-admin
  * Domain Path: /languages/
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 
 defined("ABSPATH") || exit();
 
-define("AURORA_ADMIN_VERSION", "2.3.1");
+define("AURORA_ADMIN_VERSION", "2.4.0");
 define("AURORA_ADMIN_PATH", plugin_dir_path(__FILE__));
 define("AURORA_ADMIN_URL", plugins_url("aurora-admin/"));