Custom admin theme in Magento

13 Comments 2nd MAR 2009 | Posted by Ivan Weiler in Magento

As mentioned on Magento forums the easiest way to achieve this is with overriding adminhtml config with your local custom one and activate it as module.

This is just a small example of different approach with Admin Theme config option in admin panel, to show you how things can be done in different ways in Magento.

Since this is one of those “code talks, talk walks” examples, here it is: admintheme_example.rar.

It’s great example of small Magento module with simple event hooking and adding configuration fields through system.xml.

Follow directory structure, copy files to their place and you will notice new “Admin Theme” option in System->Configuration->General->Design (Default Config scope). Your theme goes in app/design/adminhtml/default/yourthemename folder. It doesn’t need to be whole theme of course, just the files you’re changing.

Enjoy!

To post code in comments, place your code inside [code] and [/code] tags.

There are 13 comments (Add Yours +)

Damián Says
March 2nd, 2009 at 3:21

Excellent add-on.
Everytime that I need to change the default admin theme, I just touch the originals (I know, bad practice) and think that I need to develop something like this.
Dmitry Gurjev Says
March 2nd, 2009 at 23:25

Thanks! I love this tiny module!
Tomislav Bilic Says
March 20th, 2009 at 13:15

Thank you Ivan. Today was the first time I used it. It works great
Brady Says
April 10th, 2009 at 0:00

Perhaps I am doing something wrong, but on Mage 1.3 when I click “save” to save my new Admin template in the Config, it throws the following error:

Fatal error: Call to a member function setActive() on a non-object in /app/code/core/Mage/Adminhtml/Controller/Action.php on line 76
Wouter D Says
May 19th, 2009 at 6:53

Hi Ivan,

Great module, thanks a lot!
Ivan Weiler Says
May 20th, 2009 at 1:43

Thank you all. I added it to Magento Connect a while ago, so you can easily install it from downloader.

Link: http://www.magentocommerce.com/extension/1086/admin-theme

Key: magento-community/Inchoo_Admintheme

Note that it’s in Alpha state, so change Preferred State setting before download.
Frank Birzle Says
January 24th, 2010 at 16:21

I ran into problems with version 1.3.2.4 and your extension.

Configured the package / theme in app/etc/local.xml using:

packagename

themename
Cobay Says
March 31st, 2010 at 17:15

Oh~~~~no~~~~~
my Magento Admin Pannel is downed…..
upload the files and refresh of cache management ………….
it is admin down!!!!!!!
my magento version 1.4.0.1
How are you going to?
David Says
June 30th, 2010 at 14:46

Have this working with Magento 1.4.1.0.

Don’t forget you’ll need to create a file to enable the module /app/etc/modules/Inchoo_Admintheme.xml
with

true local
David Says
June 30th, 2010 at 14:48

code got stripped—
config
modules
Inchoo_Admintheme
active>truelocal</codePool
/Inchoo_Admintheme
/modules
/config
Hayden Says
July 13th, 2010 at 21:36

David,

What if I don’t want to override my default admin style, is there a way I can add a new folder in the skin directory to pick up my new styling? Thanks!
Rick Pickett Says
August 2nd, 2010 at 18:36

Followed the written instructions and installed fine. Really helpful since I’m using the Customer Order Comment extension by Biebersdorf.

Just be sure you’re adding your files to LOCAL not COMMUNITY.
Clay Says
August 18th, 2010 at 17:22

Hi,

there is no SECTION like “Where did you heared about us” in the OrderDetails (backend/admin)

Any ideas?

Cheers
Clay