CommandUI Plugin Review: A Personal Take on the Popular New Plugin (Tried & Tested)

CommandUI is a WordPress command bar that allows you to do 2 things 

• Instantly implement commands on your WordPress website and 
• access any page/link on your WordPress website 

…in just a few clicks!

Besides the admin bar, WordPress offers few shortcuts. 

I’ve been navigating the WordPress website with a mild underlying frustration, knowing there’s no point in complaining and reminding myself that it’s a free platform and I am very grateful for the free resources made available by the community. 

Still, WordPress navigation was a pain point for many users, and Calvin, the builder of CommandUI, decided to do something about it. 

Interestingly he began building CommandUI to solve his own navigational frustrations. After sharing the initial prototype of the plugin, he could see the excitement around the plugin and how it could significantly improve many WordPress users’ workflow. 

I came across CommandUI on Facebook groups and posts on X. When I dived into a walkthrough video, I could immediately see the product’s value and wasted no time in signing up for early access. 

I got my hands on the plugin a couple of days back. In this review, I’m going to share my initial thoughts so that you better understand what CommandUI has to offer and decide if it’s something you’d want to use to improve your WordPress workflow. 

👉 How to Use the CommandUI Plugin (Walkthrough)

I’m going to give you a quick walkthrough of the plugin as a way to demonstrate what the plugin has to offer. 

Okay, first things first. Purchase the plugin and download it from your CommandUI account to your local computer. 

Then upload, install, and activate the plugin on your WordPress dashboard. 

Pull up the CommandUI launcher by pressing Ctrl + k on Windows and Linux or Command + k on Mac. Alternatively, select the launcher option from the WordPress admin bar. 

The launcher immediately appears on the screen with a couple of options. 

You can use those options to access various locations on your WordPress website. 

For instance, I selected Plugins and on the next screen, options for searching the plugin repository, and activating and deactivating existing plugins appeared on the launcher. 

Writing “plugins” search bar of the launcher would have also led me to this screen. 

To go back to one level, use the backspace bar. And to dismiss the launcher from the screen press Esc.

Accessing Page/Link vs Implementing Action/Command

When I went to Plugins → Active, I was surprised that I was taken to a list of deactivated plugins on my website and not the active plugins page on the WordPress dashboard as I had hoped. 

So I searched for “plugins” on the launcher and it showed a few options. 

It took me a few minutes to understand that the options with the arrow signs (→) lead to pages/links on your WordPress website, in both the frontend and backend. 

Options with icons lead directly to the plugin allowing us to carry out commands like searching for and adding new plugins, and activating and deactivating existing plugins from the website. 

To implement a command or choose a page/link you want to visit, select that option and hit enter.

There’s a learning curve to the CommandUI plugin, and it will likely take a few days of continuous usage to get used to it. 

I don’t have anything else to demonstrate. You just have to play around (using the shortcuts below) and get a hang of it. 

CommandUI Shortcuts (For Mac, Windows, & Linux)

Opening & closing shortcuts

• Ctrl + k on Windows & Linux, Command + k on Mac, or click the link in the top-right corner of your admin bar, next to your profile dropdown
• Press Shift twice in a row (all platforms)
• Press Escape (Esc) to close the launcher

• Implementing a command or selecting a page/link to visit on the WordPress website: Press Enter
• Opening a link in a new tab: Press Ctrl + Enter on Windows & Linux, Command + Enter on Mac
• Clear the search input or navigate backward: Press Backspace in the search field of the launcher 

Global shortcuts

CommandUI allows you to perform actions without even opening it. Try typing these shortcuts anywhere on your site:

• ga (go admin): Go to the dashboard
• gh (go home): Go to the homepage/frontend
• c: Create a post/Page/CPT item/menu/pattern/taxonomy/field group etc.
• pt (post type): Bring up a list of all post types
• e (edit): Edit the current single Page/post/CPT item
• uu: Search users
• gt and begin typing the name of the page you want to get to (e.g., “reading”)
• pa (plugins activate): Activate plugins
• pd (plugins deactivate): Deactivate plugins
• pr (plugins repository): Search plugins and install/visit the repo listing

Before I wrap up this section, it’s worth mentioning that I didn’t find any configuration option for the plugin in the WordPress menu, where plugins typically add their settings pages. 

Instead, I found them on the launcher by going to Internal. 

👉 Problems With the CommandUI Plugin

At the time of writing this article, I’m encountering the following issues:

• I can no longer use the Ctrl + k shortcut to add links to selected text on the Gutenberg Editor. After selecting an anchor text, when I hit the Ctrl + k buttons, the cursor immediately moves to the address bar of the Chrome browser. 
• I can’t scroll up or down the launcher using my mouse pad. Scrolling is only possible using the arrow keys on the keyboard.

👉 Who Should Use the CommandUI Plugin

I found the plugin very useful this past week when redesigning this (i.e. ctrlwp.com) website. I had to constantly access the different pages and parts of the website to modify the site’s design. 

But since completing the redesign, I’ve only been adding new posts so I haven’t needed to use the CommandUI plugin. 

Based on my limited usage of the plugin, I think the plugin is best for power users who constantly switch between different pages, posts, and settings. It’s ideal for content creators who add huge amounts of content to the site daily, as well as web designers, developers, and admins responsible for managing multiple aspects of a website. 

👉 CommandUI Pricing Plan

Right now, CommandUI offers 3 pricing plans: 

Agency ($199/year)

The Agency plan supports up to 150 sites, with the option to add more during checkout. There are no device or user limits, and it can be used on clients and your sites. You’ll also get instant access to the plugin, priority support, white-labeling options, and the ability to install CommandUI with Composer. 

Freelancer ($99)

The Freelancer supports up to 50 sites. There are no device or user limits, and it can be used on clients and your own sites. You’ll also get instant access to the plugin and basic support. 

Site Owner ($49)

The Site Owner supports up to 5 sites. There are no device or user limits, and it can be used on your own sites. You’ll also get instant access to the plugin and basic support.

👉 Final Thoughts

The CommandUI plugin is a valuable tool for anyone who wants to streamline their WordPress workflow. 

It has a simple and intuitive interface for implementing commands and accessing different locations on your WordPress website. 

While there are some minor issues with the plugin, such as limitations with scrolling in the launcher, and the plugin preventing me from using the Ctrl + k shortcut for adding links to anchor texts in the Gutenberg Editor, overall, I found the plugin very useful when redesigning my website. 

I will continue using the plugin and might update this review later. 

If you have any questions about the CommandUI plugin or want to share your experience using the plugin, please leave a comment below.