Every admin screen in WordPress remembers how you like it. The **Screen Options** tab is where you turn the boxes, columns, and page lengths on or off, and the **Help** tab sits right beside it whenever you want a quick word about the screen you're on.

## Before you start

- You're logged in to your site and can see the admin menu on the left.
- You're on the screen you want to tidy up — the Dashboard is a good place to try this first.

## Steps

### Step 1: Open Screen Options

Click **Screen Options** in the top right corner of the screen. A panel slides open just below the toolbar, listing everything on this screen you can show or hide. Under **Screen elements**, clear the checkbox next to a panel to hide it, or tick it to bring it back — your choice saves straight away, so try switching off **Activity** if you'd rather see **At a Glance** and **Quick Draft** first.

![Open Screen Options](https://wordpress.supportpages.io/rails/active_storage/blobs/proxy/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6ODkzOCwicHVyIjoiYmxvYl9pZCJ9fQ==--8885fa0517a4b970ea6c2629d76a51003886e542/block_open-screen-options.png)

### Step 2: Choose columns and page length on a list screen

Click **Posts** in the left-hand menu and open **Screen Options** again. List screens such as Posts, Pages, and Media keep their own settings, so nothing you chose on the Dashboard changes here. Under **Columns**, tick a column to add it to the table or clear it to take it away, then type a new figure into **Number of items per page:** under **Pagination** and click **Apply**.

![Choose columns and page length on a list screen](https://wordpress.supportpages.io/rails/active_storage/blobs/proxy/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6ODkzNiwicHVyIjoiYmxvYl9pZCJ9fQ==--cb217ae51d19ac246b96b0e539148f430ddb5880/block_choose-columns.png)

### Step 3: Open the Help tab

Back on the Dashboard, click **Help** next to **Screen Options**. The panel shows a short guide to the screen you're on, plus a **For more information:** column with links to the WordPress documentation and support forums. Click any topic in the left column — **Overview**, **Navigation**, **Layout**, or **Content** — to read it, and click **Help** again to close the panel.

![Open the Help tab](https://wordpress.supportpages.io/rails/active_storage/blobs/proxy/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6ODkzNywicHVyIjoiYmxvYl9pZCJ9fQ==--d45d44024ca344322a07aef0e6e59eee41ff58eb/block_open-help.png)

## Tips

- Screen Options are saved per person, so hiding a box doesn't change the screen for anyone else on your site.
- Each screen keeps its own settings — hiding columns on Posts won't affect Pages or Comments.
- Rearranging boxes is separate from Screen Options: drag a box by its title bar to move it, or click the title bar to collapse it.
- If a screen looks emptier than you remember, open **Screen Options** first — something may simply be switched off.

## Summary

You now know how to open **Screen Options** to show or hide panels, columns, and page lengths on any admin screen, and how to reach for the **Help** tab when you want guidance. Both live in the top right corner, and both remember what you chose.