Plugin Admin Interfaces

Use this reference when creating or reviewing a custom plugin admin UI under /admin/plugins/:plugin.

When to build one

Build a plugin admin UI when a plugin needs more than a generated settings list: record management, setup workflows, reports, nested pages, custom tables, or multiple related configuration views. If the plugin only exposes site settings, rely on the generated settings page.

Core examples to inspect:

• Discourse AI: plugins/discourse-ai
• Data Explorer: plugins/discourse-data-explorer
• Chat Integration: plugins/discourse-chat-integration
• Gamification: plugins/discourse-gamification

Server-side registration

Use add_admin_route in plugin.rb and pass use_new_show_route: true so the plugin uses the modern plugin show page:

add_admin_route("plugin_example.title", "plugin-example", { use_new_show_route: true })

Some plugins pass the options hash as the third argument; others use keyword style. Follow nearby style.

Examples:

• plugins/discourse-ai/plugin.rb
• plugins/discourse-data-explorer/plugin.rb
• plugins/discourse-chat-integration/plugin.rb

Route map

Plugin admin routes should attach to admin.adminPlugins.show with path: "/plugins".

Create a route map such as assets/javascripts/discourse/admin-plugin-example-plugin-route-map.js:

export default {
  resource: "admin.adminPlugins.show",
  path: "/plugins",

  map() {
    this.route("plugin-example-items", { path: "items" }, function () {
      this.route("new");
      this.route("edit", { path: "/:id/edit" });
    });
  },
};

Current examples:

• plugins/discourse-ai/assets/javascripts/discourse/admin-discourse-ai-plugin-route-map.js
• plugins/discourse-data-explorer/assets/javascripts/discourse/explorer-route-map.js
• plugins/discourse-chat-integration/assets/javascripts/discourse/admin-chat-integration-plugin-route-map.js

File locations

Modern plugin admin route JS files live under:

admin/assets/javascripts/discourse/routes/admin-plugins/show/

Templates live under:

admin/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/admin-plugins/show/

Simple routes usually have one template like:

admin/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/admin-plugins/show/plugin-example-items.gjs

Nested routes use the normal Ember structure with index.gjs, new.gjs, edit.gjs, or route-specific names under the route folder.

Plugin navigation

Register plugin configuration navigation from an initializer, and only run it for admins:

import { withPluginApi } from "discourse/lib/plugin-api";

const PLUGIN_ID = "plugin-example";

export default {
  name: "plugin-example-admin-plugin-configuration-nav",

  initialize(container) {
    const currentUser = container.lookup("service:current-user");
    if (!currentUser?.admin) {
      return;
    }

    withPluginApi((api) => {
      api.addAdminPluginConfigurationNav(PLUGIN_ID, [
        {
          label: "plugin_example.items.short_title",
          route: "adminPlugins.show.plugin-example-items",
          description: "plugin_example.items.description",
        },
      ]);
    });
  },
};

The plugin's generated settings link is added automatically. Do not duplicate it in addAdminPluginConfigurationNav.

Top tabs are preferred for plugin navigation. Avoid introducing an inner sidebar for new plugin UIs.

Example: plugins/discourse-ai/assets/javascripts/discourse/initializers/admin-plugin-configuration-nav.js.

Page structure

The plugin show wrapper renders the main DPageHeader; plugin index routes should normally render DPageSubheader to describe the selected tab and provide tab-local actions.

Use the same content primitives as core admin pages:

• AdminConfigAreaCard for grouped forms and setup areas.
• AdminConfigAreaEmptyList for empty createable lists.
• d-table classes for growing record lists.
• Third-level new and edit routes for forms.
• BackButton on new/edit pages instead of the full header.

Examples:

• Plugin subheader and table: plugins/discourse-data-explorer/admin/assets/javascripts/admin/templates/admin-plugins/show/explorer/index.gjs
• Plugin nested detail page: plugins/discourse-chat-integration/admin/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/admin-plugins/show/discourse-chat-integration-providers/show.gjs
• Plugin edit card: plugins/discourse-ai/admin/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/admin-plugins/show/discourse-ai-features/edit.gjs

Header actions outlet

If a plugin needs actions in the main plugin page header rather than inside a tab/subsection, render a component into the admin-plugin-config-page-actions outlet from the same initializer that registers plugin navigation.

api.renderInOutlet(
  "admin-plugin-config-page-actions",
  PluginExampleAdminActions
);

The outlet receives the plugin model and DPageHeader action components through outletArgs; use those instead of hand-rolling header buttons.

Implementation anchor: frontend/discourse/admin/components/admin-plugin-config-page.gjs.

Checklist

• Register the plugin admin route with use_new_show_route: true.
• Add a plugin route map under admin.adminPlugins.show.
• Add route JS and templates under admin/assets/javascripts/discourse/....
• Register top-tab navigation with api.addAdminPluginConfigurationNav in an admin-only initializer.
• Use DPageSubheader inside plugin index routes.
• Use cards, tables, empty states, FormKit, and third-level routes consistently with core admin pages.
• Confirm direct reload works for every plugin route, including new and edit.
• Run bin/lint --fix on changed files.