Backend Menu

The Backend Menu service allows developers to manage access to WordPress admin menu items and submenus programmatically through the AAM Framework. It provides methods to restrict, allow, inspect, and reset backend menu permissions for any access level supported by AAM.

This service is designed to work with WordPress admin menus generated through the global $menu and $submenu structures.

# Definition

class AAM_Framework_Service_BackendMenu {

    public deny(string $menu_slug) : bool
    public allow(string $menu_slug) : bool
    public reset(string $menu_slug = null) : bool

    public is_denied(string $menu_slug) : bool
    public is_allowed(string $menu_slug) : bool

}

# Overview

The Backend Menu service provides the ability to:

• Restrict access to admin menu items
• Allow access to previously restricted items
• Reset menu permissions
• Inspect menu visibility state
• Retrieve structured backend menu information
• Work with top-level menus and submenu items
• Normalize WordPress menu slugs consistently
• Integrate custom permission logic via WordPress filters

Accessing the Service:

$menu_service = AAM::api()->backend_menu();

Menu items are identified by normalized menu slugs.

Top-level menus are automatically prefixed with menu/.

Example:

menu/index.php
menu/plugins.php
menu/edit.php

Submenu items are stored without the menu/ prefix.

Example:

plugin-install.php
options-general.php?page=my-plugin
post-new.php?post_type=book

# Methods

# deny()

Restrict access to a backend menu item.

public function deny(string $menu_slug) : bool

# Parameters

# Returns

# Example

Restrict access to Plugins menu:

AAM::api()
    ->backend_menu()
    ->deny('menu/plugins.php');

Restrict access to Settings submenu:

AAM::api()
    ->backend_menu()
    ->deny('options-general.php');

Restrict custom post type menu:

AAM::api()
    ->backend_menu()
    ->deny('menu/edit.php?post_type=book');

# allow()

Explicitly allow access to a backend menu item.

public function allow(string $menu_slug) : bool

# Parameters

# Returns

# Example

AAM::api()
    ->backend_menu()
    ->allow('menu/plugins.php');

# reset()

Reset permissions for a specific menu item or all backend menu permissions.

public function reset(string $menu_slug = null) : bool

# Parameters

# Returns

# Example

// Reset Single Menu
AAM::api()
    ->backend_menu()
    ->reset('menu/plugins.php');

// Reset All Backend Menu Permissions
AAM::api()
    ->backend_menu()
    ->reset();

# is_denied()

Check if a menu item is restricted.

public function is_denied(string $menu_slug) : bool

# Parameters

# Returns

# Example

if (
    AAM::api()
        ->backend_menu()
        ->is_denied('menu/plugins.php')
) {
    // Access denied
}

# is_allowed()

Check if a menu item is allowed.

public function is_allowed(string $menu_slug) : bool

# Parameters

# Returns

# Example

if (
    AAM::api()
        ->backend_menu()
        ->is_allowed('menu/plugins.php')
) {
    // Access allowed
}

# Additional Public Methods

Although not included in the simplified interface definition, the service also exposes helper methods for retrieving menu structures.

# get_items()

Retrieve all backend menu items with permission metadata.

public function get_items() : array

# Returns

[
    [
        'slug'          => 'menu/plugins.php',
        'path'          => '/wp-admin/plugins.php',
        'name'          => 'Plugins',
        'capability'    => 'activate_plugins',
        'is_restricted' => false,
        'children'      => [...]
    ]
]

# Example

$items = AAM::api()
    ->backend_menu()
    ->get_items();

# items()

Alias of get_items().

# Example

$items = AAM::api()
    ->backend_menu()
    ->items();

# get_item()

Retrieve a single menu item.

public function get_item(string $menu_slug) : array

# Example

$item = AAM::api()
    ->backend_menu()
    ->get_item('menu/plugins.php');

# item()

Alias of get_item().

# Example

$item = AAM::api()
    ->backend_menu()
    ->item('menu/plugins.php');

# Menu Normalization

The service normalizes menu slugs internally to ensure consistency. Query parameters are sorted alphabetically.

Example:

edit.php?post_type=book&foo=bar

and

edit.php?foo=bar&post_type=book

become identical normalized slugs.

# Parent Menu Resolution

For submenu items, the service automatically determines the parent top-level menu and inherits restrictions from it.

Example:

menu/edit.php

restricts:

post-new.php
post.php
edit.php

unless explicitly allowed.

# Special Handling for post.php

The service contains additional logic for WordPress post management screens.

Because WordPress reuses edit.php for all post types, AAM dynamically detects the associated post type to properly resolve permissions.

Example:

post.php?post=123

may resolve internally to:

menu/edit.php?post_type=book

This prevents accidental restriction inheritance across unrelated custom post types.

# Dashboard Exception

The default WordPress Dashboard (index.php) is always allowed.

The following menu cannot be denied through is_denied() logic:

menu/index.php

# Permission Inheritance

Menu permissions cascade from parent menu items to submenu items.

Example:

deny('menu/tools.php');

implicitly denies access to:

tools.php
site-health.php
export.php
import.php

unless explicitly overridden.

# WordPress Filters

# aam_backend_menu_is_denied_filter

Customize backend menu permission decisions.

apply_filters(
    'aam_backend_menu_is_denied_filter',
    $result,
    $slug,
    $resource,
    $parent_slug
);

# Parameters

# Example

add_filter(
    'aam_backend_menu_is_denied_filter',
    function ($result, $slug) {

        if ($slug === 'menu/plugins.php') {
            return true;
        }

        return $result;
    },
    10,
    4
);

# aam_ignored_backend_menu_item_query_params_filter

Modify ignored query parameters during menu normalization.

# Example

add_filter(
    'aam_ignored_backend_menu_item_query_params_filter',
    function ($params) {

        $params[] = 'nonce';

        return $params;
    }
);

# Error Handling

Most service methods return either:

bool

or

WP_Error

Recommended handling:

$result = AAM::api()
    ->backend_menu()
    ->deny('menu/plugins.php');

if (is_wp_error($result)) {
    echo $result->get_error_message();
}