Creating Compass Dollar Tree–like internal portal navigation inside Magento admin?

[ehallpass320d2]

Hi everyone,
I’m looking into building an internal operations section inside Magento—similar to how the Compass Dollar Tree portal structures quick links and employee tools.

Has anyone built:

• internal shortcut menus

• custom admin sections for staff

• internal-only modules linked to non-public pages?

I want something clean without modifying core files.
If anyone has examples or best practices, please share.

[shahbabar94ef3 · Accepted solution]

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@compassdollartree wrote:

Hi everyone,
I’m looking into building an internal operations section inside Magento—similar to how the Compass Dollar Tree portal structures quick links and employee tools.

Has anyone built:

• internal shortcut menus

• custom admin sections for staff

• internal-only modules linked to non-public pages?

I want something clean without modifying core files.
If anyone has examples or best practices, please share.

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You can absolutely build an internal Compass-style portal inside Magento without touching any core files. The clean approach is to create a lightweight custom admin module that provides:

1. A dedicated “Internal Portal” admin menu

Add a top-level menu with organized submenus (Quick Links, Tools, Reports, Internal Docs, etc.).
Everything is routed through Magento’s adminhtml menu XML.

2. Custom admin pages for staff workflows

Create admin controllers + UI components (Magento 2) to display:

• Shortcut dashboards

• Internal-only tools

• Staff guides / SOPs

• Links to external portals or internal apps

These pages behave like native Magento admin screens.

3. Strict ACL permissions

Define ACL rules so only selected roles (Managers, Ops, HR, Support, etc.) can see the portal.
This keeps internal content hidden from the rest of the admin.

4. Editable quick-link system

Store portal links in:

• System configuration

• A custom DB table with an admin grid

• A JSON config file

This lets non-technical staff update links without deployment.

5. Safe integrations

You can embed or connect to external/internal systems via:

• Secure iframes

• API calls

• Cron jobs or middleware

• OAuth / token-based access

No core modifications required.

6. Best practice implementation

• Keep everything in a standalone module

• Use admin layout XML (no overriding core templates)

• Follow Magento coding standards

• Test upgrades, since the module stays fully compatible

[gulfambhai435e]

You can create a custom admin menu using menu.xml to add internal shortcuts. For internal pages, create custom admin controllers and routes linked to non-public pages. Use Magento’s ACL to restrict access based on user roles. If you need a cleaner UI, consider overriding default components or using Magento’s UI library. Extensions for custom admin menus can also speed things up. Let me know if you'd like more details!