WP Environment Ribbon

Displays a slim colored ribbon at the top of wp-admin based on WP_ENVIRONMENT_TYPE. Zero config.

Description

WP Environment Ribbon reads WordPress's built-in WP_ENVIRONMENT_TYPE constant and injects a thin colored banner at the very top of every wp-admin screen — above the toolbar — so you always know which environment you're working in.

Color coding:

• Local / Development — blue
• Staging — amber
• Production — red (opt-in, off by default)

Key facts:

• Zero configuration required — works out of the box.
• Pure CSS injection via admin_head. No JavaScript, no database tables, no REST endpoints.
• Silent fail: if WP_ENVIRONMENT_TYPE is not defined or is "production", the ribbon is hidden by default. Enable the production ribbon under Settings > General.
• No data leaves your server — no analytics, no telemetry, no external requests.

Setting WP_ENVIRONMENT_TYPE (if you haven't already):

Add this to wp-config.php:

define( 'WP_ENVIRONMENT_TYPE', 'staging' );

Accepted values: local, development, staging, production.

Installation

1. Upload the wp-environment-ribbon folder to /wp-content/plugins/.
2. Activate the plugin through the Plugins screen in WordPress.
3. Done. The ribbon appears automatically based on WP_ENVIRONMENT_TYPE.

To enable the ribbon on production sites, go to Settings > General and tick Show ribbon on production.

Frequently Asked Questions

I don't see a ribbon.

Make sure WP_ENVIRONMENT_TYPE is defined in wp-config.php and is set to local, development, or staging. For production, enable the opt-in in Settings > General.

Will this affect the front end?

No. The ribbon is injected only via the admin_head hook, which fires exclusively inside wp-admin.

Does it work with WooCommerce / Elementor / [other plugin]?

Yes. The ribbon is a single fixed <div> with a high z-index; it does not interfere with page layout or other plugins.

What if WP_ENVIRONMENT_TYPE is not set?

The plugin treats an undefined constant the same as "production" — the ribbon is hidden unless you explicitly opt in under Settings > General.

Is there a network admin ribbon?

Not in v1.0.0. Multisite network admin support is planned for v1.1.0.

Screenshots

1. Staging ribbon (amber) shown above the WordPress toolbar.
2. Local ribbon (blue) in a development environment.
3. Production ribbon (red) enabled via Settings > General opt-in.

Changelog

1.0.0

• Initial release.

Upgrade Notice

1.0.0

Initial release — no upgrade steps required.