Getting started¶

Install¶

pip install django-adminlte4

Optional integrations are extras — install only what you use:

Extra	Adds
`django-adminlte4[crispy]`	crispy-forms whole-form rendering (Forms)
`django-adminlte4[tables]`	django-tables2 + django-filter (Tables)
`django-adminlte4[allauth]`	django-allauth theming (Auth)

Settings¶

django-components requires an explicit template loaders list, so APP_DIRS must be False.

INSTALLED_APPS = [
    "django_components",
    # django_adminlte4 must precede django.contrib.admin so its admin/*
    # template overrides win (see the Django admin page).
    "django_adminlte4",
    "django.contrib.admin",
    "django.contrib.auth",
    "django.contrib.contenttypes",
    "django.contrib.sessions",
    "django.contrib.messages",
    "django.contrib.staticfiles",
    "django_vite",               # only if assets_mode == "vite" (the default)
]

MIDDLEWARE = [
    # ...
    "django.contrib.messages.middleware.MessageMiddleware",
]

COMPONENTS = {"dirs": [], "app_dirs": ["components"], "autodiscover": True}

TEMPLATES = [{
    "BACKEND": "django.template.backends.django.DjangoTemplates",
    "DIRS": [],
    "APP_DIRS": False,            # required (explicit loaders below)
    "OPTIONS": {
        "context_processors": [
            "django.template.context_processors.request",
            "django.contrib.auth.context_processors.auth",
            "django.contrib.messages.context_processors.messages",
            "django_adminlte4.context_processors.adminlte",
        ],
        "loaders": [(
            "django.template.loaders.cached.Loader",
            [
                "django.template.loaders.filesystem.Loader",
                "django.template.loaders.app_directories.Loader",
                "django_components.template_loader.Loader",
            ],
        )],
        "builtins": ["django_components.templatetags.component_tags"],
    },
}]

STATICFILES_FINDERS = [
    "django.contrib.staticfiles.finders.FileSystemFinder",
    "django.contrib.staticfiles.finders.AppDirectoriesFinder",
    "django_components.finders.ComponentsFileSystemFinder",
]

Template-loader caching

The cached.Loader keeps compiled templates in memory — restart the dev server after editing a template.

Front-end assets¶

Two ways to deliver the CSS/JS — choose with ADMINLTE["assets_mode"]:

Vite (default)Static (Node-optional)

Full HMR/dev pipeline; lets you customise SCSS and add plugins.

python manage.py adminlte_install   # copy app.js / app.scss / vite stubs
npm install
npm run dev                          # dev server with HMR (DEBUG=True)
# production: npm run build && python manage.py collectstatic

Serve the pre-built bundle shipped in the package — no Node required.

ADMINLTE = {"assets_mode": "static"}

Then just collectstatic. See Assets & build for details.

Configure¶

Everything is driven by a single ADMINLTE dict merged over the defaults:

ADMINLTE = {
    "title": "My Dashboard",
    "logo": "<b>My</b>App",
    "sidebar_theme": "dark",
    "menu": [
        {"text": "Dashboard", "url": "/", "icon": "bi bi-speedometer"},
        {"header": "CONTENT"},
        {"text": "Posts", "icon": "bi bi-file-post", "submenu": [
            {"text": "All posts", "route": "posts:index", "icon": "bi bi-circle"},
        ]},
    ],
}

See the full Configuration reference and Sidebar menu.