4 clicks to shut down Ubuntu - can we reduce this?

You can easily make it 2 clicks:

1. Open Settings
2. Go to "Power"
3. Change the "Power button action" dropdown to "Power off"

Now click the physical power button on your device and then select power off from the prompt - that is 2 clicks (1 if you don't count pressing the power button as a click).

Reduce by two clicks

Option 1) Install the Poweroff Button on Topbar extension by Darknico. It adds a separate Power button on the right of the top bar.

Option 2) Create a "regular" launcher for "Power Off" (with thanks to pomsky). Either:

• Pin that launcher to the dock.
• Pin that launcher to the top panel using the Frippery Panel Favorites extension.

You may reduce with one more click by substituting the command in the launcher with "poweroff". Then, a single click on the launcher will immediately shut down the machine without confirmation dialog.

Reduce by one click

Option 3) Use the extension Bring Out Submenu Of Power Off/Logout Button by Pratap, or Simpler Off Menu by K3rcus. These extensions bring the items in the "Power Off/Log Out" submenu directly into the system menu, allowing to access them with one less click.

Getting it down to 1 "click" (technically a button press):

By default, ubuntu shuts down the machine when you press the power button.

Then just wait 60 seconds for the machine to power off instead of clicking again.