Most WordPress themes include a standard disclaimer in the footer by default, which can detract from your site’s professionalism. This also limits the space available for your own links, copyright information, and other important content.
If you want to tidy up your footer or incorporate your own branding, removing the default WordPress credit is a simple process that enhances the overall appearance of your website.
Based on our extensive experience in creating WordPress websites, we understand the significance of maintaining brand consistency. This is why we have intentionally removed the ‘powered by WordPress’ footer link from our sites, including CanadaCreate, WPForms, and MonsterInsights.
In this article, we will guide you through the straightforward process of removing the ‘powered by WordPress’ footer links from your site as well.
Reasons to Remove the WordPress Footer Credits
Various WordPress themes display a ‘Proudly powered by WordPress’ disclaimer in the footer of their websites, linking back to the official WordPress.org site.
Some theme developers enhance this by including their own credits in the footer.
The following image illustrates the disclaimer added by the Astra WordPress theme.
While beneficial for software developers, this ‘Powered by…’ footer can make your site appear less professional, particularly if you are operating a business website.
Hackers can identify that your site is using WordPress, which may make it easier for them to attempt unauthorized access. For instance, if you haven’t set a custom login URL, they can simply add /wp-admin to your website’s address to reach your login page.
This footer link directs users to an external site, potentially leading them away from your website. This can negatively affect your pageviews and increase your bounce rate.
Is It Permissible to Remove WordPress Footer Credit Links?
It is completely legal to remove the footer credit link from your site since WordPress is open-source software released under the GPL license.
This license grants you the freedom to use, modify, and distribute WordPress as you see fit.
Every plugin or theme you download from the official WordPress directory is also distributed under the same GPL license. Most commercial plugins and themes are also available under GPL.
This means you have the liberty to customize WordPress in any manner you wish, including removing the footer credits from your business website, online store, or blog.
Now, let’s explore how to remove the ‘powered by WordPress’ footer links.
If you prefer not to watch the video or require additional guidance, feel free to use the quick links below to navigate directly to the method you wish to follow:
- Method 1: Quick and Easy Removal via Theme Settings
- Method 2: Removal Using the Full Site Editor (Compatible with Block-Based Themes)
- Method 3: How to Eliminate the ‘Powered by’ Disclaimer with a Page Builder
- Method 4: Removing the WordPress Disclaimer Through Code
- Caution! Steer Clear of the CSS Method!
Method 1: Quick and Easy Removal via Theme Settings
Many reputable theme developers understand that users appreciate the ability to modify the footer and remove credit links, so they often include this option in their theme settings.
To check if your theme offers this feature, navigate to Appearance » Customize in your WordPress admin dashboard.
This will launch the theme customizer, where you can search for any settings that allow you to personalize your site’s footer.
For instance, the Astra theme includes a section titled ‘Footer Builder.’
If you are using this theme, simply click on the ‘Footer’ section and select ‘Copyright.’
This will open a small editor where you can modify the footer text or even remove it entirely.
After you remove the footer disclaimer, remember to click ‘Publish’ to apply the changes to your website.
Method 2: Using the Full Site Editor (Compatible with Block-Based Themes)
If your WordPress theme supports blocks, you can easily remove the footer disclaimer using Full Site Editing (FSE).
This method provides a fast and simple way to eliminate the ‘Powered by’ credit from your entire site, though it may not be compatible with all themes.
To access the editor, navigate toAppearance»Editor.
By default, the full site editor displays your theme’s homepage template.
In the left menu, click on ‘Patterns.’
This will display a list of all the patterns and template components that constitute your WordPress theme. Under ‘Template Parts,’ select ‘Footer.’
You will see a thumbnail of your website’s footer. Click on the preview to view it.
Now, you will see a preview of the theme’s template.
To modify the footer, click on the pencil icon.
Next, select the ‘Powered by’ disclaimer.
You can either replace it with your own text or remove the disclaimer entirely.
Once you’re satisfied with the appearance of your footer, click ‘Save.’ You can then visit your site to see the changes reflected live.
Method 3: Removing the ‘Powered by’ Disclaimer Using a Page Builder
Many WordPress sites utilize the footer to share essential information like their email address or phone number. Visitors often scroll to the bottom of your page specifically to find this information.
Considering this, you might want to enhance your footer by replacing the ‘Powered by’ text with a custom footer. This could include links to your social media accounts, affiliate marketing partners, a list of your products, or other vital information and links.
Here’s how we utilize the footer area on CanadaCreate:
The most effective way to create a custom footer is by using SeedProd. This top-rated page builder plugin offers hundreds of professionally designed templates, sections, and blocks to help you tailor every aspect of your website.
It also features settings that enable you to create a global footer, sidebar, header, and more.
To get started, install and activate SeedProd. For detailed instructions, refer to our step-by-step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.
Note:SeedProd offers a free version that lets you create various pages using a user-friendly drag-and-drop editor, including a custom maintenance mode page. However, we recommend using the premium version of SeedProd for its advanced Theme Builder features.
After you activate the plugin, SeedProd will prompt you to enter your license key.
You can find your license key in your account on the SeedProd website. After entering the key, click the ‘Verify Key’ button.
Next, navigate to SeedProd » Theme Builder. Here, click the ‘Add New Theme Template’ button.
Pro Tip: SeedProd features an expanding library of professional website kits that can serve as a foundation for your custom theme. For more details, check out our guide on installing template kits in WordPress.
In the popup window, enter a name for your new theme template.
After that, open the ‘Type’ dropdown menu and select ‘Footer.’
By default, SeedProd will apply the new footer template site-wide. However, you can restrict it to specific pages or posts using the ‘Conditions’ settings.
For instance, you might want to exclude the new footer from your landing pages to keep the focus on your main call to action.
Once you are satisfied with the information you’ve provided, click on ‘Save’ to open the SeedProd page builder interface.
Initially, your template will display a blank screen on the right side and your settings on the left. To begin, click on the ‘Add Columns’ icon.
You can now select the layout you wish to use for the footer, allowing you to arrange your content into various columns. For instance, you might want to display your WordPress widgets in a column format.
Feel free to choose any layout you prefer, but we will be using a three-column layout in all our examples.
Next, customize the footer’s background to align with your WordPress theme, company branding, or logo.
To change the background color, simply click on the section next to ‘Background Color’ and use the controls to select a new color.
Alternatively, you can add a background image.
To do this, click on ‘Use Your Own Image’ to select an image from the WordPress media library, or choose ‘Use a stock image.’
Once you are satisfied with the background, it’s time to add content to your footer.
Simply drag any block from the left-hand menu and drop it onto your footer.
After adding a block, click on it to select it in the main editor.
The left-hand menu will display all the settings available for customizing your block.
Continue following these steps to add additional blocks to your footer. If you’re unsure about which blocks to include, check out our checklist for footer elements on your WordPress website.
You can rearrange the order of each block by dragging them within your layout.
Once you’re satisfied with your design, click the ‘Save’ button.
Next, select ‘Publish’ to finalize your design.
To make the new footer visible on your WordPress blog, you’ll need to complete the theme-building process with SeedProd. For detailed instructions, refer to our guide on creating a custom WordPress theme.
After completing your theme, navigate toSeedProd » Theme Builder. Then, toggle the ‘Enable SeedProd Theme’ switch.
Now, when you visit your website, you’ll see the new footer displayed.
Method 4: Removing the WordPress Disclaimer with Code
If you can’t find an option to remove or edit the footer credits in the WordPress customizer, you can modify the footer.php code directly.
This method may not be the easiest for beginners, but it allows you to remove credits from any WordPress theme.
Before modifying your website’s code, it’s essential to create a backup. This way, you can restore your site if anything goes awry.
Be aware that if you directly edit your WordPress theme files, those changes will be lost when you update the theme. Therefore, we suggest creating a child theme, which allows you to update your WordPress theme without losing your customizations.
To begin, connect to your WordPress site using an FTP client like FileZilla, or utilize the file manager provided by your WordPress hosting service.
If you’re new to using FTP, check out our comprehensive guide on how to connect to your site via FTP.
After connecting to your site, navigate to /wp-content/themes/ and open the folder for your current theme or child theme.
Within this folder, locate the footer.php file and open it using a text editor like Notepad.
In the text editor, search for a section of code that contains the ‘powered by’ text. For instance, in the Twenty Twenty-One theme for WordPress, the code appears like this:
<div class="powered-by"></div>
<!-- .powered-by -->
You can either completely remove this code or modify it to fit your preferences.
For instance, you might want to substitute the ‘Proudly powered…’ message with your own copyright statement.
Once you’ve made your adjustments, save the file and upload it to your server. When you check your site, the footer credit should be gone.
Caution! Steer clear of the CSS method!
Some WordPress tutorial websites may suggest a CSS approach that utilizes display: none to conceal the footer credit links.
Although this may seem straightforward, it can harm your WordPress SEO.
Many spammers exploit this exact method to obscure links from users while still displaying them to Google, hoping to achieve better rankings.
Hiding the footer credit using CSS can lead to Google considering your site as spam, which may negatively impact your search engine rankings. In severe cases, Google might even remove your site from their index, preventing it from appearing in search results.
We highly recommend utilizing one of the alternative methods outlined above. If those options are not feasible for you, consider hiring a WordPress developer to assist with removing the footer credit, or you might want to switch to a different WordPress theme.
We hope this guide has successfully assisted you in removing the ‘powered by WordPress’ footer links. Additionally, you may find our tutorial on resolving the missing admin bar issue in WordPress helpful, along with our essential tips for securing the WordPress admin area.
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