The footer of a website is more than just the bottom section of your webpage; it can be a valuable spot for branding, navigation links, and important information. However, sometimes you may want to customize your footer to better align with your brand or to remove default credits inserted by your WordPress theme. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to edit the footer in WordPress and remove those pesky copyright/credit links.
Why Edit Your WordPress Footer?
Editing the footer can be crucial for:
- Brand Consistency: Align your footer with your brand’s look and feel.
- User Experience: Improve navigation and provide essential links.
- SEO Benefits: Add relevant keywords and internal links.
Step-by-Step Guide to Edit the Footer in WordPress
1. Using the Customizer
Most WordPress themes support footer customization through the WordPress Customizer.
- Navigate to
Appearance>Customize. - Look for
FooterorWidgetssection. - Here, you can add widgets, change texts, or insert HTML.
2. Editing the Footer.php File
For more advanced customization, editing the footer.php file is an option.
- Go to
Appearance>Theme Editor. - In the right-hand menu, find and select
footer.php. - Make your desired changes. For instance, to remove default credits, look for lines containing
<?php bloginfo('name'); ?>or similar.
Caution: Always back up your website before making direct changes to theme files.
3. Using a Footer Plugin
There are plugins designed specifically to help you edit footers without touching code.
- Search for plugins like “Remove Footer Credit” or “Footer Putter”.
- Install and activate the plugin.
- Follow the plugin instructions to customize your footer.
How to Remove Copyright/Credit Links from Any WordPress Theme
1. Using the Theme Customizer
Some themes offer the option to remove or customize the footer credits.
- Navigate to
Appearance>Customize. - Look for
FooterorTheme Options. - If available, you’ll see an option to edit or remove footer credits.
2. Editing Code in Theme Editor
If the customizer doesn’t have the option, you can manually remove the credits via the footer.php file.
- Go to
Appearance>Theme Editor. - Select
footer.php. - Locate the code responsible for displaying the credits. It might look something like:
<div class=”site-info”>
<a href=”<?php echo esc_url( __( ‘https://wordpress.org/’, ‘theme-textdomain’ ) ); ?>”><?php printf( esc_html__( ‘Proudly powered by %s’, ‘theme-textdomain’ ), ‘WordPress’ ); ?></a>
</div>
- Remove or modify this section as needed.
Conclusion
Customizing your WordPress footer can make a significant difference in your website’s branding and user experience. Whether you choose to use the Customizer, edit the footer.php file, or install a plugin, you have multiple options to achieve the perfect footer for your site.
Pro Tips:
- Always back up your site before making any changes.
- Consider creating a child theme if you plan to make significant edits, to prevent losing changes during theme updates.