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Complete Guide to Remove “Proudly Powered by WordPress” from Your Website

Written By: author avatar Komal Bothra
author avatar Komal Bothra
Hey, I’m Komal. I write content that speaks from the heart and makes WordPress work for you. Let’s make your ideas come alive!
Complete Guide to Remove “Proudly powered by WordPress

If you’ve recently set up a WordPress site, you may have noticed the default message in the footer: “Proudly powered by WordPress.” While WordPress is an incredible platform, this message might not align with your brand, especially if you’re running a professional business website or blog. So, how do you remove the “Proudly powered by WordPress”footer credit and replace it with something more customized?

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through multiple methods for removing or replacing the WordPress footer credit, from using the WordPress Customizer to editing code. Plus, we’ll answer legal questions about modifying the footer credits and why it’s essential to do so.

Why Should You Remove “Proudly Powered by WordPress” from Your Website?

proudly powered by wordpress text

Before jumping into the technical steps, it’s important to understand why you may want to remove or modify the default “Proudly powered by WordPress” message.

Branding and Professionalism

Your website’s footer is one of the last things visitors see, and it should reflect your brand, not WordPress’s. Keeping the default footer can make your site look generic or unpolished. By customizing the footer text, you add a personal touch and create a cohesive branding experience.

SEO and User Experience

The “Powered by WordPress” link directs users away from your site to the official WordPress website. This external link can negatively impact your SEO by increasing bounce rates and lowering page views. Customizing your footer can keep visitors engaged longer.

Learn: How to Increase Pageviews & Reduce Bounce Rate in WordPress?

Security Concerns

Displaying the “Proudly powered by WordPress” message signals to hackers that your site is running on WordPress. While it’s not a significant security risk, it may give hackers a clue about the platform you’re using, making it easier for them to target vulnerabilities if your site is insecure.

Find: WordPress Security Mistakes to Avoid

Footer Space Utilization

The footer is valuable real estate. You could use this space to display important links, such as your privacy policy, social media links, or a custom copyright notice, rather than a link to WordPress.

Need Help Customizing Your WordPress Footer?

Take control of your website’s branding by removing or customizing the “Proudly powered by WordPress” footer. Our experts are here to help you make the changes seamlessly and enhance your site’s look.

Different Methods to Remove “Proudly Powered by WordPress”

There are several ways to remove or modify the footer credit. Below are the most common methods, ranging from using built-in WordPress tools to manually editing code.

Method 1: Using the Theme Customizer

Using the Theme Customizer

One of the easiest and quickest ways to remove the footer credit is through the WordPress Theme Customizer. This method works best with themes that have built-in options to edit or remove the footer text.

Steps to Remove Footer Text Using Theme Customizer

  1. From your WordPress dashboard, go to AppearanceCustomize.
  2. Navigate to the Footer section in the Customizer.
  3. Look for an option like Footer Credits or Footer Text.
  4. You can either delete the “Proudly powered by WordPress” text or replace it with your own.
  5. Click Publish to save the changes.

Example:
In the Astra theme, you’ll find this option under Footer BuilderCopyright Section, where you can easily modify or delete the default footer text.

Pros:

  • Simple and easy to use, no coding required.
  • Allows customization for many modern themes.

Cons:

  • Not all themes offer this option.

Method 2: Removing through Full Site Editor (FSE)

Removing through Full Site Editor (FSE)

If you’re using a block-based theme that supports Full Site Editing (FSE), you can remove the footer credit directly from the footer template. FSE is a relatively new feature that allows for complete site-wide editing.

Steps to Remove Footer Text via Full Site Editor

  1. Go to AppearanceEditor from your WordPress dashboard.
  2. Scroll down to the footer section of your website.
  3. Click on the footer area to edit the block.
  4. Select the “Proudly powered by WordPress” text and delete or replace it.
  5. Click Save when you’re done.

Pros:

Cons:

  • Not available for classic themes.
  • May be confusing for beginners.

Method 3: Using a Plugin to Remove or Replace the Footer Text

Using a Plugin to Remove or Replace the Footer Text

If you’re not comfortable with the code or your theme doesn’t offer customization options, using a plugin is a great alternative. Several WordPress plugins are designed specifically to remove or replace the default footer text.

Best Plugins to Remove Footer Credits

  1. Remove “Powered by WordPress” plugin: This plugin removes the footer credit text in one click.
  2. Remove Footer Credit: This plugin not only removes the default text but also lets you replace it with your own.

Steps to Use a Plugin

  1. Go to PluginsAdd New in your WordPress dashboard.
  2. Search for Remove “Powered by WordPress” or Remove Footer Credit.
  3. Install and activate the plugin.
  4. Follow the plugin’s instructions to remove or modify the footer text.

Pros:

  • Very easy and no coding knowledge is required.
  • Compatible with all themes.

Cons:

  • Installing extra plugins can slow down your site.
  • Some plugins only remove, not replace the text.

Method 4: Editing the footer.php File

Editing the footer.php File

For more advanced users who are comfortable working with code, editing the theme’s footer.php file is a direct way to remove the footer credit. Before proceeding with this method, it’s highly recommended to back up your website in case something goes wrong.

Steps to Edit the footer.php File

  1. Access your website via an FTP client like FileZilla or use the file manager provided by your hosting provider.
  2. Navigate to wp-content/themes/{your-active-theme}/footer.php.
  3. Open the footer.php file in a text editor like Notepad++ or Sublime Text.
  4. Find the line of code that displays the “Proudly powered by WordPress” text. It typically looks something like this:
    printf( __( ‘Proudly powered by %s.’, ‘your-theme’ ), ‘WordPress’ );
  5. . Delete or replace this line with your own custom message, such as:
    <p>© [Your Brand Name] – All rights reserved.</p>
  6. Save the file and upload it back to your server.

Important:
When you update your theme, this modification may be overwritten unless you’re using a child theme. Consider creating a child theme for custom changes.

Pros:

  • Complete control over the footer design.
  • No need for extra plugins.

Cons:

  • Requires coding knowledge.
  • Changes may be lost during theme updates unless a child theme is used.

Can You Legally Remove “Proudly Powered by WordPress” from Footer?

Yes, it’s completely legal to remove the “Proudly powered by WordPress” text from your website. WordPress is licensed under the GPL (General Public License), which gives you the freedom to modify, distribute, and customize the software in any way you choose. This includes editing or removing the footer credits.

While keeping the credit can be seen as a gesture of support for the WordPress community, you are under no obligation to keep it. You have full control over your website’s appearance and functionality.

Wrap Up

Customizing your WordPress footer by removing or replacing the “Proudly powered by WordPress” text is a small yet significant step toward making your website more professional and branded. Whether you choose to use the Theme Customizer, Full Site Editor, a plugin, or directly edit the footer.php file, each method provides an effective solution depending on your experience level.

By taking control of your footer, you improve the overall look and user experience of your website, while also aligning it with your brand’s identity.

FAQs about Removing Footer Credits

Are there risks to removing the footer credit?

There are no legal risks, but if you don’t replace the default credit with something more relevant, you miss out on using this valuable footer space for your own branding.

Will my changes be lost after a theme update?

If you manually edit the footer.php file, your changes may be overwritten during theme updates. To avoid this, use a child theme or a plugin for customization.

Is it bad for SEO to hide footer credits using CSS?

Yes, hiding footer credits using CSS (display:none;) is not recommended. Google could flag your site for hidden links, which may harm your SEO ranking.

Can I remove the footer credit without coding?

Yes! Using the WordPress Theme Customizer or a plugin allows you to remove the footer credit without touching any code.

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