Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsThe “Powered by WordPress” line is controlled by your active theme, not by a single WordPress-wide switch. On a classic theme, remove or replace it in Appearance › Customize (or the theme’s widget/options screen). On a block theme, edit the footer template part in Appearance › Editor. If neither route exists, use a maintained footer-credit plugin, a child-theme edit, or CSS as a last resort.
Antihost offers managed WordPress hosting with free migration, one-click staging and a 14-day free trial.
Back up your site before changing templates or theme files. The exact labels and screen layout vary by theme and WordPress version, so a tutorial screenshot may not match your dashboard.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
First, identify which footer editor your theme uses
WordPress presents different controls for classic and block themes. Look at the left-hand admin menu under Appearance:
| What you see | Theme type | Use this route |
|---|---|---|
| Customize | Classic theme | Customizer, widgets, or the theme’s own options panel |
| Editor | Block theme | Site Editor and the footer template part |
A theme can also expose a separate settings page, and naming is inconsistent. A footer credit may be called Footer Credit, Bottom Bar, Copyright, or simply Footer. If you do not find it in the first location, check the other locations described below rather than assuming the credit is hard-coded.
#1 Best Overall
Method A: remove it with the Customizer (classic themes)
This is usually the quickest and most update-safe approach because you are changing a theme setting rather than editing a file.
Open the footer controls
- Sign in to your WordPress dashboard.
- Go to Appearance › Customize.
- Look for a panel named Footer, Footer Credit, Bottom Bar, Copyright, or a similar label.
- Disable the credit option, clear the field, or replace the default wording with your own text.
- Use the Customizer preview to check desktop and mobile layouts, then select Publish.
Some themes place the control under Site Identity, Layout, or a theme-specific options panel instead of a panel literally called Footer. Read each panel’s descriptions; a control for “branding,” “theme attribution,” or “show footer text” may govern the same line.
If the Customizer has no footer-credit setting
Check Appearance › Widgets and inspect the footer widget areas. The line may be a Text, Custom HTML, or Paragraph widget rather than a built-in credit. Open the widget, remove only the attribution text, and save the widget. If your theme has its own settings page under Appearance, open that page and search for footer, copyright, branding, or attribution.
Do not delete an entire footer widget area just because it contains the credit. Other widgets, navigation, contact details, or accessibility links may use that same area.
Method B: remove it from a block theme’s Site Editor
The Site Editor is available when a block theme is active. If your Appearance menu says Editor rather than Customize, use this method.
Edit the shared footer template part
- Go to Appearance › Editor.
- Open Patterns. Depending on your WordPress version, template parts may be grouped under a heading such as Template parts.
- Choose the Footer template part.
- Select Edit or Edit original to enter the focused block editor.
- Click the paragraph, site-information, or other block containing “Powered by WordPress” or “Proudly powered by WordPress.”
- Press the three-dot block menu and choose Delete, or replace the text with your own credit.
- Select Save, confirm that the footer template part is selected if WordPress asks what to save, then choose Save again.
- Use Back to leave the focused editor and check the site on a page that displays the footer.
A template part is shared. Changing blocks inside the footer updates every template that includes that part, so the change normally affects posts, pages, archives, and other layouts at once. This is useful for consistency, but it also means a mistaken deletion can remove the footer from more screens than the page you were viewing.
When the footer is not listed or the change has no effect
Open the individual template under Appearance › Editor › Design (the exact label varies) and inspect its footer area. A template can contain a footer directly or use a differently named template part. Edit the part actually inserted in that template, not an unused draft.
Creating or registering a footer template part does not put it on the site by itself. A part must be inserted into a template before visitors can see it. If you made a new footer but the old credit remains, the active templates are probably still using the original footer part. Open a template, select its footer area, and verify which part is inserted.
Method C: use a footer-credit plugin when the theme offers no setting
A footer-credit plugin can remove the default text and add replacement text without editing theme files. One tutorial names a plugin called Remove Footer Credit; plugin availability and maintenance change, so treat that name as an example rather than a guarantee that it is suitable for your site.
- Back up the site, including the database and files.
- In the dashboard, go to Plugins › Add New and search for a footer-credit tool.
- Before installing, check the plugin’s last-updated date, active maintenance, stated WordPress compatibility, author information, and user reviews.
- Install and activate it only if those checks are acceptable.
- Open its settings, enter replacement text if required, save, and test several page types.
- If the footer breaks or the credit remains, deactivate the plugin and use your backup or another method.
Do not install several footer-removal plugins at the same time. They can target the same markup, create duplicate text, or conflict with caching and optimization plugins. This approach also depends on the plugin continuing to support your WordPress and theme versions.
Recommended Free Tools
Method D: edit footer.php in a child theme
Use a child theme when the credit is printed directly by PHP and no setting, widget, or block controls it. Never make the change in the parent theme’s files: a parent-theme update can overwrite it.
Safe procedure
- Create or activate a child theme that is compatible with your parent theme.
- Back up the complete site and record the current theme version.
- Copy the parent theme’s
footer.phpinto the child theme, keeping the same relative path. - Open the copied file in a code editor and locate the markup that outputs the WordPress credit. Search for phrases such as
Powered by WordPress,Proudly powered by WordPress, or a translation function containing that text. - Remove only the credit element, leaving required hooks such as
wp_footer()in place. Those hooks are used by plugins, analytics, and WordPress functionality. - Save the child-theme file, activate the child theme if it is not already active, clear caches, and test the site while logged out.
The exact PHP and HTML differ by theme, so do not paste a snippet intended for another theme into your file. If the credit is generated by a function, hook, or minified file instead of visible text in footer.php, stop and use the theme’s documented override method or a plugin. A syntax error can produce a blank page or a server error; keep a known-good copy and know how to restore the previous file through your host’s file manager, SFTP, or version control.
Rank #3
Method E: hide the credit with CSS (last resort)
CSS can hide a stubborn credit when you cannot change its source. In a classic theme, open Appearance › Customize › Additional CSS. Use your browser’s developer tools to identify the credit element’s class or ID, then add a narrowly targeted rule and publish it.
Selectors are theme-specific and have not been verified for every theme. A generic selector copied from another site may hide the wrong text or stop working after a theme update. Test the result at different screen widths and on pages with different footer layouts.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
CSS is cosmetic: the credit markup still loads in the page source, and assistive technology or other tools may still encounter it. If you need the text removed rather than visually hidden, prefer a Customizer setting, a block-template edit, a maintained plugin, or a child-theme change.
Which method should you choose?
| Method | Best fit | Effort | Durability and trade-offs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customizer | Classic theme with a footer-credit control | Lowest | Usually survives theme updates; labels vary by theme |
| Site Editor | Block theme using a footer template part | Low to moderate | Changes every template that uses the shared part; persists as a design change |
| Plugin | No usable theme setting and no desire to edit code | Moderate | Depends on maintenance and compatibility; adds another component |
| Child-theme edit | Credit is generated in PHP or theme markup | High | Survives parent-theme updates when implemented correctly; requires code and recovery access |
| CSS | Temporary visual hiding | Low initially | Can break when markup changes and does not remove the underlying markup |
For most sites, try the Customizer or Site Editor first. Move to a plugin or child theme only after confirming that the credit is not controlled by a visible setting. Reserve CSS for cases where visual concealment is sufficient.
Back up first and keep a recovery path
Changing a block template is less risky than editing PHP, but a backup is still sensible because the footer is shared across many pages. Before any change:
- Run a recent database and file backup and verify that it can be restored.
- Note the active theme, child theme status, and WordPress version.
- If using a staging site, make the change there first and promote it after testing.
- Keep administrator access and your hosting file manager or SFTP credentials available.
- Clear page, object, CDN, and browser caches after saving, otherwise an old footer may appear.
After editing, test the home page, a standard page, a post, an archive, a search result, and a 404 page if your theme provides separate templates. Check both logged-in and logged-out views. A cached page, a different template, or a second footer widget can make it appear that the removal failed.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Rank #4
Troubleshooting common failure modes
The credit is still visible after saving
- Clear all relevant caches and reload in a private browser window.
- Check whether another footer widget or template part contains a second copy.
- Confirm that you edited the active theme, not an inactive theme or a staging site.
- For block themes, inspect the template used by the page type you are viewing.
- For CSS, verify the selector in the browser inspector and check for a more-specific rule overriding it.
The Customizer does not show a footer option
Inspect Widgets, Site Identity, Layout, and the theme’s own options page. If the credit is absent from all of those areas, the theme may print it directly in PHP; use a child theme or a compatible plugin instead of editing the parent theme.
The Site Editor has no Footer template part
The active block theme may use a differently named part, or a template may contain footer blocks directly. Open the relevant template and inspect its block structure. Remember that a newly created part has no effect until it is inserted into a template.
Editing footer.php caused an error
Restore the previous file immediately through hosting tools or SFTP, then reactivate the last known-good theme. Check for missing PHP punctuation and confirm that wp_footer() remains in place. Make future changes on staging or in a child theme with a rollback copy.
Changing the wording instead of deleting it
You do not have to remove the line completely. A Customizer field, a footer block, or a plugin setting can usually replace it with a copyright notice, a site name, or a short accessibility-friendly credit. Keep replacement text concise and ensure sufficient contrast and readable font size. If you remove the only footer navigation or legal link while changing the wording, add those links back in a separate footer block or widget.
What removing the credit does—and does not—change
Removing or hiding “Powered by WordPress” changes the visible footer presentation only. It does not remove WordPress from the software running your site, and it does not by itself alter any license obligations. The available guidance here is technical rather than legal; consult qualified legal advice for questions about attribution, trademark use, or obligations specific to your distribution and jurisdiction.
Theme menus, labels, and screen layouts change over time, and third-party tutorials may show older interfaces. Follow the control names in your own dashboard and confirm the result on the front end after each save.
Best Value
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I delete footer text in WordPress without changing code?
Use the active theme’s Customizer or Site Editor. In a classic theme, open Appearance › Customize and locate the footer, bottom-bar, or credit field. In a block theme, open Appearance › Editor, edit the Footer template part, and delete the text block.
Why can I see “Customize” but not “Editor” under Appearance?
Your active theme is a classic theme. The Site Editor requires an active block theme, so use the Customizer, Widgets screen, or the classic theme’s options panel instead.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Will editing a footer template part change every page?
Yes. A shared footer template part is reused by each template that includes it, so editing that part updates all of those templates. A template that contains a different footer can remain unchanged.
Is hiding “Proudly powered by WordPress” with CSS safe?
It is generally reversible, but it is only visual. The markup remains in the page, and the selector can stop working when the theme changes. Use a source-level setting or template edit when you need the text actually removed.
Can a WordPress update restore the footer credit?
A parent-theme update can overwrite direct edits to the parent theme. Customizer settings and block-template changes are normally retained, while a child-theme override protects PHP edits from parent-theme file replacement.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
