Introduction
Most WordPress themes have a default footer that claims that your website is ‘Proudly Powered By WordPress’. Some developers even include their own credits onto your theme, so you have multiple links at the bottom of every page on your website.
This is not ideal for a lot of people, especially if you are trying to run a business website, as many think it looks unprofessional.
Is It Legal To Remove Powered By WordPress?
This is a common concern, but it is legal to remove credits from your WordPress website and theme.
This is because WordPress is a free service to use and it operates under the GPL licsense. This means that anyone has the freedom to use, modify and even redistribute WordPress and its features however they see fit.
This is also the case for any of the themes you can download from the WordPress directory and many commercial themes are also the same. This may not always be the case, so make sure you read the terms and conditions of any theme or software you install from a third-party.
Overall, you have the rights to change and modify your WordPress website in whatever ways you see fit.
How To Remove Powered By WordPress From Themes
When you search online for how to remove powered by WordPress links from your website, you will be faced with a great range of options. However, not all of these are secure and could end up causing damage to your website.
There are three main ways that you can securely remove the powered by WordPress link from your website.
1. Theme Settings
Most theme developers understand what their users want and know that you may want to remove the links from the footer of your website. In order to make the process easier for you, they have made this an option within their theme.
This is not always the case, but you may be able to remove powered by WordPress simply through the theme settings page. Depending on what theme you have installed onto your website, this option will be located in different areas.
Nonetheless, you need to be able to have access to the WordPress customizer which you can find on the Dashboard. Select Appearance and then Customize to open this page.
For some themes, the option to remove powered by WordPress links may be address under a Copyright Area link. Take some time to look through your theme settings to check whether this is an option for you.
2. Install Plugin
WordPress is a great platform because it allows for plugins, which are pieces of software you can install onto your website to improve functionality. There are a few different plugins you can use to remove powered by WordPress, but we’d recommend Remove ‘Powered By WordPress’.
This plugin is easy to use and is compatible with a range of different WordPress themes, including some free options. Instead of having powered by WordPress or the developers’ credits on your website, you can choose which information to have as a footer.
This allows you to make your website look professional and extend your brand further.
3. Footer.php Coding
If you do not want to install a plugin or your theme does not provide the option to remove powered by WordPress, then the final option is to remove or modify footer credits in the code.
This is not the easiest way to remove powered by WordPress, so it isn’t recommended for beginners. However, it is an effective way of removing credits from your website and is quite simple when you understand what you are doing.
In order to alter the footer.php code, you need to access the file. You can find it through your theme’s settings and it is located at wp-content/themes/nameofyourtheme/footer.php.
You need to open this file in a text editor and search for the footer credit text, such as powered by WordPress. This will show the section that you need to remove or customize depending on your needs.
Before Making Changes
Before you make any changes to your WordPress website and try to remove powered by WordPress, you need to back it up.
This ensures that all of your data is safe and secure, even if something goes wrong during the customization process. There are a few plugins that you can install onto your website that will perform automatic backups periodically.
This is something you should do to your website before you make any changes as you don’t want to lose any data.
Removing powered by WordPress can make your website appear professional and allows you to promote your own brand.