Do you own a website, or are you in the process of making your own website? Either way, the importance of a website footer cannot be ignored. What’s a footer, you ask? The WordPress footer is the bottom area of your web pages, which comes after the entire website’s content area.
Something like this, like we have on our Devrims Website:
Now that I have taken the name, you must be wondering: Are WordPress footers THAT important?
Yes, and they are crucial for your website too! Not only do footers let the reader know that they have reached the end of the page (without stopping abruptly), they give the viewer another chance to take the desired action; you can ask them to subscribe to your newsletter or include navigational links, for easy access, right here.
So now the question is How to edit footer in WordPress?
This blog will answer precisely that! We will share four different methods while answering all your must-to-ask questions. Let’s get into it. Happy reading!
What is a Footer in WordPress?
The word “Foot” gives an idea of what WordPress footers are. No?
If you scroll down to the bottom of your web page, you will see a section that includes links, contact information, copyright disclaimers, etc.
The unique point about WordPress footers is that they are always placed at the bottom of the page.
The footer is static and appears on every web page of your site. This section covers particular elements like menu, call to action (CTA), legal content (privacy policy, terms and conditions, cookie policy, etc.), general content (blogs, knowledge base, FAQs, etc.), and a lot more.
Sometimes, it varies in a situation; if you have already added these elements in the header section, you do not need to add them in the footer too.
Although the header and footer features are almost the same (both are static and contain the website’s main elements that appear on every web page), the only difference between them is the position they exist in i.e: headers at the top and footers at the bottom.
Regarding the backend, your website’s footer content is found in the footer.php file of your WordPress theme.
Does Every Website Need a Footer?wordpress footer
The footer is an essential asset of your website. The study of Chartbeat ascertains that visitors of your website scroll down to the bottom of your website, whether it is fully loaded or not.
The footer is a must-have section of your website because it contains important content.
For example, copyright information, website social media icons, your business’s contact information, the credibility of awards and certifications, legal documentation, and a map if required.
WordPress Footer is the critical element of a website. You may have multiple choices to add and arrange your website’s assets in the footer section.
I suggest my readers work efficiently on their WordPress footers because the audience mainly jumps to the footers to find their desired web page.
Is It Legal to Remove WordPress Footer Credit Links?
Why would I have selected this topic to discuss if it was illegal? Of course, it is legal to remove the WordPress footer credit links. And why is it legal? Because WordPress is an open-source, free platform where anyone can do anything to add beauty to their website.
Regarding the footer section, you can edit or change the footer credit links and add the options whatever you want.
With that said, WordPress has a General Public License (GPL), which makes us independent with its core freedom policy.
This image has been taken from the WordPress website. It demonstrates the freedom strategy of utilizing WordPress like a boss!
The discussion does not end here. WordPress is free and provides millions of themes and plugins to add to your website’s beauty. You can install it from wordpress.org.
This is to inform you that you do not need to worry about the credit link; start editing your WordPress footer without fear.
How to Edit Footer in WordPress with 4 Easy Methods
There are several options available that you can opt for to edit a footer. But I will discuss the top-listed methods you can use to edit a footer in WordPress.
Let’s see how to edit the footer in WordPress with four easy methods.
Change the Footer Settings via Theme Customizer
Doing something without the help of any plugin or code can be relatively easy. Yes, changing the footer directly from your theme makes you comfortable adding functionality and seeing the real-time changes in your WordPress footer.
The settings vary according to the theme you are using on your WordPress website. But, trust me, this is an easy method. WordPress is the most comfortable platform for controlling things as you choose.
- To find the Customizer option on your WordPress dashboard, navigate your cursor to the Appearance section from the left menu bar and click Customize.
- Once you are in, you will find a “Footer” option at the left sidebar. Click on it.
We are using the Astra theme for demonstration purposes; it could be different when working on your blog. Your activated theme might have options in different locations—layout, colors, tabs, etc.
It’s like a magic wand; you need to shake it and see the magic. It shows you the results on run-time if you apply any changes.
Are you ready to check the last changes? How will it look?
Once you are done making variations, click on Save Changes and see your chosen device’s preview. Yes, you can select desktop, tablet, or mobile view.
Use Footer Widgets
Now, let’s talk about the footer widget method. You can edit a footer using Footer Widgets from your WordPress dashboard’s left sidebar.
- Go to the Appearance tab.
- Click on Widgets from the list that appears.
Again, remember that your options can be in a slightly different location once you are in the Widgets dashboard.
Your theme matters a lot. As I stated earlier, every theme has different options and features, but some are standard, like footer widgets. You can edit and add footer widgets via the Customizer of your WordPress dashboard.
- Once you enter the Widgets section, you will see the available widgets displayed on the right-hand side.
The theme we are using right now is Astra.
- For content editing, click on the arrow to expand the text field.
- Click on the Saved button to apply changes.
- If you want to remove the overall section, you can click on the Delete button to remove it entirely.
- On the other hand, if you want to add a widget, you can drag your desired widget from the categories available on the left-hand side and drop it in the widget section.
Modify your Header and Footer Using a WordPress Plugin
A vast library of WordPress plugins can confuse you when you search for a WordPress footer plugin.
I have made it easy for you by taking out the best footer plugin for WordPress. You can customize your footer by using these plugins easily.
- Insert Headers and Footers
- Remove Footer Credit
Insert Headers and Footers
Insert Headers and Footers plugin is an easy-to-install plugin. Once you activate this, jump to your WordPress dashboard settings, where you will find the Insert Headers and Footers option. Click on it, and then a window will appear as displayed below:
If you scroll down a bit, you will have a “Scripts in Footer” field box where you can add your code for a customized footer.
This plugin allows you to insert scripts in one place rather than installing multiple plugins.
Features
- The configuration is easy.
- You can add scripts with one click.
- Add Google Analytics code to any theme
- Add styling using CSS throughout the theme.
- Support available.
Remove Footer Credit
Remove Footer Credit does not bother you to amend the code in footer.php because of the risk factor of theme destruction.
After all, a little mistake in the code can mess up your theme in the blink of an eye, which is unbearable for a website owner.
You can replace the credit from your WordPress theme by using Remove Footer Credit. For that, you must know the process, which is a bit tricky.
I am going to break down the process in the order form. But before jumping into the process, go to the page source of your website by hitting Ctrl + U and copy the code between the tag
After that, follow the process mentioned below:
- Install and activate the Remove Footer Credit plugin.
- Once activated, go to the Tools > Remove Footer Credit.
- You will see a two-step window. Paste the copied code in the first step text box.
- Enter the code or text to replace the footer credit in the second step.
- Hit the Save button.
Features
- It is a five-out-of-five rated plugin with 80,000+ active installations.
- It is easy to use.
- It allows you to remove the credit within two steps.
- It offers responsive support.
Modify your Header and Footer without Using a WordPress Plugin
Have you ever imagined what would have happened if there were no plugins? Or if plugins had become obsolete from the WordPress library? (Strange, but possible!)
Always be ready for the second option. You can edit your WordPress footer by making changes to your footer.php file. This file contains your WordPress footer code, which you can find in your theme folder.
You can edit this file easily by using an FTP client to connect with your WordPress hosting.
In such a case, you need to download the /wp-content/themes/yourtheme/footer.php file and then open this file with any text editor you wish to use.
The file has a line with the “Powered by WordPress” text. I am using the Astra theme for the demonstration purpose, so my code will look like as mentioned below:
<div>
<p>©
<?php
echo date_i18n(
/* translators: Copyright date format, see https://www.php.net/date */
_x( 'Y', 'copyright date format', 'astra' )
);
?>
<a href="<?php echo esc_url( home_url( '/' ) ); ?>"><?php bloginfo( 'name' ); ?></a>
</p><!-- .devrims-footer-copyright -->
<p>
<a href="<?php echo esc_url( __( 'https://wordpress.org/', 'astra' ) ); ?>">
<?php _e( 'Powered by WordPress', 'astra' ); ?>
</a>
</p><!-- .powered-by-wordpress -->
</div><!-- .devrims-footer-credits -->
Final Words
We have covered how to edit footer in WordPress in 4 different ways. There are many ways to edit a WordPress footer, but I have picked the best ones you can follow easily. For a piece of quick and detailed information on the WordPress footer, I have tried to deliver the best to my readers. Whether you’re using Gutenberg or Elementor, the best methods you should adopt and how to adapt them are explained above with demonstrations.
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