How to Hide Author Name in WordPress
Are you looking to maintain a professional and anonymous online presence on your WordPress website? Hiding your author name can be a great way to protect your privacy or create a more objective voice for your content. Whether you’re running a business blog or a personal website, this guide will walk you through the steps to hide author names in WordPress.
Step 1: Use a Plugin
One of the simplest ways to hide author names in WordPress is by using a plugin. There are several plugins available that can quickly and easily remove author names from your site. Here are a few popular options:
– Disable Author: This plugin allows you to disable author name display on all posts and pages.
– Hide Author: As the name suggests, this plugin lets you hide author names on your WordPress site.
– Author Hider: This plugin provides a simple interface for hiding author names and other author-related information.
To use a plugin, follow these steps:
1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
2. Navigate to the “Plugins” section and click “Add New.”
3. Search for the desired plugin and click “Install Now.”
4. Once the plugin is installed, click “Activate.”
Step 2: Customize Your Theme
If you prefer not to use a plugin, you can also hide author names by customizing your theme. This method requires a bit more technical knowledge, as you’ll need to edit your theme’s files. Here’s how to do it:
1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
2. Navigate to the “Appearance” section and click “Themes.”
3. Choose the theme you want to customize and click “Edit.”
4. In the theme editor, find the “single.php” file and locate the code that displays the author name.
5. To hide the author name, find the line of code that includes `` and either delete it or comment it out by adding `//` at the beginning of the line.
Step 3: Use a Child Theme
To prevent your changes from being overwritten when you update your theme, it’s a good idea to use a child theme. A child theme is a separate theme that inherits the functionality of a parent theme but can be customized without affecting the original theme files.
1. Create a child theme by making a copy of your parent theme’s folder and renaming it to “child-theme.”
2. Inside the child-theme folder, create a “style.css” file with the following content:
“`css
/
Theme Name: Child Theme
Template: parent-theme
/
“`
3. In the child-theme folder, create a “functions.php” file with the following content:
“`php
/
This is the child theme’s functions.php file.
/
// Hide author name in single.php
add_action(‘wp’, ‘hide_author_name’);
function hide_author_name() {
remove_action(‘wp_footer’, ‘wp_footer’);
}
“`
4. Save the files and activate your child theme in the WordPress dashboard.
By following these steps, you should now have successfully hidden author names in WordPress. Remember to backup your website before making any changes, and if you’re not comfortable editing theme files, consider seeking the help of a professional developer.
