The footer of your WordPress website is a key area that provides additional information to your visitors, such as contact details, copyright information, or links to important pages. Whether you’re looking to customize the footer text or add widgets, changing the footer can greatly enhance your website’s functionality and appearance.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to change footer in WordPress step-by-step.
1. Using the Theme Customizer
One of the easiest ways to change your footer is by using the WordPress Customizer. Follow these steps:
- Go to your WordPress dashboard.
- Navigate to Appearance > Customize.
- In the Customizer, look for an option labeled Footer. Depending on your theme, this could be named differently or found under Layout or Widgets.
- Once inside the Footer settings, you can modify the content, change the background color, adjust the layout, and even add custom text.
- Save your changes by clicking the Publish button.
Pro Tip: Some themes allow for additional customization, like adding logos or menus in the footer section.
2. Editing Footer Widgets
Many WordPress themes provide widget areas in the footer where you can add various elements such as menus, social media icons, or custom text. Here’s how to edit them:
- Go to Appearance > Widgets in your dashboard.
- Locate the Footer Widget Area (this could be labeled differently depending on your theme).
- You can add, remove, or rearrange widgets in the footer area. To add a widget, simply drag and drop it into the footer widget area.
Common Widgets for Footers:
- Text widgets (for contact info or disclaimers)
- Navigation menus
- Recent posts or comments
- Social media icons
3. Manually Editing Footer Code
For advanced customization, you may want to directly edit the footer code in your WordPress theme. This is ideal for removing default theme credits or adding custom scripts.
- Navigate to Appearance > Theme File Editor.
- Look for the
footer.php
file in your theme’s folder. - Make the necessary changes to the footer code. For example, you can remove the default “Powered by WordPress” text by locating it in the
footer.php
file and deleting or replacing it.
Important: Always back up your website before making direct edits to your theme files to avoid losing data or breaking the site layout.
4. Using a Footer Plugin
If you prefer not to edit code or your theme doesn’t offer much flexibility in the footer section, using a plugin is a great alternative. Here are a few popular plugins for footer customization:
- Elementor: Allows for easy drag-and-drop editing of your footer section.
- Insert Headers and Footers: A simple plugin that lets you add custom scripts to your footer.
- Header Footer Code Manager: Another excellent option to manage footer content with ease.
Simply install one of these plugins by going to Plugins > Add New and then search for the plugin. Once activated, you can manage and customize your footer within the plugin’s settings.
Conclusion
Changing the footer in WordPress can be done in several ways, depending on your theme and technical skill level. Whether you’re using the Theme Customizer, editing footer widgets, manually coding, or using plugins, each method allows you to create a personalized footer that reflects your brand.
For any WordPress-related issues or further assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out to our Emergency WordPress Support.