How to Remove Built with GeneratePress Footer in Seconds (No Coding Needed!)
The “Proudly powered by WordPress | Theme: GeneratePress” footer credit is easy to remove, and the correct method depends on whether you’re running GeneratePress free or GP Premium. Here are all three reliable ways, from easiest to most flexible.
The Short Version
- GP Premium users: use the Customizer or the Elements module — no code needed
- GeneratePress free users: a one-line filter in a child theme or snippets plugin does it
- Don’t want to touch code at all: a find-and-replace plugin works as a no-code fallback
- Never paste code directly into your active (parent) theme’s functions.php — it gets wiped on the next update
Method 1: GP Premium — Customizer (Easiest)
If you’re running GeneratePress Premium, go to Appearance → Customize → Layout → Footer, and confirm the Copyright module is enabled under Appearance → GeneratePress. From there, you can directly edit or clear the footer credit text in the Customizer without touching any code at all.
Method 2: GP Premium — Elements Module (More Control)
For more control over exactly what replaces the default credit:
- Go to Appearance → GeneratePress and activate the Elements module if it isn’t already
- Go to Appearance → Elements → Add New
- Choose type “Hook”
- In the Hook dropdown, select
generate_footer_credits - Type your custom footer text (or leave it blank to remove the credit entirely) in the content box and publish
Method 3: GeneratePress Free — Code Filter
The free version doesn’t include the Customizer or Elements options above, but a single filter handles it. Add this to a child theme’s functions.php, or paste it into a code snippets plugin so it survives theme updates:
add_filter( 'generate_footer_credits', '__return_empty_string' );This removes the footer credit line completely. If you’d rather replace it with your own text instead of removing it outright, use this version instead:
add_filter( 'generate_footer_credits', function() {
return 'Your custom footer text here';
});Method 4: A No-Code Plugin Alternative
If you’d rather avoid editing any files, a Real-Time Find and Replace plugin can swap the footer credit text site-wide without touching theme code — a reasonable fallback if you’re not comfortable with even a one-line filter, though it does mean running an extra plugin just for this one change.
Where NOT to Put This Code
The single most common mistake: pasting the filter directly into your active (parent) GeneratePress theme’s functions.php. WordPress overwrites that file completely on the next theme update, silently undoing the change. Always use a child theme’s functions.php or a code snippets plugin instead, both of which survive theme updates.
Which Method Should You Use?
| Your Situation | Best Method |
|---|---|
| Running GP Premium, want the fastest fix | Method 1 — Customizer |
| Running GP Premium, want custom replacement text with more control | Method 2 — Elements Hook |
| Running GeneratePress free, comfortable with one line of code | Method 3 — Code filter in a child theme or snippets plugin |
| Running GeneratePress free, want zero code | Method 4 — Find and Replace plugin |
Most sites already running a code snippets plugin for other small tweaks will find Method 3 the least hassle overall — it’s a single line, and once it’s in a snippets plugin, it never needs to be touched again, even across theme updates.
Should You Even Remove It?
Before removing it, it is worth considering why it is there. GeneratePress’s “Built with GeneratePress” footer credit is opt-in-by-default attribution, not a licensing requirement — the theme’s license does not obligate you to keep it, on either the free or Premium version. Most site owners remove it for a cleaner, more professional footer, especially on client or business sites where an unrelated third-party credit looks out of place. There is no downside to removing it functionally; it is purely a cosmetic and branding decision.
What to Put in the Footer Instead
- A copyright line — “© [current year] [Site Name]. All rights reserved.” is the standard, simple replacement.
- A privacy policy / terms link — if you are running ads or collecting any user data, a footer link to your privacy policy is good practice regardless of what else is there.
- Social links or a short tagline — for a business or personal-brand site, this is a better use of that footer space than an unrelated theme credit.
- Nothing at all — a blank or minimal footer is also a completely valid choice; it does not need to be filled just because space is available.
Troubleshooting: When the Credit Won’t Go Away
- Caching plugin showing the old footer — clear your caching plugin’s cache (and any host-level or CDN cache) after making the change; this is the most common reason a fix appears to “not work” when it actually did.
- Child theme overriding your change — if you are running a child theme with its own footer.php override, edits through the Customizer or Elements module may not apply; check the child theme’s files directly in that case.
- Code snippet placed in the wrong location — a PHP filter added to the wrong file (or with a typo in the hook name) will silently do nothing rather than throwing a visible error, which is why Method 3 specifically warns about placement.
- Multiple footer widgets from a page builder — if a separate page builder plugin controls your footer instead of the theme’s native footer, the credit may need removing through that builder’s settings instead.
Does GeneratePress track whether I’ve removed the credit?
No — there is no phone-home mechanism checking for the footer credit’s presence. It is a static template element, not a licensing enforcement feature, so removing it has zero effect on theme updates, support access, or license validity.
Will removing it affect my SEO?
No measurable effect either way. A single footer text link to the theme developer’s site is not a meaningful ranking factor for your own site, and removing it does not create any crawl or indexing issue.
Is it ethical to remove attribution from a free theme?
Yes — GeneratePress’s free version is released under the GPL license, same as WordPress core, which explicitly does not require visible on-site attribution as a condition of use. The developer includes the credit as optional branding they hope users keep, not as an enforced term. Removing it is fully within the license, on both the free and Premium versions.
Which method survives a theme update?
All four methods described above survive theme updates, since none of them involve editing the theme’s own core files directly — Customizer settings, the Elements module, and a properly placed functions.php filter are all update-safe. The one thing that would break on update is editing GeneratePress’s core theme files directly, which none of these methods do and which is not recommended for any theme.
If you’re deep enough into GeneratePress customization to be editing the footer, it’s worth checking whether your current setup is actually pulling its weight — our GeneratePress real-world speed test results and hosting guide for GeneratePress sites cover the two biggest levers for making the theme feel as fast as it’s supposed to.
Frequently Asked Questions
Am I required to keep the GeneratePress credit for licensing reasons?
No — GeneratePress is licensed under the GPL, which explicitly permits removing theme author credit links. There’s no legal requirement to keep it.
Will removing the footer credit break anything else?
No — the copyright/credit line is purely cosmetic text and isn’t tied to any other theme functionality.
Do I need GP Premium to remove the credit?
No — the free version can remove or replace it too, using the code filter method rather than the Customizer/Elements UI, which are Premium-only conveniences.
My code disappeared after a theme update — why?
This happens when the filter was added directly to the active parent theme’s functions.php rather than a child theme or snippets plugin. Move it to one of those two locations and it will survive future updates.
Can I add my own copyright text instead of just removing the line?
Yes — both the Elements module (Premium) and the code filter (free) let you substitute your own text rather than leaving the footer area blank.
Is it a good idea to remove the credit for SEO reasons?
There’s no SEO penalty either way — the footer credit is a small, low-visibility text link that search engines don’t weight meaningfully. Most site owners remove it purely for a cleaner, more professional-looking footer rather than for any ranking benefit.
The Bottom Line
Removing the GeneratePress footer credit takes seconds with Premium’s Customizer or Elements module, and one line of code with the free version — as long as that code goes in a child theme or snippets plugin rather than your active theme’s functions.php. For a broader look at what GeneratePress offers beyond this one setting, see our full GeneratePress theme review.
