A Guide to Adding Copyright Notices to Your WordPress Site

Understanding Copyright Notices

As a content creator, it’s crucial to safeguard your work from unauthorized use. A copyright notice is a legal document that asserts your intellectual property rights over your creative work. It indicates that the work is protected and should not be copied, reproduced, or used without your permission. A copyright notice should contain the copyright symbol ©, the year of publication, and your name as the owner.

How to Add a Copyright Notice to Your WordPress Site

In WordPress, you can easily add a copyright notice to your website footer without any coding skills. Follow these simple steps:

Step 1: Log in to Your WordPress Dashboard

Enter “/wp-admin/” after your site’s domain name in the URL to access your site’s dashboard. Enter your login credentials to log in.

Step 2: Navigate to Appearance > Customize

Click on the “Appearance” tab on the left-hand side of your dashboard and select “Customize.”

Step 3: Go to the Footer Section

Once you’re in the Customizer, locate the “Footer” section and click on it to expand your options.

Step 4: Add Copyright Text

Add your copyright notice text to the “Footer Copyright Text” field. Remember to include the copyright symbol ©, the year of publication, your name, and any other relevant information.

Step 5: Publish the Changes

After entering your copyright notice text, click the “Publish” button to save your changes.

Bonus Tip: Removing “Powered by WordPress” from Your Footer

By default, WordPress displays “Proudly powered by WordPress” in your website’s footer. While it’s a simple way to credit WordPress, you might want to remove it to give your site a more professional appearance. Here’s how to do that:

Step 1: Go to Appearance > Editor in Your WordPress Dashboard

Scroll to the bottom of the “functions.php” file and paste the following code:

PHP Code:

“`php
function remove_footer_credit() {
remove_filter( ‘update_footer’, ‘wpse_245388_replace_footer_version’, 9999 );
echo ”;
}
add_action(‘admin_footer_text’, ‘remove_footer_credit’);
“`

Step 4: Click “Update File” to Save Your Changes

After applying the code, the “Powered by WordPress” text will be removed from the back-end and front-end of your website.

In Conclusion

Adding a copyright notice is a necessary step in protecting your intellectual property rights as a content creator. You can quickly add a copyright notice and remove the default “Powered by WordPress” text by following the steps outlined in this article. Ensure that your copyright notice is current and includes all necessary information to safeguard your work from unauthorized use.