Perplexing and Bursty: Customizing Website Fonts with Google Fonts

Google fonts are a go-to tool for customizing websites by granting access to an array of font styles. However, the downside is that they can negatively impact performance by slowing down a website’s loading speed. Additionally, some individuals have privacy and security concerns with Google fonts. Not to worry, removing Google fonts from a WordPress site is a straightforward process that can be achieved by following these steps:

Step 1: Identify Which Google Fonts are In Use

To remove Google fonts from your WordPress site, you must first identify which ones are in use. There are two options for doing so:

Option 1: Use a Plugin

Plugins like “WP Google Fonts” exist to assess the Google fonts being used on your website. The plugin’s list also provides users with the CSS code containing the displayed fonts.

Option 2: Use Your Browser’s Developer Tools

A less straightforward approach is to use your browser’s developer tools. Right-clicking an element of your WordPress website and selecting “Inspect” or “Inspect Element” will open the developer tools window. From there, navigate to the “Sources” tab and search for the “CSS” file utilized by your site. Once found, check for “googleapis.com” or “fonts.googleapis.com” to determine the fonts in use.

Step 2: Remove Google Fonts Manually

A user can manually remove Google fonts from a WordPress site by accessing the CSS code linking to the fonts and deleting it altogether. To achieve this:

1. Open the WordPress dashboard and navigate to the “Appearance” section.
2. Click on “Editor” to open the theme editor.
3. Click “Stylesheet” (style.css) in the list of theme files on the right side of the screen.
4. Scroll through the code to locate “googleapis.com” or “fonts.googleapis.com” followed by the specific font name.
5. Delete the entire line of code containing the font name.
6. Save the changes and refresh your website to ensure the changes are effective.

Be reminded to backup your site before editing the theme files and, ideally, before initiating any significant changes to your WordPress site.

Step 3: Using a Plugin to Remove Google Fonts

Another method is to use a plugin to remove Google fonts from your WordPress site. Some plugins include:

Option 1: Disable Google Fonts

The Disable Google Fonts plugin is free and offers a simple method for removing Google fonts from a WordPress site. By navigating to “Settings” > “Disable Google Fonts” within your WordPress dashboard and checking the boxes adjacent to the font families you want to eliminate, you can eliminate Google fonts in just a few clicks.

Option 2: Asset CleanUp: Page Speed Booster

If your WordPress site has a lot of unnecessary assets, the Asset CleanUp plugin can help optimize it. In addition to removing Google fonts, such assets could include CSS and JavaScript files. By going to “Settings” > “Asset CleanUp” and clicking “Manage CSS” or “Manage JavaScript,” you can view all the assets being used on your site. Locate any Google font-related assets and uncheck the box next to them. Save the changes, and your website will display the new settings.

Conclusion

By removing unnecessary assets like Google fonts, you can increase your website’s loading time and overall performance. Whether you choose to use a plugin or manually edit the CSS code of your WordPress site, it’s essential to determine which fonts you’re currently utilizing and to make backups frequently in case anything goes wrong.