How to Hide Author Name in WordPress Post: 6 Easy Ways

Not every website needs to display who wrote each post. In fact, for business blogs, landing pages, or branded content, hiding the author’s name can make the design look cleaner and more professional.

While WordPress doesn’t offer a one-click option to remove author names, there are a few simple methods, from editing theme settings to adding custom CSS, that can help you control what appears on your site.

Whether you’re managing your site yourself or working with a WordPress development agency to fine-tune your content presentation, knowing how to hide the author’s name in WordPress posts gives you more flexibility in how your content is displayed. This guide breaks down the best ways to do it.

Why Would You Want to Remove the Author Name?

Removing the author name isn’t just about hiding identities — it’s often a design or content strategy choice. Here are some common reasons why site owners prefer to hide it:

• Cleaner design: Author names can add clutter, especially in minimal blog layouts.
• Brand-focused content: Many businesses prefer to publish content under the brand name rather than individual authors.
• Guest or outsourced content: If multiple writers contribute, showing one name might feel inconsistent or confusing.
• Consistent presentation: Some posts get updated over time by different people — showing an author might feel misleading.
• Privacy concerns: Not every writer wants their name publicly displayed, especially in sensitive niches.

No matter your reason, WordPress gives you flexible ways to control how your post metadata is displayed. Let’s look at the best methods to hide the author name.

Hide Author Name in WordPress Post: 6 Top Methods

There’s no single “right” way to hide the author name; the best method depends on your WordPress theme, your technical comfort level, and whether you want a quick or permanent solution.

Below, we’ll explore the most effective ways to hide the author’s name in WordPress posts, from simple theme settings to CSS tweaks and plugin options. Choose the one that works best for your site.

Method 1: Using Plugins to Hide Author Name

If you’re not comfortable editing theme files or adding code, using a plugin is the easiest way to hide the author’s name in WordPress. These tools are designed for non-technical users and usually work with just a few clicks; no code is needed.

Here are some widely used plugins that help remove author information from posts:

• WP Meta and Date Remover: This plugin automatically removes the author name, post date, and other meta info from all posts.
• Hide/Remove Metadata: This plugin offers granular control over what metadata (like author name or published date) you want to show or hide.

How to Do it

1. Go to your WordPress Dashboard > Plugins > Add New
2. Search for any of the plugins mentioned above (e.g., “WP Meta and Date Remover”)
3. Install and activate the plugin
4. Navigate to the plugin’s settings (usually under Settings or Appearance)
5. Enable the option to hide or remove the author metadata

6. Clear cache (if using a caching plugin) and reload your post to check

Using a plugin is a great starting point if you’re looking for a quick, low-risk way to remove author names from your posts. Just make sure to test how it works with your current theme, and always back up your site before making major changes.

Method 2: Hide Author Name via Theme Settings

Some WordPress themes come with built-in options to hide the author’s name without requiring extra plugins or custom code. If you’re using a modern, customizable theme, chances are this setting is just a few clicks away.

These popular themes often include author visibility toggles:

• Twenty Twenty Five
• Astra
• OceanWP
• Kadence
• Blocksy

Note: Not all themes offer this feature, so it depends on what you’re using.

How to Do it

1. From your WordPress admin dashboard, go to Appearance > Customize.
2. Navigate to Blog, Single Post, or Layout settings. (This varies slightly depending on your theme)

3. Look for an option labeled something like: Author Name
4. Delete this option

5. Click Publish to save the changes
6. Refresh your blog post to confirm the author’s name is hidden

If your theme supports this method, it’s the most seamless and update-safe option. It gives you a clean result with minimal effort and no added bloat. Always double-check that the author’s name is also removed from the source code, not just visually.

Method 3: Use Custom CSS to Hide Author Name

If you’re looking for a simple and fast way to hide the author’s name without using plugins or diving into code-heavy edits, Custom CSS is your go-to method. This approach hides the author’s name visually on the front end, though it doesn’t remove it from the source code.

CSS Code

Here’s a sample CSS snippet that targets common author classes used in many themes:

.byline,

.author,

.post-author,

.entry-author {

    display: none !important;

}

Explanation:

• .byline, .author, .post-author, and .entry-author are common class names used to display author info.
• display: none !important; ensures the element is hidden from view on all screen sizes and overrides any theme styling.

How to Do it

1. Go to your WordPress Dashboard
2. Navigate to Appearance > Customize > Select Template > Additional CSS
3. Paste the CSS code snippet into the editor
4. Click Publish

5. Refresh your site and verify that the author’s name is hidden

This method is perfect for quick design tweaks or temporary fixes. Just remember–it’s a cosmetic solution, not a structural one. For full removal (including in code and SEO), pair this with a more advanced method.

Method 4: Hide the Author Name Through Template Customization

If you’re comfortable working with theme code, editing template files gives you full control over how and where the author’s name appears. This method removes the author’s detail directly from the theme’s structure, not just visually.

Depending on your theme, the author name is usually output in one of these files:

• single.php
• content.php
• template-parts/content-single.php
• Or any custom template file used for posts

These files usually include calls to the WordPress loop (wp_query), which is responsible for rendering post content and metadata like the author name.

Now, search for and remove or comment out any of the following PHP functions:

<?php the_author(); ?>

<?php echo get_the_author(); ?>

<?php the_author_posts_link(); ?>

Explanation:

• These functions output the author’s name or link on post templates.
• You can delete them or comment them out using // or block comments /* */.

Example:

<!-- Original -->

<span class="post-author">By <?php the_author(); ?></span>

<!-- Modified -->

<!-- <span class="post-author">By <?php the_author(); ?></span> -->

How to Do it

1. Navigate to your WordPress dashboard > Appearance > Theme File Editor (Or access files via FTP/cPanel for safer editing)
2. Open relevant template files (usually under template-parts/ or root)
3. Locate the author’s output code (use the examples above as a reference)
4. Remove or comment out the author-related lines
5. Save changes and check your site front-end

Tip: Use a child theme to avoid losing changes after updates (more on this in Method 5)

This method is ideal if you’re building a customized WordPress site and want a clean, permanent solution. Just make sure to work on a child theme or take a full backup before editing any files.

Method 5: Hide the Author Name Safely with Code or Child Theme

When you want to hide the author name permanently without losing changes during theme updates, using a child theme or a code snippet plugin is the smart way to go.

If you’re working with custom fields or plugins, the get_post_meta function in WordPress can also be used to fetch and hide author-related meta data from post templates.

Using a Child Theme

A child theme lets you override parts of your main theme without touching its core files.

Steps to create and use a child theme:

1. Create a new folder inside wp-content/themes/, e.g., yourtheme-child
2. Add a style.css and functions.php file with proper header info
3. Copy the template file (like content-single.php) from the parent theme into the child theme
4. Remove or comment out the author output code:

<!-- Comment out in child theme -->

<!-- <span class="author-name"><?php the_author(); ?></span> -->

5. Activate your child theme from Appearance > Themes

Tip: Use a plugin like Generate Child Theme if you prefer a guided setup.

Using a Code Snippet Plugin

If you don’t want to create a child theme, you can inject PHP code using a safe snippet plugin like:

• Code Snippets
• WPCode (Insert Headers & Footers)

Example: Remove author info from post metadata via hook. (Note: It works only on themes that use the_author via filters)

add_filter( 'the_author', '__return_false' );

add_filter( 'get_the_author_display_name', '__return_false' );

Here’s how to do it:

1. Install and activate the Code Snippets plugin
2. Add a new snippet, paste the code above
3. Set it to run only on the frontend
4. Save and activate

This method is perfect if you want a professional, future-proof solution that doesn’t rely on plugins every time or risk losing changes after an update. Whether you go with a child theme or use a code manager plugin, this gives you control and peace of mind.

Method 6: Hide the Author Name from the WordPress Schema

Even if you hide the author name visually or in your theme, it can still appear in your site’s schema markup (structured data), which is what search engines like Google use to understand and display your content. Removing author info from the schema ensures the data is clean and consistent across both front-end and SEO layers.

Why It Matters

• Author info in schema can show up in search results even if it’s hidden on the page
• SEO plugins often add author data automatically
• Structured data mismatches can raise Google Search Console warnings

How to Do it

If you’re using Yoast SEO:

Yoast does not give a direct setting to remove author schema, but you can filter it with code:

add_filter('wpseo_schema_person', '__return_false');

Explanation: This removes the Person schema data that Yoast adds for the author.

If you’re using Rank Math:

You can disable author schema through:

1. Go to Rank Math > Titles & Meta > Authors
2. Turn off Author Archives or set schema type to None

Alternatively, add this code via a Code Snippet plugin:

add_filter( 'rank_math/snippet/rich_snippet_article_entity', '__return_false' );

Structured data is often overlooked when hiding author info, but it’s crucial for clean SEO. Make sure your markup reflects only what you actually want search engines–and readers–to see.

FAQs on Hiding Author Name in WordPress

Final Thoughts

Hiding the author’s name in a WordPress post is easier than it seems. Whether you want a cleaner design, more flexibility for your brand, or simply a more anonymous content style, there’s a method that fits your needs.

From adjusting theme settings to adding CSS or using plugins, you have multiple options to achieve the look you want without affecting your site’s performance or SEO.

If you need help customizing your WordPress site apart from these basic tweaks, our WordPress development services can make it happen. We help businesses build clean, user-friendly, and fully optimized WordPress websites.