How to Find and Hide Your WordPress Theme Name (Without Plugins)
Today, I’ll dive into a useful WordPress trick: finding out what theme a website is using and hiding it manually without relying on plugins.
This can be particularly useful for web developers and WordPress enthusiasts. Let’s get into the details.
Finding the WordPress Theme Name
Method 1: Using Browser Tools
Open your WordPress website. For this tutorial, we’ll use ‘https://lifelovefood.co/’ as our example site.
Right-click on the site and select ‘View Page Source.’
Alternatively if you are using Chrome you can just type: “view-source:https://lifelovefood.co/” into your browser bar.
Now, sse the ‘Ctrl + F’ shortcut to open the search bar and type ‘themes.’
Look for a line in the code that includes the theme name. In our example, the theme name is ‘Salzburg.’
Method 2: Using WP Theme Detector
Visit ‘wpthemedetector.com.’
Enter your website’s URL in the search bar.
The site will display the theme name along with other relevant details.
Hiding the Theme Name
Step 1: Backup Your Site
Before making any changes, ensure you back up your website and database.
Step 2: Accessing Website Files
Install the ‘WP File Manager’ plugin (or use FTP/CPanel).
In WP File Manager, navigate to ‘wp-content/themes.’
Step 3: Duplicating and Renaming the Theme
Duplicate the active theme folder.
Rename the new folder (e.g., ‘new-theme’).
Step 4: Changing Theme Details
Update the ‘screenshot.png’ in the new theme folder with a custom image.
Edit the ‘style.css’ file in the new theme folder to modify theme information.
Step 5: Activating the New Theme
Go to ‘Appearance’ > ‘Themes’ and activate your newly renamed theme.
Step 7: Checking the Changes
Visit your website and verify the theme name is updated.
Optionally, use ‘wpthemedetector.com’ to confirm the changes.
Step 8: Updating the Theme
- Manual updates are required for the modified theme.
- Follow similar steps as above: export settings, update the theme, change screenshots, modify ‘style.css,’ and reapply settings.
Closing Thoughts
With these steps, you can effectively hide your WordPress theme name from detection. Remember, always back up your site before making changes and note that manual updates are necessary for future theme updates.