Remove WordPress Version Number

Remove WordPress Version Number

This snippet removes the WordPress version number from various locations in your site, which is a basic security hardening practice. Hiding your WordPress version makes it harder for attackers to target known vulnerabilities in specific versions.

// Remove version from head
remove_action('wp_head', 'wp_generator');

// Remove version from RSS feeds
add_filter('the_generator', '__return_empty_string');

// Remove version from scripts and styles
function remove_version_scripts_styles($src) {
    if (strpos($src, 'ver=')) {
        $src = remove_query_arg('ver', $src);
    }
    return $src;
}
add_filter('style_loader_src', 'remove_version_scripts_styles', 9999);
add_filter('script_loader_src', 'remove_version_scripts_styles', 9999);

Why This Matters

Security Through Obscurity: While not a complete security solution, hiding your WordPress version removes one piece of information that attackers can use to target your site.

Professional Appearance: Removing version strings from source code looks more professional and prevents clients or competitors from easily identifying your CMS.

Where to Add This Code

• functions.php: Add to your child theme's functions.php file
• Custom Plugin: Better practice - create a mu-plugin in /wp-content/mu-plugins/
• Site Plugin: Include in your custom site functionality plugin