If you have ever looked at the source code of a WordPress website, you may have noticed a line like this in the head section, that’s Meta Tag :
<meta name="generator" content="WordPress 5.8.1" />
This is called the generator meta tag, and it tells the browser and other web tools what software was used to create the website. In this case, it indicates that the website was built with WordPress version 5.8.1.
But why is this information important, and what are the benefits and drawbacks of having it on your website? Let’s find out.
Benefits of the Generator Meta Tag
The generator meta tag can have some advantages for both web developers and web users. Here are some of them:
- It can help web developers identify the software version and platform of a website, which can be useful for debugging, testing, or compatibility purposes.
- It can help web users find out more about the website they are visiting, such as what features or functionalities it offers, or what security or performance issues it may have.
- It can help web tools, such as search engines, crawlers, or validators, to better understand and index the website, which can improve its visibility and ranking.
- It can help web software providers, such as WordPress, to showcase their products and services, and to attract more users and customers.
Drawbacks of the Generator Meta Tag
The generator meta tag can also have some disadvantages for both web developers and web users. Here are some of them:
- It can expose the website to potential security risks, such as hacking, malware, or spam attacks, by revealing its software version and platform, which can be exploited by malicious actors who know about its vulnerabilities or weaknesses.
- It can affect the website’s performance and loading speed, by adding an extra line of code to the head section, which can increase the page size and reduce the bandwidth.
- It can reduce the website’s uniqueness and originality, by showing that it was created with a common or popular software, which can make it less appealing or distinctive to web users or customers.
How to Remove or Change the Generator Meta Tag
If you want to remove or change the generator meta tag on your WordPress website, you have two options: using a plugin or editing the code.
Using a Plugin
One of the easiest ways to remove or change the generator meta tag is to use a plugin that can do it for you. There are many plugins available for this purpose, such as Meta tags IO generator or Code Meta Opengraph Tag Generator, which can help you customize your meta tags according to your needs and preferences.
To use a plugin, you just need to install and activate it on your WordPress dashboard, and then follow its instructions and settings. For example, with our Meta tags generator, you can simply add your own meta site title, description, and other features using the dedicated Meta tag Generator tool . With Code Meta Opengraph Tag Generator, you can unleash your power and optimize your content for search engines with Opengraph meta tags.
Editing the Code
Another way to remove or change the generator meta tag is to edit the code of your WordPress website. This method requires some technical skills and knowledge, and it is not recommended for beginners or inexperienced users.
To edit the code, you need to access your WordPress files via FTP or cPanel, and then locate and open the functions.php file of your active theme. Then, you need to add one of these snippets of code at the end of the file:
To remove the generator meta tag completely:
remove_action('wp_head', 'wp_generator');
To change the generator meta tag content:
function custom_generator_tag() { echo '<meta name="generator" content="Your custom content here" />' . "\n"; } add_action('wp_head', 'custom_generator_tag', 1);
After adding the code snippet, save and close the file, and then refresh your website to see the changes.
Conclusion
The generator meta tag is a piece of code that tells what software was used to create a website. It can have some benefits and drawbacks for both web developers and web users. If you want to remove or change it on your WordPress website, you can use a plugin or edit the code.
Thanks for Reading😊
