WordPress Setup

This note records a few small WordPress setup tasks: removing visible WordPress branding from the admin bar and theme footer, then installing several useful plugins.

Before editing theme files, make a backup or use a child theme. Direct edits to a parent theme can be overwritten during theme updates.

1. Replace WordPress Logo Assets

Search the active theme and any custom login or admin assets for WordPress logo files. Replace only the copies that belong to your own theme or customization layer. Avoid editing WordPress core files, because core updates will overwrite those changes.

Useful places to check include:

  • wp-content/themes/<your-theme>/
  • wp-content/themes/<your-child-theme>/
  • wp-content/plugins/, if a branding or login customization plugin is installed
  • Custom CSS added through the WordPress Customizer

2. Remove the Top-Left WordPress Admin Bar Logo

Add this code at the end of the active theme’s functions.php, preferably in a child theme:

// Remove the WordPress logo from the top-left corner of the admin bar.
function annointed_admin_bar_remove() {
    global $wp_admin_bar;
    $wp_admin_bar->remove_menu('wp-logo');
}
add_action('wp_before_admin_bar_render', 'annointed_admin_bar_remove', 0);

After saving the file, reload the WordPress dashboard while logged in. The WordPress logo menu should no longer appear in the admin bar.

3. Remove “Proudly Powered by WordPress”

In the active theme, open footer.php and search for the text:

Proudly powered by WordPress

Delete that text or replace it with your own footer copy.

If the theme does not contain that exact string, inspect the footer template and any theme options. Some themes generate the footer credit through a theme setting, template part, or translation string.

4. Install the SA Slider Plugin

From the WordPress dashboard:

  1. Go to Plugins > Add New.
  2. Search for SA Slider.
  3. Install and activate the plugin.
  4. Create or configure a slider according to the plugin settings.

If the plugin is not available from the dashboard search, download it from its official source and upload the .zip file through Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin.

5. Install the Visual Portfolio Plugin

From the WordPress dashboard:

  1. Go to Plugins > Add New.
  2. Search for Visual Portfolio.
  3. Install and activate the plugin.
  4. Use the plugin’s block, shortcode, or settings page to create a portfolio layout.

After activation, confirm that the portfolio output works on both desktop and mobile views.

6. Install the Self Hosted Google Fonts Plugin

From the WordPress dashboard:

  1. Go to Plugins > Add New.
  2. Search for Self Hosted Google Fonts.
  3. Install and activate the plugin.
  4. Open the plugin settings and generate or download the local font files if required.
  5. Clear any page cache or CDN cache after changing font settings.

Self-hosting fonts can improve privacy and reduce dependency on external font requests. Check the browser developer tools after setup to confirm that fonts are loading from the local site instead of fonts.googleapis.com or fonts.gstatic.com.

Final Checks

After these changes:

  1. Visit the dashboard and confirm the admin bar logo is gone.
  2. Visit the public site and confirm the footer credit has been removed or replaced.
  3. Confirm each installed plugin is active and does not produce frontend JavaScript or CSS errors.
  4. Clear caches if the old footer, logo, or fonts still appear.

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