BugWP logo BugWP
Back to Community
Home / Community / Theme → Hestia

How to Customize or Remove the Hestia Theme Footer (Free Version)

22 threads Sep 9, 2025 Theme → Hestia

Content

Customizing the footer in the Hestia theme is a common request, especially for users of the free version. A significant change occurred in version 3.0.23, where the ability to edit the footer copyright credits was removed from the free theme's customization options. This guide will explain the situation and provide the most common methods for modifying your footer.

Understanding the Hestia Footer

The Hestia footer typically consists of two main parts:

  1. Widget Areas: These are the sections (usually up to three) where you can add content like text, images, or menus via Appearance > Widgets.
  2. Copyright Credits: This is the text at the very bottom that, by default, reads "Hestia | Developed by ThemeIsle".

Historically, users could modify or remove this credit text from the Customizer. However, as noted in user reports, this option was removed from the free version starting with Hestia 3.0.23. The Hestia team moved this feature to their Pro offering.

Common Solutions for Footer Modification

1. Using Custom CSS (Quick Fix)

The simplest way to hide the default footer credits is with a small piece of CSS code. This method is non-destructive and won't be overwritten by theme updates if added correctly.

  1. Navigate to Appearance > Customize > Additional CSS.
  2. Paste the following code into the CSS editor: 
    .copyright.pull-right {
    display: none;
}
  3. Click Publish to save your changes.

This will hide the "Hestia | Developed by ThemeIsle" text. To hide the entire footer bar, you could use a broader selector, but test this carefully as it will remove all content within that area.

2. Using a Child Theme (Recommended for Advanced Changes)

For more control, such as changing the credit text or adding a custom copyright notice, using a child theme is the recommended best practice. This protects your changes from being lost when the parent Hestia theme updates.

As discovered by users in the forums, the footer output is primarily handled in the file inc/views/main/class-hestia-footer.php. To modify it:

  1. If you haven't already, create a child theme for Hestia.
  2. Copy the class-hestia-footer.php file from themes/hestia/inc/views/main/ to the corresponding directory in your child theme (you may need to create the folder structure).
  3. Edit the copied file in your child theme to make your desired changes to the HTML output.

Important Note: Directly editing the parent theme's files is strongly discouraged. Any changes you make will be completely erased the next time you update the theme.

3. Addressing Widget Layout

If your goal is to change the layout of the footer widget areas (e.g., adjusting column widths), this can typically be achieved with custom CSS. The default structure uses a Bootstrap-based grid system. To adjust the width of the columns, you would need to override the default CSS classes with more specific rules in the Customizer's Additional CSS section.

Why These Methods Are Necessary

The change in Hestia 3.0.23 reflects a common business model where certain customization features are reserved for the premium version of a theme. The free version remains fully functional, but the most straightforward method for altering the footer branding was intentionally limited. The solutions above provide legitimate workarounds for users who wish to personalize this part of their site without upgrading.

Conclusion

While the built-in option to edit the footer credits is no longer available in the free version of Hestia, you are not without options. For quickly hiding the text, use the Custom CSS method. For more permanent and advanced customizations, creating a child theme is the most robust solution. Always remember to back up your site before making changes to code.

Related Support Threads Support