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How to Remove the Site Kit by Google Meta Generator Tag

29 threads Sep 16, 2025 Plugin → Site kit by google

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Many WordPress users who install Site Kit by Google discover a new meta tag in their website's source code. This tag, which looks like <meta name="generator" content="Site Kit by Google 1.113.0" />, is automatically added by the plugin. While this tag is harmless and doesn't impact site performance or SEO, some users prefer to remove it to maintain a cleaner codebase or to avoid potential conflicts with other SEO plugins that also add generator tags.

Why Does Site Kit Add This Tag?

The Site Kit by Google team includes this meta tag as a standard way to identify that the plugin is active on a site. It's a common practice among WordPress plugins. The presence of this tag does not mean the plugin is inserting tracking code or affecting your site's front-end performance; it is simply an identifier.

How to Remove the Meta Generator Tag

If you wish to remove this tag, you can do so easily by adding a small code snippet to your theme's functions.php file. It is highly recommended to use a child theme for this modification to prevent your changes from being overwritten during theme updates.

Here is the code snippet:

add_filter( 'googlesitekit_generator', '__return_empty_string' );

Steps to implement this solution:

  1. Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard.
  2. Navigate to Appearance > Theme File Editor.
  3. Select your child theme from the dropdown menu on the right (if you are using one).
  4. Click on the Theme Functions (functions.php) file to edit it.
  5. Paste the code snippet at the very bottom of the file.
  6. Click Update File to save your changes.

After saving, clear any caching mechanisms you have on your site (e.g., a caching plugin, server-side cache, or CDN cache) and then check your site's source code. The Site Kit generator meta tag should no longer be present.

What If the Code Doesn't Work?

If you've added the code and the tag remains, there are a few common things to check:

  • Caching: Ensure you have thoroughly cleared all levels of caching on your site and server.
  • Child Theme: Confirm the code is placed in your active child theme's functions.php file. If you are not using a child theme, consider creating one or using a dedicated 'Code Snippets' plugin to manage custom functions.
  • Conflicting Plugins: Temporarily deactivate other plugins to test if a conflict is preventing the filter from working.

This simple solution allows you to control the output of the Site Kit plugin and customize your site's code to your preference.

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