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Freedom251 › Blog › Customizer

How to Change Your WordPress Site Title (and Fix Old Names That Still Show)

By Freedom251 Team · · 12 min read

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In most WordPress installations, change the site-wide name by signing in and opening Settings > General. Replace the Site Title value, then click Save Changes. That value is used for the site’s identifying name and commonly appears in the header, browser title bar and syndication feeds. Your theme may also expose the same setting through the Site Editor or Customizer.

The exact menu depends on whether your active theme is a block theme or a classic theme. Use the route that matches your dashboard, and edit a template’s Site Title block only when you need to change the title presentation in a specific template.

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Which WordPress screen should you use?

Start with the global setting unless you have a specific reason to work in a theme template. The four routes below are related, but they do not all have the same scope or save control.

Route Theme or context Scope What it can affect How you save
Settings > General Available as the broad dashboard method Global site title value Core title locations, including the browser title value and feeds where WordPress uses it Save Changes
Appearance > Editor > Identity Block themes Global identity settings in the Site Editor Site Title, tagline, logo and icon shown by the block theme Site Editor Save
Appearance > Customize > Site Identity Classic themes that provide the Customizer Global identity settings plus display controls Site Title and tagline, with an option to show or hide them Customizer Publish or save control
Site Title block A block theme template or template part The title element used by that template; it is tied to the WordPress Site Title value when saved Where the Site Title block is rendered, including documented title locations Save the template or template part

WordPress labels and available panels can change with the active theme and WordPress release. If a route in this table is missing, use Settings > General first, then check which theme is active.

Change the title from Settings > General

This is the most direct choice when you want to rename the site globally rather than adjust one header or template.

  1. Sign in to your WordPress dashboard.
  2. Open Settings > General.
  3. Find the field labeled Site Title.
  4. Replace the existing text with the new name. Enter the name exactly as you want WordPress to identify the site.
  5. Click Save Changes.

The Site Title field is separate from Tagline. The title is the site’s identifying name; the tagline is a short phrase or sentence that explains what the site is about. Editing one does not require changing the other.

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What this method changes

The saved value becomes the core WordPress site name. WordPress commonly uses it in the top area of pages, the browser title bar and syndication feeds. A theme can choose how to display that value, so the visual result may differ between themes.

If you only want to change the name on the homepage

Changing Site Title is a site-wide action, not a rename of one page. If the words you want to change are the title of a page assigned as the homepage, edit that page’s own title instead. If the words appear in the site header, determine whether the header contains a Site Title block or a separate text block before editing.

Change it in a block theme’s Site Editor

Block themes generally expose identity controls inside the Site Editor. Use this route when your dashboard has Appearance > Editor and you want to work in the theme’s visual editing interface.

  1. Open Appearance > Editor.
  2. In the Site Editor sidebar, select Identity.
  3. Edit the Site Title field.
  4. Review the canvas to confirm the new text appears as expected.
  5. Click Save and confirm the save when WordPress presents a confirmation panel.

The Identity area also exposes Site Tagline, Site Logo and Site Icon. These are separate identity properties. Changing the title does not automatically replace the logo, icon or tagline.

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Why Identity may not appear

The Identity section is associated with block themes. A classic theme can instead show the Customizer route, and some themes provide their own options. If Appearance > Editor or Identity is absent, do not assume the setting was removed; check the active theme and use Settings > General or Appearance > Customize.

Change it with a classic theme’s Customizer

Classic themes commonly place title controls in the Customizer’s Site Identity panel. This route is useful when you need to decide whether the title and tagline should be visible in the theme’s header.

  1. Open Appearance > Customize.
  2. Choose Site Identity.
  3. Edit Site Title.
  4. Decide whether the theme should display the title and tagline using the available display control.
  5. Click Publish (or the equivalent save control) to apply the changes.

The exact controls can vary by theme. Site Identity is the customary location for the title, tagline, logo and site icon, but a theme can add or rename adjacent options. The Customizer preview is not the final state until you publish or save.

Edit a template’s Site Title block

Use a template-level edit when the issue is how the title is placed or styled in a block theme template, rather than the underlying global name.

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  1. Open the Site Editor and navigate to the relevant template or template part, such as a header.
  2. Select the Site Title block.
  3. Edit the text or adjust the block’s presentation as needed.
  4. If the block is not present, insert it with the block inserter, or type /site-title in a paragraph block and choose the Site Title block.
  5. Save the template or template part.

WordPress documents that updating this block and saving the template applies the change wherever that Site Title name is used, including the browser title bar, search results and the Site Title text field in Settings > General. Because this is a template operation, make sure you are editing the template used by the page or view where the old name appears.

Site Title block versus a custom text block

A header can contain a WordPress-controlled Site Title block or an ordinary paragraph, heading or custom text block. Only the Site Title block is connected to the documented Site Title value. If a header still shows an old name after you changed the global setting, select the visible text and identify its block type. A custom text block must be edited separately; changing the global field will not rewrite arbitrary text that was typed into that block.

How the title is used across your site

The Site Title is one value, but visitors can encounter it in several places. WordPress commonly places it in the top area of a page, uses it in the browser title bar and includes it in syndication feeds. A block-based template can also use the Site Title block in a header or another template part. Search-result wording may reflect the saved Site Title when WordPress uses that value, although a theme or SEO configuration can compose the final browser or search title differently.

These locations are related but are not interchangeable. A page’s own title belongs to that page. A heading typed into page content is ordinary content. A logo is an image, and a site icon is a small browser or application icon. Changing the Site Title updates the global name; it does not rewrite those independent elements. When checking a rename, identify the exact location that still contains the old words before making another edit.

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Site Title, Tagline, logo and icon are different settings

WordPress groups these items under site identity, but they serve different purposes:

  • Site Title: the primary identifying name for the site.
  • Tagline: a short explanatory phrase or sentence. It is not a second title and can be left unchanged when only the name is changing.
  • Site Logo: an image used by themes that support a logo area.
  • Site Icon: the small icon associated with the site in supported browser and application contexts.

Changing the title will not automatically alter the tagline, logo or icon. Review each field only if your rebrand requires those elements to change as well.

A practical rename plan

Before editing, decide whether you are changing the site identity everywhere or correcting one visible label. For a full rename, write the exact capitalization, spacing and punctuation you want, then use Settings > General or the identity panel for your theme. Leave the tagline alone unless the descriptive phrase is also changing. If the site has a block-theme header, check whether it uses a Site Title block; if it does, the saved global value should flow into that block. If it uses custom text, plan a separate header edit.

Save only the screen you changed, then verify each important display target: the dashboard field, the visible header, a page’s browser tab and the homepage. If you edited a template, test a page that actually uses that template or template part. This sequence prevents a common mistake: repeatedly changing the global field when the old words are hard-coded in a page heading or custom header block.

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Why the old title can still appear

An unchanged name usually means the text is coming from a different location, or the edit was not saved in the screen where it was made. Work through these checks in order.

The dashboard route is different

The active theme determines much of the navigation. Block themes commonly provide Appearance > Editor > Identity; classic themes commonly provide Appearance > Customize > Site Identity. Regardless of theme, Settings > General > Site Title is the broad dashboard-level route described by WordPress.

The header uses manually entered text

Select the header content in the editor. If it is a heading, paragraph or custom text block rather than a Site Title block, replace that text directly. A manually entered label is independent of the global Site Title value.

The template was edited but not saved

Site Editor changes, Site Title block changes and template-part changes take effect only after you save them. Return to the same template, verify the intended text, and use the editor’s Save control. For the General screen, use Save Changes; for the Customizer, use Publish or its save equivalent.

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The browser title and visible header disagree

These outputs can be assembled by different layers. A theme template may render the visible header, while the browser title is composed from the core WordPress value and theme or SEO settings. Inspect the active template and any SEO configuration if one location changes while another does not. The core Site Title is still edited through the documented settings or Site Title block.

The homepage shows a different phrase

Check whether the phrase is the title of the page assigned as the homepage, a custom heading in the page content, or the site header. Edit the corresponding source rather than repeatedly changing the global Site Title.

Verify the change before you finish

Use this short checklist after saving:

  • Reopen the screen you edited and confirm the new Site Title is still present.
  • View the site’s header and identify whether the displayed name comes from a Site Title block or custom text.
  • Open a page in a new browser tab and inspect the browser title.
  • Check the homepage separately if that is where the old name was reported.
  • Confirm that the tagline remained unchanged if your goal was to rename the site only.
  • If you edited a template, verify that the page uses that template or template part.

Seeing the new value in the dashboard but an old value in one visual location is a signal to inspect that location’s block or template, not to change the Site Title repeatedly.

Choosing the right workflow

Use Settings > General when

  • You need one global site name.
  • You are unsure which theme type is active.
  • You want the smallest number of theme-specific decisions.

Use Appearance > Editor > Identity when

  • You use a block theme.
  • You want to edit identity settings in the Site Editor alongside the theme canvas.
  • You also need to review the block theme’s logo, icon or tagline controls.

Use Appearance > Customize > Site Identity when

  • You use a classic theme with a Customizer.
  • You need the theme’s control for showing or hiding the title and tagline.
  • You want to preview the classic theme’s header before publishing.

Use a Site Title block when

  • The title is part of a block-based template or header.
  • You need to fix where the title is rendered.
  • You want the documented Site Title block behavior to carry the saved name through the relevant title locations.
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Common mistakes to avoid

  • Editing Tagline instead of Site Title: these fields have different purposes and are adjacent in several identity screens.
  • Changing a page title to rename the site: a page title affects that page, not the global site identity.
  • Editing the wrong header: a template part may be reused across the site, while a custom text block may exist only on one page.
  • Leaving the screen unsaved: a preview or typed value is not published until the relevant save control is used.
  • Assuming every theme exposes the same menu: block and classic themes use different editing routes.
  • Changing several identity fields unnecessarily: a logo, icon or tagline will not update the title and should be edited only when intended.
  • Checking only one display target: verify the dashboard value, header, browser title and homepage separately because they can come from different sources.

For a normal site rename, change Site Title globally, save it, then inspect the header and browser title to locate any independently entered text. Keep the Tagline separate unless you intentionally want to change the descriptive phrase too.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I change my WordPress site title?

Sign in, open Settings > General, replace the Site Title, and click Save Changes. Block themes also offer Appearance > Editor > Identity, while classic themes commonly use Appearance > Customize > Site Identity.

Where is the Site Title setting in WordPress?

The broad dashboard location is Settings > General. In a block theme, look under Appearance > Editor > Identity; in a classic theme, look under Appearance > Customize > Site Identity.

How do I change the title on my WordPress homepage?

If you mean the global site name in the header or browser title, change Site Title. If you mean the title of the page assigned as the homepage, edit that page’s own title instead.

Why is my old site name still showing?

The old text may be in a custom text or heading block, an unsaved template, a different homepage title, or a theme/SEO-generated browser title. Confirm the global value was saved, then inspect the exact block or template producing the old words.

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How do I change the WordPress title without changing the tagline?

Edit only the Site Title field and leave Tagline unchanged. They are separate settings in General, Site Editor Identity and Site Identity panels.

Can I change the title in a WordPress block theme?

Yes. Open Appearance > Editor > Identity and edit Site Title, or select the Site Title block in the relevant template or template part and save it.

Can I hide the title instead of renaming it?

Classic themes commonly provide a Site Identity control to show or hide the title and tagline. The exact control depends on the theme; hiding display is different from changing the global Site Title value.

What is the difference between a Site Title block and custom text?

The Site Title block is connected to WordPress’s Site Title value and can propagate the saved name through documented title locations. A paragraph, heading or custom text block contains independent text that must be edited separately.

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The Bottom Line

For a global rename, use Settings > General > Site Title and click Save Changes. Block themes offer Appearance > Editor > Identity, and classic themes commonly use Appearance > Customize > Site Identity. If one location still shows the old name, inspect its template, Site Title block or custom text instead of changing the global value again.

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