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To hide an author name in a block theme, edit the template that displays it in Appearance → Editor and remove its Post Author block. Check single posts and post listings separately. In a classic theme, first look for a theme setting; any CSS or code change depends on that theme.

Hide the byline without changing the post’s author

A byline is usually a display element in the page layout. WordPress’s Post Author block displays the post author’s username, avatar, and byline. Removing that block hides the visible author information where the block appears.

The post’s Author field is different: it assigns the post to a user. Changing that field changes who is credited; it does not remove the byline from a template that still displays author information. Use a display or template control when your goal is to hide the name.

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For a block theme, remove the Post Author block from the relevant template

  1. In the WordPress dashboard, go to Appearance → Editor.
  2. Open the template used for individual posts. It is often called Single Posts, though the name can vary by theme.
  3. Find the Post Author block and remove it if you want the full author display hidden. If you want to keep some author information, adjust the block’s settings instead; options include the avatar, bio, and link to the author page.
  4. Save the template, then open a published post on the public site to check the result.

A saved template change affects posts that use that template, not just the post you used to check it. WordPress’s template documentation explains how templates control the layout of site content. Make sure the site-wide effect is what you intend.

Check the homepage and archive layouts separately

If the author name is gone from a single post but still appears on post cards, the listing may use a different template. Inspect the homepage, blog page, and archive layouts where the name appears. In those layouts, check the Query Loop and its Post Template for another Post Author block. WordPress documents the Query Loop and its repeated post layout here.

Remove or adjust the author block in each relevant layout, then check both an individual post and the affected listings. This helps ensure that dates and categories remain visible where you still want them.

For a classic theme, start with its own controls

Classic themes do not share one universal author-name setting or CSS selector. Check the theme’s Customizer or options for a control to show or hide post metadata. If there is no setting, a CSS rule may visually hide the author element, or a child-theme template edit may remove its markup. The correct method depends on the active theme and its markup.

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Avoid copying a CSS selector or PHP snippet from a support discussion without verifying that it applies to your theme. A broad selector can hide neighboring metadata such as the date or category. The WordPress.org support discussions about hiding authors in specific themes illustrate why selectors are theme-dependent: “Hide author name?” and “Hide Author in Posts?”.

Editing a theme file directly may be lost when that theme is updated. Use the theme’s supported customization method; if the change requires editing a template, a child theme may be appropriate, but the file and code depend on the theme. There is no single code change established here for every classic theme.

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If Appearance → Editor is missing

The full Site Editor workflow is for block themes. If you cannot find Appearance → Editor, check whether your active theme is a classic theme and use its own settings instead. The WordPress Site Editor documentation describes the editor and its theme-dependent availability.

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Troubleshoot what remains visible

  • Byline remains on post cards: inspect the homepage, blog, or archive template and its Query Loop’s Post Template.
  • Date or category vanished too: if you used CSS, the selector may match a shared metadata container. Inspect the active theme’s markup and target only the author element.
  • You changed the post’s Author field: that changes attribution identity, not whether the template displays a byline.
  • A code change disappeared after a theme update: use the theme’s supported customization approach and keep track of any template you changed. The right update-safe method depends on the theme.

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