How to Remove Archives and Categories Titles in WordPress

If you've ever set up a WordPress website, you know how important it is to keep things neat and tidy for both users and search engines. Sometimes, WordPress automatically displays archive and category titles, which may not always align with your site's design or SEO strategy. If you're looking to clean up your site and remove these titles, you're in the right place. Let’s dive in.

Why Remove Archive and Category Titles?

Before we get into the "how," let's talk about why you'd want to remove these titles in the first place. WordPress typically displays archive and category titles like "Category: News" or "Archives: May 2024" on pages like category or date archives.

These titles can clutter your pages and may not always contribute to a positive user experience or your SEO goals. Studies have shown that 47% of website visitors expect a page to load within 2 seconds or less, so every bit of unnecessary information or clutter can slow down the user experience.

Additionally, duplicate content issues may arise when these titles aren’t relevant or don't fit the context, leading to potential SEO drawbacks. By removing them, you can create a cleaner, more user-friendly site while keeping things optimized for search engines.

5 Methods to Remove Archive and Category Titles in WordPress

Method 1: Using a Plugin (Quick & Easy)

If you're not comfortable with code, the quickest way is to use a plugin like Yoast SEO or WP Meta and Date Remover. Both of these plugins make it easy to remove archive titles without needing to touch a single line of code.

1. Install the Plugin:

  • Go to your WordPress dashboard.
  • Click on "Plugins" > "Add New."
  • Search for Yoast SEO or WP Meta and Date Remover.
  • Install and activate the plugin.

2. Remove Titles:

  • In Yoast SEO, go to "SEO" > "Search Appearance" > "Archives" tab.
  • Here, you can toggle off the display of archive titles for categories, tags, and other taxonomies.
  • For WP Meta and Date Remover, once installed, it will automatically remove the titles from archive and category pages.

This method is best for beginners or anyone looking for a no-hassle solution.

Method 2: Edit Your Theme’s Code (For More Control)

If you’re comfortable with a bit of coding, this method allows you to make more specific changes to your theme. It’s perfect if you want to fine-tune how and where the titles appear.

Add the following code to your functions.php file:

<?php

add_filter( 'get_the_archive_title', function ($title) {

  if ( is_category() ) {

    $title = single_cat_title( '', false );

  } elseif ( is_tag() ) {

    $title = single_tag_title( '', false );

  } elseif ( is_author() ) {

    $title = '<span class="vcard">' . get_the_author() . '</span>' ;

  } elseif ( is_tax() ) { //for custom post types

    $title = sprintf( __( '%1$s' ), single_term_title( '', false ) );

  } elseif (is_post_type_archive()) {

    $title = post_type_archive_title( '', false );

  }

  return $title;

 });

If the issue persists, proceed with the next method.

Method 3: 

Access the Theme Editor:

  • Go to your WordPress dashboard.
  • Navigate to Appearance > Theme Editor.
  • Locate the Template Files:
  • Look for the template file where the archive/category titles are displayed. This will usually be in files like archive.php, category.php, or index.php.

Modify the Code:

  • Find the line of code that looks like this:
php

the_archive_title();

or

php

the_category();

Remove or Comment Out:

You can either delete this line or comment it out like this:

php

// the_archive_title();

Save Changes:

Once you’ve made the changes, save the file, and you’re done!

Tip: Always create a child theme before making changes to your theme's files. This way, you won’t lose your customizations when the theme gets updated.

Method 4: Custom CSS (Hide Titles)

If you prefer a non-technical solution, you can hide category and archive titles using custom CSS. This method won’t technically remove the titles but will make them invisible on the front end.

  • Go to Customizer:

From the WordPress dashboard, go to Appearance > Customize.

  • Add Custom CSS:

Navigate to Additional CSS and add the following code:

css

.archive .page-title, .category .page-title {

    display: none;

}
  • Publish: Click on Publish to save the changes.

This method is the least intrusive and can be reversed easily, but it doesn’t technically remove the titles from the HTML output, so search engines might still pick them up.

Bonus Tips: Improve Your SEO While Removing Titles

When you're removing titles like "Category" or "Archives," it’s also a great time to think about your site’s overall SEO.

  • Use Custom Titles: Instead of default titles, try using custom titles that better reflect the content of each category or archive page. This could improve the relevance of your content for search engines.
  • Add Meta Descriptions: Adding custom meta descriptions to these pages can help search engines understand what the page is about, even if the title is removed.

Conclusion

Removing archive and category titles in WordPress can help you create a cleaner, more streamlined website. Whether you’re using a plugin, tweaking your theme’s code, or hiding them with CSS, the choice is yours depending on your comfort level with WordPress.

By simplifying your site’s structure and ensuring you're only displaying the most relevant information, you’ll not only improve the user experience but also potentially boost your site’s SEO performance. After all, keeping things neat and precise—both for users and search engines—is always a smart move.

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