How to hide and remove page titles in WordPress?

What does your ideal WordPress website look like? Sleek design? Content that flows seamlessly with no distractions from the main message? A clean, minimalist look?

If the answer is yes then you’ll be glad to know that all this can be achieved by simply hiding or removing page titles.

In the world of WordPress, this little tweak can make a big difference in how your site looks and feels. Whether you want your homepage to exude sophistication or your landing pages to drive conversions without unnecessary clutter, knowing how to manage page titles is essential.

Now, let’s dive into the nuances of hiding and removing page titles in WordPress, explore the methods to do it and weigh the pros and cons of each approach.

Plus, we’ll touch on the impact this can have on SEO, user experience, and accessibility, so you can make informed decisions for your website’s design.

Difference between hiding and removing page titles in WordPress

When it comes to managing page titles in WordPress, it’s essential to understand the distinction between hiding and removing them. Both methods can enhance your site’s aesthetics, but they have different implications for SEO and user experience.

In short:

Hiding is like using an invisibility cloak: the title stays in the HTML code, providing valuable SEO benefits and context for search engines without being visible to your site visitors. This method allows you to maintain a clean design while retaining the title’s SEO value.
Removing is like making the title vanish completely: it’s deleted from the HTML code, leaving no trace. This can improve the page’s aesthetic appeal but can negatively impact SEO, as search engines lose the contextual information that the title provides.

Which approach fits your website’s needs best? The decision largely depends on your design goals, SEO strategy, and overall user experience considerations. To help you make an informed choice, let’s dive deeper into the methods for hiding and removing page titles in WordPress.

How to hide page titles in WordPress (using WordPress core functions)

There are two different methods based on which type of Theme you are using. If you are using a block Theme you will notice Site Editor in your WordPress Dashboard. But if you are using a theme which supports WordPress customizer, then you can do it another way.

Block Theme user

Navigate to Appearance> Editor > Styles> Click on the Edit icon (Pen) > Click on triple dot icon > click on additional CSS> Input the following code here.

                                            
                                        
                        .wp-block-post-title {
    display: none;
}

Theme that support WordPress Customizer

Just navigate to appearance and if you notice the “Customizer” option then your theme supports the default WordPress Customizer.

First, do inspect elements and try to get the Post title Class for your blog posts. Generally the class is “entry-title”. Then navigate to Your Dashboard> Appearance> Customizer> Additional CSS > input the following code.

                                            
                                        
                        .post .entry-title{
	display: none;
}

Pros

Easy to implement without plugins.
Maintains the title in the HTML for SEO benefits.
Can be applied selectively to individual pages.

Cons

Not all themes support the option to hide titles.
Custom CSS might not work universally across all themes.

How to hide page titles in WordPress using Elementor?

To hide your specific blog post title in Elementor, open that blog post using Elementor editor. Click on the settings icon> enable the “Hide Title” option.

Using the Elementor single blog post template editor:

To do this, you need Elementor pro. Navigate to Templates > Theme builder > Click on Single Post> Edit your single post template and find out the “post title” element and remove it.

[Note: If you don’t see any existing Single post template, then you have to create a template from sketch or import a single blog post template. Then remove the post title from the template.]

Pros

User-friendly interface.
Direct control over individual page elements.
No need for additional plugins.

Cons

Requires Elementor Pro for advanced settings.
Learning curve for new Elementor users.
Need to hide title for all blog post individually

What to do If you can’t hide the title?

Sometimes, despite your best efforts, titles refuse to budge. This stubborn behavior can be frustrating, especially when you’re trying to achieve a specific design or layout. The persistence of unwanted titles often stems from theme-specific coding, conflicts with plugins, or deeply embedded WordPress core functionality. But don’t lose hope!

In such cases, you have a few options that range from tweaking code to employing clever design tricks. Let’s explore some advanced techniques and alternative approaches that can help you overcome these title-hiding hurdles:

Removing the page titles in WordPress by Overriding theme functions

We will talk about removing single blog post and single page title.

Remove Single blog post title

To remove the title from a single blog post in WordPress, you can use the single_post_title() function. Open your theme’s functions.php file. Add the following code snippet to hide the title for single posts:

                                            
                                        
                        add_action( 'wp', 'hide_single_post_title' );
function hide_single_post_title() {
    if ( is_single() ) {
        single_post_title( '', false ); // Set the second parameter to false to retrieve the title without displaying it
    }
}

Save the changes.

Remove page title

If you want to hide the title from a single page, modify the code snippet as follows:

                                            
                                        
                        add_action( 'wp', 'hide_single_page_title' );
function hide_single_page_title() {
    if ( is_page( YOUR_PAGE_ID ) ) { // Replace YOUR_PAGE_ID with the actual page ID
        single_post_title( '', false );
    }
}

Replace YOUR_PAGE_ID with the ID of the specific page you want to target.

How to get the page ID?

When you are in the page editor, just take a look at the URL. You will notice “post=number” the number is your unique ID for page.

Impact of hiding page titles

Understanding the impact of hiding or removing page titles is crucial for making an informed decision. Both approaches have significant effects on SEO, user experience, and accessibility. Here’s a closer look at these aspects:

SEO Considerations

Hiding titles can maintain SEO benefits as search engines can still read the title in the HTML. This means your page retains its contextual information, which is crucial for search engine ranking and relevance.
Removing titles may negatively impact SEO as search engines lose the title’s contextual information, which can affect how your page is indexed and ranked.

User Experience Effects

A cleaner look without titles can improve user experience, especially on landing pages where you want to minimize distractions and focus on conversions.
Titles provide context, and removing them might confuse users, as they won’t have immediate visual cues about the content of the page.

Accessibility Implications

Titles are important for screen readers and overall accessibility, helping visually impaired users understand the content and structure of your page.
Hiding titles with CSS ensures they remain in the HTML for screen readers, maintaining accessibility.
Removing titles might hinder accessibility, making it harder for screen readers to convey the page’s context to users.

The decision to hide or remove page titles should be carefully considered, balancing your design goals with the potential impacts on SEO, user experience, and accessibility. By understanding these implications, you can choose the approach that best fits your website’s needs while ensuring it remains effective and user-friendly.

When to hide vs. display titles

Deciding when to hide or display page titles depends on the specific needs and goals of your website. Both options have their merits and can be strategically used to enhance the user experience and SEO. Here’s a guide to help you determine the best approach for different scenarios:

Display titles when:

You need clear page hierarchies
SEO is a top priority
The content requires context

Hide titles when:

Creating landing pages
Designing minimalist layouts
The page content is self-explanatory

The choice to hide or display page titles should align with your website’s objectives and the needs of your audience. By strategically using these options, you can optimize both the design and functionality of your site, ensuring it meets both aesthetic and practical requirements.

Wrapping up!

Mastering title control in WordPress opens up new design possibilities. Whether you’re using core functions, Elementor, or custom code, always consider the impact on SEO, user experience, and accessibility.

Remember, the goal is to create websites that are not just visually appealing, but also functional and inclusive for all users.

Experiment with these techniques, but always test thoroughly. And don’t forget – sometimes, a well-designed visible title can be the perfect finishing touch to your WordPress masterpiece.