Hide WordPress version
Removes your WordPress version number from page source and asset URLs, so scanners cannot match your site against version-specific exploits.
What it does
Stops your site announcing its version
Hide WordPress version is a Vectro security feature that removes the version number from the generator meta tag and from asset query strings, so automated scanners cannot match your site against version-specific exploits.
WordPress publishes its version number in two obvious places. It adds a generator meta tag to the head of every page, and it appends the version as a ?ver= query string to core CSS and JavaScript files.
This feature removes the generator tag and strips the version from those asset URLs. The files still load normally; only the version marker is gone.
This is obscurity rather than protection, and it is worth being clear about that. It does not patch anything. What it does is remove the cheap signal that lets automated tooling decide whether your site is worth attacking.
Why it matters
Scanners sort by version before they attack
Mass exploitation is a filtering exercise. A scanner crawls large numbers of sites, reads the version from the generator tag, and keeps the ones running a release with a known, unpatched vulnerability. Those get attacked. The rest are skipped, because attacker time is finite.
Removing the version does not make an unpatched site safe – you still need to update. What it does is take you out of the cheap, automated first pass, so an attacker has to spend real effort fingerprinting your install before they know whether it is worth their time.
How to use it
Enable it and check your page source
Technical detail
Where the version leaks from
Vectro removes the WordPress function that prints the generator meta tag, and filters the URLs of enqueued styles and scripts to strip the version query argument. Both are standard WordPress filter points, so no core files are touched.
Be aware that version fingerprinting is still possible by other means – the presence and content of specific core files, readme.html, or feed output can all narrow it down. This feature closes the two easiest and most commonly scanned sources.
?ver= query string on every enqueued CSS and JavaScript URL, including plugin and theme assets.Compatibility
Runs alongside everything
No conflicts detected. Vectro runs this feature regardless of other plugins active.
Questions
Frequently asked
What does hiding the WordPress version do?
Hiding the WordPress version removes the generator meta tag from your page source and strips the ?ver= parameter from core CSS and JavaScript URLs. This removes the two easiest signals scanners use to identify which WordPress release you are running.
Does hiding the WordPress version work alongside other security plugins?
Vectro runs this feature regardless of other plugins active, because no conflicts are detected for it. If another plugin already removes the generator tag, the result is simply the same tag absent once.
How do I hide the WordPress version number in Vectro?
Go to Vectro > Security in wp-admin, toggle Hide WordPress Version on, then clear your page cache. View your page source and search for generator to confirm the tag has gone.
Is hiding the WordPress version in Vectro free or Pro?
Yes, Hiding the WordPress version is free. It is included in the free Vectro plugin on WordPress.org with no account required.
Does hiding the WordPress version actually improve security?
It removes your site from the cheap automated first pass where scanners filter targets by version, but it does not patch anything. Treat it as a supplement to keeping WordPress updated rather than a replacement for it.
Related features
Give scanners less to work with
Vectro Pro adds a malware scanner and file change monitoring for deeper site integrity checks. See Pro plans
Download Vectro free on WordPress.org
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