Dynamic WordPress: Displaying Current Year with PHP Code

Bernard Aybout (Virii8)

7 years ago

Dynamic WordPress Displaying Current Year with PHP Code

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6 Minutes Read

📘 Displaying the Current Year in WordPress (Without Hardcoding!)

Why It Matters:

Using dynamic dates (like the current year) ensures your copyright footers and date-based references stay up to date automatically—boosting professionalism and reducing manual updates.

✅ Method 1: Using `functions.php` (Safe Theme-Based Method)

👨‍💻 Step-by-Step:

Access Your Theme’s functions.php File:
- Go to your WordPress Admin Dashboard.
- Navigate to Appearance → Theme File Editor.
- Click on functions.php under the active theme (usually called Theme Functions).
Add This Code:

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Use the Shortcode Anywhere:
- In posts, pages, or widgets:
  [current_year]
- In template files (like footer.php), use:
  php echo do_shortcode('[current_year]');

⚠️ Notes:

This code is theme-specific. If you change themes, you’ll need to re-add it.
Always backup your site before editing PHP files!

✅ Method 2: Using the “Code Snippets” Plugin (Best Practice for Non-Devs)

🔧 Why This is Safer:

Using a plugin like Code Snippets lets you run PHP code without touching theme files, so changes persist even if you switch themes.

🛠 How to Do It:

Install the Plugin:
- Go to Plugins → Add New.
- Search for Code Snippets.
- Install and activate it.
Add a New Snippet:
- Go to Snippets → Add New.
- Title it: Display Current Year Shortcode.
Paste This Code:

Copy to Clipboard

Save and Activate the Snippet.
Use the Shortcode:
- Anywhere in your post or page, insert:
  [current_year]

🔄 Use Case Examples

Copyright Footer:

Copy to Clipboard

In Legal Pages or Dynamic Templates:

Copy to Clipboard

Inside Widgets:

Add a Text Widget or use Avada’s Custom HTML Block with:

Copy to Clipboard

No Hardcoded Dates: Google appreciates content that’s clearly maintained. Auto-updating your year reflects recency.
Structured Footers: Use semantic HTML (<footer>) and microdata for site info when possible.
Avoid Overuse in Headings: Don’t place [current_year] in <h1> unless contextually appropriate.

🏁 Summary

Method	Best For	Theme-Dependent
`functions.php`	Developers customizing a child theme	✅ Yes
Code Snippets	Editors, safer plugin approach	❌ No

📌 Bonus Tip: Auto-Update Copyright Footer

If you want to combine your site name + year dynamically:

Copy to Clipboard

Use this as [site_footer] in footers or widget areas.

Dynamic WordPress: Displaying Current Year with PHP Code

📘 Displaying the Current Year in WordPress (Without Hardcoding!)

Why It Matters:

✅ Method 1: Using `functions.php` (Safe Theme-Based Method)

👨‍💻 Step-by-Step:

⚠️ Notes:

✅ Method 2: Using the “Code Snippets” Plugin (Best Practice for Non-Devs)

🔧 Why This is Safer:

🛠 How to Do It:

🔄 Use Case Examples

🏁 Summary

📌 Bonus Tip: Auto-Update Copyright Footer

How To Display Current Year in WordPress With Automatic Updates (Works With All Themes) : Videos

Related Videos:

Related Posts:

📘 Displaying the Current Year in WordPress (Without Hardcoding!)

Why It Matters:

✅ Method 1: Using functions.php (Safe Theme-Based Method)

👨‍💻 Step-by-Step:

⚠️ Notes:

✅ Method 2: Using the “Code Snippets” Plugin (Best Practice for Non-Devs)

🔧 Why This is Safer:

🛠 How to Do It:

🔄 Use Case Examples

🏁 Summary

📌 Bonus Tip: Auto-Update Copyright Footer

How To Display Current Year in WordPress With Automatic Updates (Works With All Themes) : Videos

Related Videos:

Related Posts:

✅ Method 1: Using `functions.php` (Safe Theme-Based Method)