How to Fix Outdated Copyright Year
What it is
Many sites show a footer line like "© 2019 Company Name". If the year is several years old, it can look as if the site is no longer maintained.
Why it matters
- A stale year can make a site appear abandoned to visitors.
- It is a cosmetic signal of freshness; it does not change how your pages work.
- Using automatic year code means you never need to update it by hand again.
How to fix it
- Find the footer text on your site.
- Change the year to the current year, or use a range such as 2019–current year.
- Better: use a small snippet or a platform setting that fills in the year automatically.
- Re-scan to confirm the notice is current.
Platform tips
| WordPress | Appearance > Editor (or Customize > Footer) to edit the text. Many themes include a year shortcode or setting; a footer widget can also be edited by hand. |
|---|---|
| Wix | Edit the footer in the editor and type the current year. Wix has no built-in dynamic year in the standard editor, so plan a yearly update. |
| Squarespace | Edit the footer block. Some templates let you add a Code block with a small script that prints the year. |
| Shopify | Online Store > Themes > Customize > Footer, or edit footer.liquid and use {{ "now" | date: "%Y" }} for an automatic year. |
| Plain HTML | Use a small script in the footer, for example: <span id="y"></span><script>document.getElementById("y").textContent=new Date().getFullYear()</script>. Or edit the number by hand. |
Related guides
Disclaimer: This guide is general, informational advice only and is not legal, medical, financial, compliance or professional advice. Menu names on platforms change over time; check the platform's own help if something looks different.