WordPress 7.0 Removes Title Attributes from Author Links
Patch WordPress to 7.0 to remove title attributes from author links, or use the new $use_title_attr parameter to control tooltip output.
Patch to WordPress 7.0 and update any templates or plugins that rely on author link title attributes, or add the $use_title_attr parameter to preserve tooltips.
Summary
WordPress 7.0 removes the title attribute from author links by default, affecting both the author’s website and posts archive links. The functions get_the_author_link() and the_author_link() now accept a $use_title_attr parameter that can be set to false to suppress the “Visit Author’s website” tooltip. When called without parameters, the functions output links without a title attribute, while passing false preserves the previous tooltip behavior. The the_author_posts_link() function also omits the title attribute by default, but the title text remains available via the the_author_posts_link filter for custom link text. The wp_list_authors() helper now outputs author links without title attributes, simplifying the markup. Developers can use the the_author_posts_link filter to replace the author name with “Posts by Author” or other custom text. These changes are documented in ticket #62835 and may affect accessibility and analytics tracking.
Key changes
- get_the_author_link() and the_author_link() now accept $use_title_attr to remove title attribute
- Default output for author link now omits title attribute, removing tooltip
- the_author_posts_link() default output now omits title attribute; tooltip removed
- wp_list_authors() outputs links without title attributes by default
- the_author_posts_link filter can customize link text, e.g., “Posts by Author”
- Change documented in ticket #62835