How to Remove the “Sale” Flash Icon Badge in WooCommerce: A Beginner’s Guide
So, you’ve got a WooCommerce store looking pretty good, but that persistent “Sale!” badge on your discounted products is clashing with your design or branding? You’re not alone! Many WooCommerce store owners want to customize the appearance of their site, and the sale badge is a common target. This article will walk you through several easy ways to remove that flash icon from your WooCommerce products, even if you’re a complete beginner.
Think of it this way: the sale badge is like that enthusiastic but *slightly* too loud salesperson. Sometimes you want them, sometimes you need to politely ask them to step back!
Why Remove the Sale Badge?
Before we dive in, let’s consider why you might want to remove the sale badge in the first place. There are several reasons:
- Aesthetic Reasons: It might not fit your store’s visual style. Maybe you have a minimalist design and the bright “Sale!” text feels out of place.
- Branding Consistency: Your brand might communicate sales in a different way, perhaps with custom banners or specific product descriptions.
- Reduced Clutter: Removing unnecessary elements can improve the overall user experience and reduce visual noise on your product pages.
- Control over Promotion: You may wish to promote sales with other features or marketing messages that you have control over.
- `.woocommerce span.onsale`: This CSS selector targets the HTML element that displays the sale badge in WooCommerce. `span.onsale` specifies a `` tag with the class “onsale” within the `.woocommerce` context. This ensures that the rule applies only to sale badges on WooCommerce pages.
- `display: none;`: This CSS property completely hides the element from the page, effectively removing the sale badge.
- Easy to use, often with a user-friendly interface.
- Can offer other customization options for your WooCommerce store.
- Using too many plugins can slow down your site. Choose a well-coded and lightweight plugin.
- Via FTP: Connect to your server using an FTP client and navigate to your theme’s folder (usually `wp-content/themes/[your-theme-name]/`).
- Via WordPress Theme Editor (not recommended for beginners): In your WordPress dashboard, go to Appearance > Theme Editor. Locate the `functions.php` file in the right sidebar. Be very careful when editing code here!
Method 1: Using Custom CSS (Easiest for Quick Changes)
This is the easiest and most non-intrusive method. It uses CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) to hide the sale badge. CSS controls the visual presentation of your website.
1. Access the WordPress Customizer: In your WordPress dashboard, go to Appearance > Customize.
2. Find the “Additional CSS” section: Within the Customizer, look for a section labeled “Additional CSS” or something similar. This is where you can add custom CSS code without modifying your theme files directly.
3. Add the following CSS code:
.woocommerce span.onsale {
display: none;
}
4. Publish your changes: Click the “Publish” button at the top to save your changes and make them live on your site.
Explanation:
Real-Life Example: Imagine you have a high-end furniture store and want to maintain a sophisticated look. The standard “Sale!” badge might detract from that image. Using this CSS, you can hide the badge and rely on subtly highlighting discounted products in other ways (e.g., a small “discount” tag).
Method 2: Using a WooCommerce Plugin
Several plugins can help you customize various aspects of your WooCommerce store, including removing the sale badge.
1. Install a suitable plugin: Search for plugins like “WooCommerce Customizer,” “Customize My Store,” or similar terms in the WordPress plugin directory (Plugins > Add New). Read reviews and choose a plugin with good ratings and recent updates.
2. Configure the plugin: Once installed and activated, the plugin will typically add a new settings section to your WooCommerce or WordPress admin menu. Look for options related to product customization or sale badges.
3. Disable the sale badge: Most plugins provide a simple checkbox or toggle to disable the sale badge display.
Pros:
Cons:
Method 3: Removing the Badge via Theme Functions (More Advanced)
This method involves modifying your theme’s `functions.php` file. This is a more advanced option and should only be attempted if you’re comfortable working with code. Always back up your website before editing theme files.
1. Access your `functions.php` file: You can access it in a few ways:
2. Add the following PHP code:
3. Save the changes: Save the `functions.php` file.
Explanation:
- `function remove_woocommerce_sale_badge( $html ) { return ”; }`: This defines a custom function called `remove_woocommerce_sale_badge` that takes the HTML of the sale badge as input (`$html`) and returns an empty string (`”`). This effectively replaces the badge with nothing.
- `add_filter(‘woocommerce_sale_flash’, ‘remove_woocommerce_sale_badge’);`: This line uses the `add_filter` function to hook into the `woocommerce_sale_flash` filter. Whenever WooCommerce generates the sale badge, it will run our `remove_woocommerce_sale_badge` function, which returns an empty string, thereby removing the badge.
Why this works: WooCommerce uses filters and actions to allow developers to customize its functionality. By hooking into the `woocommerce_sale_flash` filter, we can intercept and modify the default output.
Important Considerations:
- Child Theme: Always use a child theme when modifying your theme’s files. This prevents your changes from being overwritten when you update your parent theme.
- Backup: Back up your website before making any changes to your theme files.
- Error Handling: If you encounter errors after adding the code, double-check your syntax and make sure you haven’t introduced any typos.
Choosing the Right Method
- Beginners: Start with Method 1 (CSS). It’s the easiest to implement and undo.
- Intermediate Users: Consider Method 2 (Plugin) if you want a user-friendly interface and other customization options.
- Advanced Users: Method 3 (Theme Functions) provides the most control but requires more technical knowledge. Use with caution and a child theme!
No matter which method you choose, removing the sale badge is a straightforward process that can significantly improve the look and feel of your WooCommerce store. Good luck!
