How To Remove Product Sorting From Woocommerce

How to Remove Product Sorting from WooCommerce: A Comprehensive Guide

Introduction

WooCommerce, the leading e-commerce platform for WordPress, comes packed with features to help you showcase and sell your products. One of these features is product sorting, allowing customers to arrange products by popularity, average rating, price (low to high and high to low), and most recent. While this can be useful in some cases, you might find that it doesn’t align with your store’s overall strategy or aesthetic. Perhaps you want to guide customers directly to specific products or collections, or maybe you have a carefully curated product catalog. In these scenarios, removing the product sorting dropdown from your WooCommerce store can be a smart move. This article will guide you through the process, explaining the different methods and providing a step-by-step approach to effectively remove product sorting from WooCommerce.

Removing the Product Sorting Dropdown

There are a few ways to remove the product sorting dropdown in WooCommerce. Each method offers a different level of control and complexity. We’ll cover the most common and effective techniques:

1. Using CSS (Quick & Simple)

This method is the easiest and quickest, but it simply hides the dropdown. The sorting options are still technically available in the code.

• Navigate to your WordPress dashboard.
• Go to Appearance > Customize.
• Find the “Additional CSS” section (or “Custom CSS” depending on your theme).
• Paste the following CSS code:

.woocommerce-ordering {

display: none !important;

}

• Click Publish to save your changes.

Explanation: This CSS code targets the `.woocommerce-ordering` class, which contains the sorting dropdown. `display: none !important;` hides the element and ensures the rule overrides any theme-specific CSS.

2. Using a Code Snippet (Recommended)

This method is generally preferred as it removes the sorting functionality from the code, making it more effective than just hiding it with CSS. It’s also a more robust solution.

• Go to your WordPress dashboard.
• Install and activate a code snippets plugin like “Code Snippets” (available for free from the WordPress plugin repository). This simplifies adding and managing custom code.
• Create a new snippet.
• Add the following PHP code:

 function remove_woocommerce_sorting() { remove_action( 'woocommerce_before_shop_loop', 'woocommerce_catalog_ordering', 30 ); } add_action( 'init', 'remove_woocommerce_sorting' ); 

• Set the snippet to run “Everywhere”.
• Save and activate the snippet.

Explanation:

• `remove_action( ‘woocommerce_before_shop_loop’, ‘woocommerce_catalog_ordering’, 30 );` This line is the heart of the solution. It removes the `woocommerce_catalog_ordering` function, which is responsible for displaying the sorting dropdown, from the `woocommerce_before_shop_loop` action hook. The `30` is the priority of the original function.
• `add_action( ‘init’, ‘remove_woocommerce_sorting’ );` This line tells WordPress to run our `remove_woocommerce_sorting` function during the `init` action, which is one of the earliest actions fired during WordPress initialization.

3. Editing Your Theme’s `functions.php` File (Not Recommended for Beginners)

Caution: Directly editing your theme’s `functions.php` file can be risky. Check out this post: How To Change Single Product Page Template In Woocommerce A mistake can break your site. Always back up your theme before making any changes.

• Navigate to Appearance > Theme File Editor (if available in your WordPress installation, otherwise, you will need to use FTP to connect to your site and then use a text editor).
• Find Explore this article on How To Add Terms And Conditions To Woocommerce the `functions.php` file of your active theme.
• Add the following PHP code to the end of the file:

 remove_action( 'woocommerce_before_shop_loop', 'woocommerce_catalog_ordering', 30 ); 

• Click Update File to save your changes.

Explanation: This method directly modifies your theme’s functionality. It’s the same code as the code snippet method but placed directly in the `functions.php` file. This is generally discouraged because it can be overwritten when you update your theme.

4. Using a WooCommerce Plugin

Some WooCommerce plugins offer options to customize or remove elements from the shop page, including the sorting dropdown. Check if your existing WooCommerce plugins provide such a feature. If not, you can search the WordPress plugin repository for plugins specifically designed for WooCommerce shop page customization. Make sure the plugin is well-rated and actively maintained before installing it.

Considerations and Learn more about How To Change Woocommerce Product Theme Potential Drawbacks

While removing the sorting dropdown can benefit some stores, it’s important to consider the potential downsides:

• Reduced User Control: Customers might be accustomed to sorting products according to their preferences. Removing this option can potentially frustrate some users.
• Potential for Lower Conversions: If users can’t easily find the products they’re looking for, they might abandon their purchase. This is particularly relevant if you have a large product catalog.
• Impact on User Experience: In some cases, removing the sorting functionality can negatively affect the overall user experience of your store.

Before removing the sorting dropdown, consider your target audience and the types of products you sell. Analyze your store’s analytics to see how many users actually use the sorting feature. If usage is minimal, removing it might not have a significant impact.

Alternatives:

Instead of completely removing the sorting dropdown, consider alternatives such as:

• Custom Sorting: Develop custom sorting options that better align with your store’s strategy. For example, sort by “New Arrivals” or “Featured Products.”
• Default Sorting: Set a default sorting option that makes sense for your store. You can do this in WooCommerce settings.
• Improved Product Filtering: Enhance your product filtering options to help customers narrow down their search results more effectively.

Conclusion

Removing product sorting from your WooCommerce store is a relatively simple process that can be achieved through various methods. While CSS offers a quick fix by simply hiding the element, using a code snippet is the more robust and recommended approach. Editing your theme’s `functions.php` is generally discouraged due to the risks involved. Remember to carefully consider the potential impact on user experience and conversions before making any changes. By weighing the pros and cons and choosing the method that best suits your needs, you can effectively customize your WooCommerce store to provide a tailored shopping experience for your customers.