How to Remove the Sidebar on Your WooCommerce Shop Page: A Comprehensive Guide
Introduction:
The WooCommerce shop page is the heart of your online store, showcasing your products and enticing customers to browse. While sidebars can be useful for navigation and promotions, they can sometimes detract from the product display, especially on smaller screens. A cluttered layout can negatively impact user experience and conversion rates. If you want a cleaner, more focused shop page, removing the sidebar can be an effective solution. This article provides a detailed guide on how to remove the sidebar on your WooCommerce shop page, covering several methods to suit different skill levels and needs. Whether you’re a coding novice or a seasoned developer, you’ll find a solution that works for you.
Why Remove the Sidebar on Your WooCommerce Shop Page?
Before diving into the ‘how’, let’s quickly discuss the ‘why’. Removing the sidebar can offer several benefits:
- Improved Mobile Responsiveness: Eliminating the sidebar makes your shop page more mobile-friendly by providing more screen real estate for product displays.
- Enhanced Visual Appeal: A full-width layout can create a more modern and visually appealing aesthetic, focusing the user’s attention on your products.
- Increased Product Visibility: Without a sidebar, your products take Learn more about How To Customize Woocommerce Shortcode Kit Log Login Screen center stage, increasing their visibility and potentially driving more sales.
- Faster Loading Times: In some cases, removing a sidebar with numerous widgets can slightly improve page loading speeds.
Methods to Remove the Discover insights on How To Install Woocommerce Add Ons Sidebar on Your WooCommerce Shop Page
Here are a few ways to remove the sidebar from your WooCommerce shop page, ranging from simple theme options to more advanced code snippets:
1. Using Theme Customizer Options (If Available)
Many WooCommerce-compatible themes offer built-in options to control the layout of your shop page, including the ability to remove the sidebar.
Steps:
1. Navigate to Appearance > Customize in your WordPress dashboard.
2. Look for sections like Layout Options, Shop Options, or something similar depending on your theme.
3. Within these sections, you should find settings related to sidebars on the shop page.
4. Look for an option to select a full-width layout or remove the sidebar.
5. Save your changes.
Example: Your theme customizer might have an option called “Shop Page Layout” with a dropdown menu that allows you to choose between “Right Sidebar,” “Left Sidebar,” and “Full Width.”
2. Using WooCommerce Layout Settings (Some Themes)
Some themes integrate more directly with WooCommerce and offer sidebar settings within the WooCommerce settings itself.
Steps:
1. Go to WooCommerce > Settings in your WordPress dashboard.
2. Check for Check out this post: How To Skip Checkout Cart In Woocommerce a tab labeled Products or Display.
3. Look for options to customize the shop page layout. There might be an option to select a full-width layout or remove the sidebar from the shop page.
4. Save your changes.
3. Using a Page Builder (If Using Elementor, Beaver Builder, etc.)
If you use a page builder like Elementor, Beaver Builder, or Divi, you can often control the layout of the shop page directly within the page builder interface.
Steps (General Approach):
1. Edit the Shop Page: Find your WooCommerce shop page (usually named “Shop”) under Pages in your WordPress dashboard and edit it.
2. Enter Page Builder Mode: Use the page builder to edit the page.
3. Layout Settings: Look for options within the page builder settings to change the page layout to full-width or remove the sidebar. This might be a page attribute setting or a section setting.
4. Update the Page: Save your changes.
Example (Elementor):
1. Edit the shop page with Elementor.
2. Click the “Settings” cog icon in the bottom left corner of the Elementor panel.
3. Under the “Page Layout” dropdown, select “Elementor Full Width” or “Elementor Canvas.”
4. Update the page.
4. Using CSS to Hide the Sidebar
This method involves using CSS to hide the sidebar element. This is a quick fix, but it’s important to understand its limitations (SEO impact, accessibility concerns). While the sidebar is hidden visually, the underlying code is still present, potentially impacting page weight.
Steps:
1. Identify the Sidebar’s CSS Class or ID: Use your browser’s developer tools (right-click on the sidebar and select “Inspect” or “Inspect Element”) to find the CSS class or ID of the sidebar container. Common examples include `.sidebar`, `#sidebar`, `.widget-area`, etc.
2. Add Custom CSS: Go to Appearance > Customize > Additional CSS in your WordPress dashboard.
3. Write the CSS: Add the following CSS code, replacing `YOUR_SIDEBAR_SELECTOR` with the actual CSS class or ID you found in step Read more about How To Hide Tags In Woocommerce 1:
.woocommerce.archive YOUR_SIDEBAR_SELECTOR {
display: none !important;
}
.woocommerce.archive #content {
width: 100% !important; /* Adjust content width */
}
4. Save and Publish: Save your changes and check your shop page.
Important Considerations:
* `!important`: Using `!important` is often necessary to override theme styles, but it’s best practice to avoid it if possible. If you can target the CSS more specifically, you might not need it.
* Adjust Content Width: When you remove the sidebar, the main content area might not expand to fill the available space. You might need to adjust the `width` property of the `#content` selector or the corresponding CSS selector for your main content area.
5. Using a Code Snippet in `functions.php` or a Plugin (Advanced)
This method provides more control and is generally considered best practice. You’ll modify the theme’s layout by removing the sidebar hook. Be extremely careful when editing `functions.php`. Always back up your website before making any code changes. A safer approach is to use a code snippet plugin like “Code Snippets.”
Steps:
1. Access `functions.php` or a Code Snippet Plugin:
* Directly (Not Recommended): Go to Appearance > Theme Editor and find the `functions.php` file in your theme’s folder.
* Using a Code Snippet Plugin (Recommended): Install and activate a plugin like “Code Snippets.”
2. Add the Following Code:
<?php function remove_sidebar_shop_page() { if ( is_shop() ) { remove_action( 'woocommerce_sidebar', 'woocommerce_get_sidebar', 10 ); } } add_action( 'template_redirect', 'remove_sidebar_shop_page' );
//Optional: Adjust content width. You might need to adjust these values.
function shop_page_full_width() {
if ( is_shop() ) {
?>
.woocommerce ul.products li.product,
.woocommerce-page ul.products li.product {
width: auto Check out this post: How To Display Woocommerce Products Widget In Elementor !important; /* adjust for number of columns */
}
<?php
}
}
add_action( ‘wp_head’, ‘shop_page_full_width’ );
?>
3. Save Changes: If editing `functions.php`, click “Update File.” If using a Code Snippet plugin, activate the snippet.
Explanation:
* `remove_action(‘woocommerce_sidebar’, ‘woocommerce_get_sidebar’, 10)`: This line removes the default WooCommerce sidebar. The `10` is the priority of the original action.
* `add_action( ‘template_redirect’, ‘remove_sidebar_shop_page’ )`: This hooks the `remove_sidebar_shop_page` function to the `template_redirect` action, ensuring it’s executed at the right time.
* `is_shop()`: This conditional tag ensures that the sidebar is only removed on the shop page.
* `shop_page_full_width` and related code: This is optional but highly recommended to adjust the width of your products on the shop page after removing the sidebar. It uses CSS to make each product use available width. You may need to further adjust values inside the `
` tag to match with your theme’s structure.
Conclusion:
Removing the sidebar from your WooCommerce shop page is a relatively straightforward process that can significantly improve the user experience and visual appeal of your online store. Choosing the right method depends on your technical expertise and the features offered by your theme. Remember to test your changes on different devices and browsers to ensure a consistent and positive experience for all your customers. For the best results, always back up your website before making any code changes. By implementing one of these methods, you can create a cleaner, more engaging shop page that drives sales and enhances your brand image.
