How to Remove Storefront Designed by WooCommerce: A Comprehensive Guide
Introduction:
Storefront is the official, free theme developed by WooCommerce. It’s a popular choice for its clean design, ease of customization, and seamless integration with the WooCommerce plugin. However, sometimes you might want to move on from Storefront and use a different theme, or completely remove its design elements to build a custom solution. Whether you’re looking to refresh your online store’s look or opt for a more specialized design, this article will guide you through the process of completely removing the Storefront theme and its associated design elements from your WordPress website. We’ll cover various methods, from simply switching themes to more advanced techniques like child themes and custom CSS.
Main Part: Removing and Replacing Storefront’s Design
1. Switching to a Different Theme (The Easiest Approach)
The simplest way to “remove” Storefront is to activate a different theme. WordPress allows you to easily switch themes through the admin dashboard.
Steps:
1. Log in to your WordPress admin area.
2. Navigate to Appearance > Themes.
3. You’ll see a list of installed themes. Hover over the theme you want to use and click Activate.
4. WordPress will automatically switch your website’s design to the selected theme.
5. After switching, you can delete Storefront if you are sure you don’t need it anymore by clicking Delete on the Storefront theme card. Be careful, because deleting themes is irreversible.
This action effectively replaces the Storefront design with that of the new theme. This is the most common and recommended approach for users who want a completely different look and feel without complex modifications.
2. Customizing Storefront with a Child Theme
If you want to keep the basic structure of Storefront but extensively modify its design, creating a child theme is the recommended and safest way. A child theme inherits all the functionalities of the parent theme (Storefront) but allows you to make changes without directly editing the core files. This ensures that your customizations are preserved during theme updates.
Steps:
1. Create a new folder in your `/wp-content/themes/` directory. Name it something descriptive, like `storefront-child`.
2. Create two files inside this folder: `style.css` and `functions.php`.
3. Edit `style.css` and add the following code, making sure to update the Theme Name, Description, and Author URI to your own information:
/*
Theme Name: Storefront Child Theme
Theme URI: http://example.com/storefront-child/
Description: Storefront Child Theme
Author: Your Name
Author URI: http://example.com
Template: storefront
Version: 1.0.0
*/
@import url(“../storefront/style.css”);
/* Add your own styles below this line */
- `Template: storefront` is crucial. It tells WordPress that this is a child theme of Storefront.
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4. Edit `functions.php` and add the following code to enqueue the parent theme’s stylesheet:
<?php function storefront_child_enqueue_styles() {
wp_enqueue_style( ‘storefront-style’, get_template_directory_uri() . ‘/style.css’ );
wp_enqueue_style( ‘storefront-child-style’,
get_stylesheet_directory_uri() . ‘/style.css’,
array( ‘storefront-style’ )
);
}
add_action( ‘wp_enqueue_scripts’, ‘storefront_child_enqueue_styles’ );
?>
5. Activate the child theme: Go to Appearance > Themes in your WordPress dashboard and activate the “Storefront Child Theme”.
Now you can add your own CSS styles to the `style.css` file of your child theme, or override functions by creating equivalent functions in the `functions.php` file. This allows you to make extensive changes to the design without touching the core Storefront files.
3. Custom CSS (For Minor Tweaks)
If you only need to make small adjustments Read more about Woocommerce How To Add Variations to the Storefront design, using custom CSS is a quick and easy option. WordPress provides a built-in customizer where you can add your own CSS rules.
Steps:
1. Go to Appearance > Customize in your WordPress dashboard.
2. Look for a section called “Additional CSS” (it might be under a different name depending on your WordPress version and plugins).
3. Add your CSS code to the text area provided.
For example, to change the background color of the header, you could add:
.site-header {
background-color: #f0f0f0;
}
4. Modifying Template Files (Advanced – Not Recommended for Beginners)
Caution: This method is risky and not recommended unless you have a strong understanding of PHP and WordPress theme development.
You can directly modify Storefront’s template files (e.g., `header.php`, `footer.php`, `single-product.php`) to change the structure and layout of your website. However, doing so directly will make your changes vulnerable to being overwritten when Storefront is updated.
If you choose this method, ALWAYS use a child theme as described above! Copy the template file you want to modify from the Storefront theme to your child theme’s directory, maintaining the same folder structure. Then, edit the copied file in your child theme.
For example, to modify the `header.php` file:
1. Create a `header.php` file in your child theme folder (`storefront-child/header.php`).
2. Copy the contents of `/wp-content/themes/storefront/header.php` into your new `header.php` file.
3. Edit the `header.php` file in your child theme.
5. Using Plugins (For Specific Elements)
Certain plugins can help remove or modify specific elements of Storefront’s design. For example, you can use a plugin to remove the Storefront footer credit or to customize the header layout. Search the WordPress plugin repository for plugins that address the specific elements you want to change. However, avoid relying heavily on plugins for broad design changes, as this can lead to performance issues and plugin conflicts.
Conclusion:
Removing or modifying the Storefront theme’s design can be achieved through various methods, ranging from simple theme switching to more complex customization techniques. Choosing the right approach depends on the level of design modification you require and your technical expertise. For simple aesthetic changes, custom CSS or switching themes will suffice. If you need to make significant structural changes, using a child theme is the best practice. Avoid directly modifying the parent theme’s files unless you are an experienced developer and are fully aware of the risks involved. By understanding the different options available, you can effectively remove or adapt the Storefront design to create a unique and personalized online store. Always back up your website before making any major changes to your theme.
