How To Remove The Grid In Woocommerce Shopping Page

How to Remove the Grid in WooCommerce Shopping Page: A Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction:

WooCommerce, the leading e-commerce platform for WordPress, typically displays products on the shop page in a grid layout. While this layout is generally user-friendly, you might want to customize your online store’s appearance for branding purposes or to achieve a specific design aesthetic. One common customization is removing the grid and displaying products in a list or other custom arrangement. This article will guide you through the different methods you can use to remove the default grid structure on your WooCommerce shopping page and explore the pros and cons of each approach. Ultimately, this allows you to create a more personalized and engaging shopping experience for your customers.

Understanding the WooCommerce Grid Structure

Before diving into the removal methods, it’s helpful to understand how WooCommerce builds its grid layout. Typically, the grid is generated through CSS styling applied to the product containers. WooCommerce leverages classes like `.products` and `.product` to organize products. By modifying or overriding these styles, we can effectively dismantle the grid. Knowing this foundation will help you choose the right approach and troubleshoot potential issues along the way.

Main Part: Methods to Remove the Grid

There are several ways to remove the grid structure from your WooCommerce shopping page. We’ll explore three common methods, starting with the simplest and progressing to more advanced techniques.

1. Using Custom CSS

This is often the easiest and quickest method, particularly if you only require basic changes.

* Accessing the WordPress Customizer: Navigate to Appearance > Customize in your WordPress dashboard. Then, click on Additional CSS.

* Adding Custom CSS Rules: Add the following CSS rules to your customizer:

.woocommerce ul.products li.product {

width: 100%; /* Make each product take up the full width */

float: none; /* Remove float that creates columns */

clear: both; /* Ensure each product is on a new line */

margin-bottom: 20px; /* Add spacing between products (adjust as needed) */

}

.woocommerce ul.products li.product .woocommerce-loop-category__title, .woocommerce ul.products li.product .woocommerce-loop-product__title {

text-align: left; /* Align product titles to the left */

}

.woocommerce ul.products li.product a img {

float: left; /* Float the image to the left */

margin-right: 20px; /* Add spacing between the image and text */

}

* Explanation:

    • `width: 100%;` ensures each product occupies the full width of the container.
    • `float: none;` removes the default float property, which is often used to create columns.
    • `clear: both;` clears any floats, ensuring each product starts on a new line.
    • `margin-bottom: 20px;` adds spacing between the products in the list.
    • The other rules are for aligning titles and images for a better list view appearance.
    • * Adjusting the Styling: Feel free to modify the values in the CSS code to achieve the desired spacing, alignment, and appearance. You can further customize the appearance using other CSS properties.

    2. Overriding WooCommerce Templates

    This method provides more control over the layout but requires some familiarity with PHP and WooCommerce templating.

    * Creating a Child Theme (Important): Always use a child theme when making template customizations. This prevents your changes from being overwritten when the parent theme updates.

    * Copying the Relevant Template File: The template file responsible for displaying the product loop is typically `content-product.php`. You can find this file in the `/woocommerce/templates/` directory of your WooCommerce plugin folder. Copy this file to your child theme, maintaining the directory structure: `your-child-theme/woocommerce/content-product.php`.

    * Modifying the Template File: Open the `content-product.php` file in your child theme and edit the HTML structure to remove the grid-related elements. You might need to remove container divs or adjust the placement of product elements. For instance, you could remove the `

  • ` tag and replace it with a simple `
    ` for each product.

    * Example Snippet (Partial):

    <?php
    /**
    
  • Product Loop Content
  • * This template can be overridden by copying it to yourtheme/woocommerce/content-product.php.
  • * HOWEVER, on occasion WooCommerce will need to update template files and you
  • (the theme developer) will need to copy the new files to your theme to
  • maintain compatibility. We try to do this as little as possible, but it does
  • happen. When this occurs the version of the template file will be bumped and
  • the readme will list any important changes.
  • * @see https://docs.woocommerce.com/document/template-structure/
  • @package WooCommerceTemplates
  • @version 3.6.0
*/

defined( ‘ABSPATH’ ) || exit;

global $product;

// Ensure visibility.

if ( empty( $product ) || ! $product->is_visible() ) {

return;

}

?>

<div > <!– Changed from

  • <?php

    /

    * Hook: woocommerce_before_shop_loop_item.

    *

    * @hooked woocommerce_template_loop_product_link_open – 10

    */

    do_action( ‘woocommerce_before_shop_loop_item’ );

    /

    * Hook: woocommerce_before_shop_loop_item_title.

    *

    * @hooked woocommerce_template_loop_product_thumbnail – 10

    */

    do_action( ‘woocommerce_before_shop_loop_item_title’ );

    /

    * Hook: woocommerce_shop_loop_item_title.

    *

    * @hooked woocommerce_template_loop_product_title – 10

    */

    do_action( ‘woocommerce_shop_loop_item_title’ );

    /

    * Hook: woocommerce_after_shop_loop_item_title.

    *

    * @hooked woocommerce_template_loop_rating – 5

    * @hooked woocommerce_template_loop_price – 10

    */

    do_action( ‘woocommerce_after_shop_loop_item_title’ );

    /

    * Hook: woocommerce_after_shop_loop_item.

    *

    * @hooked woocommerce_template_loop_product_link_close – 5

    * @hooked woocommerce_template_loop_add_to_cart – 10

    */

    do_action( ‘woocommerce_after_shop_loop_item’ );

    ?>

  • <!– Changed from

    * Customizing the Styling: After modifying the template, you’ll likely need to add custom CSS to style the products in your desired list format.

    3. Using a WooCommerce Plugin

    Several WooCommerce plugins offer advanced customization options, including the ability to change the shop page layout. This method is often more user-friendly than template overrides, especially for non-developers.

    * Searching for Plugins: Search the WordPress plugin repository for plugins like “WooCommerce Shop Page Customizer,” “WooCommerce Product Table,” or similar keywords.

    * Installing and Activating the Plugin: Install and activate your chosen plugin.

    * Configuring the Plugin: Follow the plugin’s instructions to configure the shop page layout. Many plugins will offer options to switch to a list view, adjust column numbers, or completely customize the product display.

    Pros and Cons of Each Method

    | Method | Pros | Cons |

    | ——————– | —————————————————————– | —————————————————————————————————————– |

    | Custom CSS | Simple, quick, easy to implement for basic changes. | Limited customization options; can be affected by theme updates; might require more advanced CSS for complex layouts. |

    | Template Overrides | Full control over the layout; highly customizable. | Requires PHP knowledge; more complex to implement; need a child theme; maintenance overhead during theme updates. |

    | WooCommerce Plugins | User-friendly interface; often offers advanced features. | Can be costly (premium plugins); may impact performance if the plugin is poorly coded; potential compatibility issues with other plugins. |

    Conclusion:

    Removing the grid structure on your WooCommerce shopping page is a powerful way to personalize your online store and create a more unique shopping experience. Choosing the right method depends on your technical skills, the complexity of your desired layout, and your budget. Using Custom CSS is great for quick fixes. Template overrides provide maximum control but demand more technical expertise. WooCommerce plugins can be an excellent option for advanced customization without coding. By understanding the available options and their implications, you can successfully remove the grid and present your products in a way that best suits your brand and appeals to your customers. Remember to always back up your site before making any significant changes, and test thoroughly to ensure a smooth and user-friendly experience for your visitors.