WooCommerce: How to Remove the “Add to Cart” Button (A Comprehensive Guide)
Introduction:
WooCommerce is a fantastic platform for building online stores. Its flexibility allows you to customize almost every aspect of your shop, from product displays to checkout processes. Sometimes, however, you might want to remove the “Add to Cart” button. This is particularly useful if you’re:
- Running a catalog site where you only want to display products without direct purchasing.
- Selling products through a request-a-quote system.
- Offering services that require direct contact before ordering.
- Implementing a wholesale pricing strategy where different customer roles have different capabilities.
- Catalog Mode: Transform your store into a product catalog, showcasing items without immediate purchase options.
- Request a Quote: Encourage customers to contact you for personalized quotes on specific products or services.
- Wholesale Only: Restrict direct purchases to specific user roles, forcing other users to register or request wholesale access.
- External Affiliates: If you’re linking directly to an affiliate site for purchases, the “Add to Cart” button is redundant.
- Simplifying the User Experience: Focus on product information and lead generation rather than immediate sales.
- This CSS targets the “Add to Cart” button using its CSS classes.
- `display: none !important;` hides the element completely. The `!important` tag ensures this rule overrides other styles that might affect the button.
- Theme Dependency: This method Check out this post: How To Set Woocommerce Attributes From Frontend relies on the default WooCommerce CSS classes for the “Add to Cart” button. If your theme uses different classes, you’ll need to adjust the CSS accordingly. Inspect the button element using your browser’s developer tools to find the correct classes.
- JavaScript Interactions: In rare cases, JavaScript might still trigger the “Add to Cart” functionality even if the button is hidden. This is less common but possible.
- Accessibility Issues: Hiding elements with CSS doesn’t necessarily remove them from the DOM. Screen readers might still announce the button, potentially causing confusion for users.
- WooCommerce Catalog Mode, Disable Cart, Enquiry Form: This popular plugin offers various options for disabling the cart, removing “Add to Cart” buttons, and adding an enquiry form.
- YITH WooCommerce Catalog Mode: Another well-regarded plugin dedicated to transforming your store into a catalog.
- Ease of Use: Plugins typically offer user-friendly interfaces for managing settings.
- More Control: Plugins often provide options to remove the “Add to Cart” button for specific product categories, user roles, or even individual products.
- Additional Features: Many catalog mode plugins include features like enquiry forms, custom text overlays, and more.
Whatever your reason, removing the “Add to Cart” button in WooCommerce is a relatively straightforward process. This article will walk you through several methods, from simple CSS solutions to more complex PHP snippets, allowing you to choose the best approach for your specific needs. We’ll also discuss the potential downsides of removing this button and explore alternative strategies to consider.
Why Would You Want to Remove the “Add to Cart” Button?
As mentioned earlier, there are various compelling reasons to hide the “Add to Cart” button:
Main Part: Methods for Removing the “Add to Cart” Button
There are multiple ways to remove the “Add to Cart” button in WooCommerce. We’ll explore each one, starting with the simplest and progressing to more advanced methods.
1. Using CSS (Quick and Easy – But Not Always Reliable)
The simplest method involves using CSS to hide the button. This approach requires no code modifications but might not be the most robust solution.
How to do it:
1. Navigate to Appearance > Customize > Additional CSS in your WordPress admin area.
2. Add the following CSS code:
.woocommerce a.button.add_to_cart_button,
.woocommerce button.single_add_to_cart_button {
display: none !important;
}
3. Click Publish.
Explanation:
Limitations:
2. Using a Plugin
Several plugins are available specifically for managing WooCommerce catalog mode or removing the “Add to Cart” button. These plugins often provide more control and customization options compared to the CSS method.
Examples:
Benefits of using a plugin:
3. Using PHP Code (More Control, Requires Coding Knowledge)
For a more robust and flexible solution, you can use PHP code to remove the “Add to Cart” button. This method involves adding a code snippet to your theme’s `functions.php` file (or a custom plugin).
Caution: Always back up your website before modifying code. Errors in your `functions.php` file can break your site.
How to do it:
1. Access your theme’s `functions.php` file (or create a custom plugin).
2. Add the following code snippet:
<?php /**
/
* Remove Add to Cart Button on Archive Pages (Shop, Category, etc.)
*/
remove_action( ‘woocommerce_after_shop_loop_item’, ‘woocommerce_template_loop_add_to_cart’, 10 );
Explanation:
- `remove_action()` is a WordPress function that removes a specific action (function) from a specific hook.
- `woocommerce_single_product_summary` is a WooCommerce hook that is used to display elements on the single product page. `woocommerce_template_single_add_to_cart` is the function that displays the “Add to Cart” button on single product pages. `30` is the priority of this action.
- `woocommerce_after_shop_loop_item` is a WooCommerce hook that is used to display elements after each product in the shop loop (shop page, category pages, etc.). `woocommerce_template_loop_add_to_cart` is the function that displays the “Add to Cart” button on archive pages. `10` is the priority of this action.
Important Considerations:
- Theme Updates: When your theme is updated, your `functions.php` file will be overwritten. To prevent this, use a child theme or a custom plugin to add the code snippet.
- Conditional Removal: You can modify the code to conditionally remove the “Add to Cart” button based on user roles, product categories, or other criteria. For example:
<?php /**
This code snippet removes the “Add to Cart” button for users with the “customer” role.
4. Removing Buttons on a Per-Product Basis (PHP Approach)
Sometimes, you only want to remove the “Add to Cart” button from specific products. Here’s how to achieve this using a PHP snippet:
<?php /**
if ( is_product() && in_array( $product->get_id(), $product_ids_to_remove ) ) {
remove_action( ‘woocommerce_after_shop_loop_item’, ‘woocommerce_template_loop_add_to_cart’, 10 );
remove_action( ‘woocommerce_single_product_summary’, ‘woocommerce_template_single_add_to_cart’, 30 );
}
}
add_action( ‘wp’, ‘remove_add_to_cart_for_products’ );
Explanation:
- `$product_ids_to_remove` is an array containing the IDs of the products you want to exclude. Replace the example IDs (123, 456, 789) with the actual product IDs from your WooCommerce store.
- `is_product()` checks if the current page is a single product page.
- `$product->get_id()` retrieves the ID of the current product.
- `in_array()` checks if the product’s ID is present in the `$product_ids_to_remove` array.
- If both conditions are true, the “Add to Cart” button is removed from both the single product page and the shop loop.
Conslusion:
Removing the “Add to Cart” button in WooCommerce can be achieved through various methods, each offering different levels of control and complexity. Choosing the right method depends on your specific requirements and technical skills.
- CSS is the easiest and fastest method but can be unreliable due to theme dependencies and potential JavaScript interactions.
- Plugins provide a user-friendly interface and often offer additional features.
- PHP code offers the most flexibility and control, allowing you to conditionally remove the button based on user roles, product categories, or individual product IDs.
Remember to back up your website before making any code modifications and to consider using a child theme or a custom plugin to prevent your changes from being overwritten during theme updates. Carefully weigh the advantages and disadvantages of each method before implementing a solution. Consider the implications for user experience and explore alternative approaches like request-a-quote forms or contact buttons, which might be more suitable for your specific business needs. By carefully planning and implementing the appropriate solution, you can effectively remove the “Add to Cart” button and tailor your WooCommerce store to meet your unique requirements.
