WooCommerce CSS: Taming the Submit Button (A Beginner’s Guide)
So, you’re running a WooCommerce store and you’ve noticed your “Add to Cart” or “Place Order” button is looking a little… meh? Don’t worry, you’re not alone! Customizing the submit button is a common desire for WooCommerce store owners wanting to match their branding and create a more visually appealing shopping experience. This guide will walk you through the easiest and safest ways to edit your WooCommerce submit button’s CSS, even if you’re a complete newbie.
Why Customize Your WooCommerce Submit Button?
Think of your submit button as the final call to action in the customer’s journey. A well-designed and visually appealing button can:
* Increase Conversions: A clear, attractive button encourages clicks and completes sales.
* Reinforce Branding: Your button should reflect your brand’s colors, style, and overall aesthetic. Imagine a sleek, minimalist store with a bright orange, clunky default button – it just wouldn’t fit!
* Improve User Experience: Make the button easily identifiable and clickable, especially on mobile devices.
* Stand Out From the Competition: A unique and well-designed button helps your store stand out and leaves a lasting impression.
Understanding CSS Selectors: Finding Your Button
Before we dive into changing the button’s appearance, we need to understand *how* to target it with CSS. CSS uses *selectors* to identify which HTML elements you want to style. WooCommerce submit buttons typically have specific CSS classes associated with them. Here are a few common ones you’ll encounter:
* `.button`: This is a very general class used on many buttons, so be careful! We’ll likely need to be more specific.
* `.single_add_to_cart_button`: Specifically targets the “Add to Cart” button on single product pages.
* `.woocommerce-cart .button`: Targets buttons within the shopping cart page.
* `.woocommerce-checkout .button`: Targets buttons on the checkout page (e.g., “Place Order”).
* `.woocommerce #respond input#submit`: Target button on comment form on product page
How to find the *right* selector:
1. Inspect Element: Open the page containing the button you want to edit in your web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc.). Right-click on the button and select “Inspect” or “Inspect Element” (the exact wording might vary slightly depending on your browser).
2. Examine the HTML: The browser’s developer tools will open, showing you the HTML code of the page. Look for the `
For example, you might see something like this:
In this case, the classes `.single_add_to_cart_button`, `.button`, and `.alt` are all potential selectors you can use.
The Safest and Easiest Way: Customizer CSS
The safest and most beginner-friendly way to add custom CSS to your WooCommerce site is through the WordPress Customizer. This method ensures that your changes won’t be overwritten during theme updates.
1. Go to Appearance > Customize in your WordPress admin area.
2. Find the “Additional CSS” section. This section allows you to add custom CSS rules that will be applied to your website.
3. Write Your CSS: Use the CSS selectors you identified earlier to style your button. Here are some examples:
* Changing the background color and text color of the “Add to Cart” button:
.single_add_to_cart_button {
background-color: #007bff; /* A nice blue */
color: white;
border: none; /* Remove the border */
padding: 10px 20px; /* Add some padding */
font-size: 16px; /* Make the text a bit larger */
border-radius: 5px; /* Round the corners */
cursor: pointer; /* Change the cursor on hover */
}
.single_add_to_cart_button:hover {
background-color: #0056b3; /* A darker blue on hover */
}
Explanation:
- `background-color`: Sets the background color of the button.
- `color`: Sets the text color.
- `border: none`: Removes any default border.
- `padding`: Adds space around the text inside the button.
- `font-size`: Adjusts the size of the text.
- `border-radius`: Rounds the corners of the button.
- `cursor: pointer`: Changes the cursor to a pointer (hand) when hovering over the button, indicating it’s clickable.
- `:hover`: This is a *pseudo-class* that applies styles when the mouse hovers over the element.
* Customizing the “Place Order” button on the checkout page:
.woocommerce-checkout #place_order {
background-color: #4CAF50; /* A green color */
color: white;
padding: 12px 24px;
border: none;
border-radius: 4px;
cursor: pointer;
font-size: 18px;
}
.woocommerce-checkout #place_order:hover {
background-color: #367c39; /* A darker shade of green on hover */
}
Important Considerations:
* Specificity: If you’re having trouble getting your styles to apply, it might be because another CSS rule is more *specific*. You can increase specificity by adding more classes or using the `!important` declaration (use this sparingly!). For example:
body .woocommerce-checkout .button#place_order {
background-color: purple !important;
}
Adding `body` before the CSS classes can increase the specificity.
* Responsiveness: Make sure your button styles look good on all devices (desktops, tablets, and phones). Use media queries to adjust the styles for different screen sizes. For example:
@media (max-width: 768px) {
.single_add_to_cart_button {
font-size: 14px;
padding: 8px 16px;
}
}
This reduces the font size and padding on screens smaller than 768 pixels (typically tablets and phones).
4. Preview and Publish: The Customizer will show you a live preview of your changes. Once you’re happy with the results, click the “Publish” button to save your changes.
Other Methods (For More Advanced Users)
While the Customizer is the recommended approach, there are other ways to add custom CSS, although they require a bit more caution:
* Child Theme Style Sheet (Recommended for complex changes): If you’re making significant CSS modifications, it’s best practice to create a child theme. This prevents your changes from being overwritten when you update your parent theme. Create a `style.css` file in your child theme directory and add your CSS there.
* Editing the Theme’s Style Sheet (Not Recommended): Directly editing your theme’s `style.css` file is strongly discouraged because your changes will be lost when you update the theme.
Common CSS Properties for Submit Button Styling
Here’s a quick rundown of common CSS properties you’ll likely use:
* `background-color`: Sets the background color of the button.
* `color`: Sets the text color.
* `font-family`: Changes the font of the text.
* `font-size`: Adjusts the size of the text.
* `font-weight`: Makes the text bold or lighter.
* `padding`: Adds space around the text inside the button (top, right, bottom, left).
* `border`: Sets the border style, width, and color. Use `border: none;` to remove the border.
* `border-radius`: Rounds the corners of the button.
* `box-shadow`: Adds a shadow effect to the button.
* `text-transform`: Converts text to uppercase or lowercase (e.g., `text-transform: uppercase;`).
* `cursor`: Changes the cursor appearance when hovering over the button (e.g., `cursor: pointer;`).
* `transition`: Adds animation when hovering. Example: `transition: background-color 0.3s ease;`
Real-Life Example: Creating a Modern, Flat Button
Let’s say you want a clean, modern “Add to Cart” button with a flat design (no gradients or shadows).
.single_add_to_cart_button {
background-color: #28a745; /* A vibrant green */
color: #fff; /* White text */
padding: 12px 24px;
border: none;
border-radius: 4px;
font-size: 16px;
cursor: pointer;
text-transform: uppercase; /* Make the text uppercase */
letter-spacing: 1px; /* Add a little space between the letters */
transition: background-color 0.3s ease; /* Smooth transition on hover */
}
.single_add_to_cart_button:hover {
background-color: #218838; /* A slightly darker green on hover */
}
This CSS will create a button with:
* A green background
* White uppercase text
* Rounded corners
* A smooth background color change on hover
Conclusion
Customizing your WooCommerce submit buttons is a relatively simple way to improve your store’s aesthetics and potentially boost conversions. By understanding CSS selectors and using the WordPress Customizer, you can easily tailor your buttons to match your brand and create a more engaging shopping experience for your customers. Remember to test your changes on different devices to ensure a consistent and user-friendly experience. Happy styling!
