How to Make Your WooCommerce Shop Page Full Width: A Comprehensive Guide
Introduction:
Are you looking to give your WooCommerce shop page a more modern and visually appealing look? One of the easiest ways to achieve this is by making it full width. A full-width layout eliminates the sidebar and allows your products to take center stage, creating a cleaner and more engaging shopping experience for your customers. This article provides a step-by-step guide on how to achieve a full-width WooCommerce shop page, along with considerations and potential drawbacks. By the end of this guide, you’ll have the knowledge and tools to transform your shop page into a visually stunning showcase for your products.
Methods to Achieve a Full-Width WooCommerce Shop Page
There are several methods you can use to make your WooCommerce shop page full width. We’ll cover the most common and effective approaches:
1. Using Your Theme’s Built-in Options
Many modern WordPress themes come with built-in options to control the layout of different pages, including the WooCommerce shop page. This is often the simplest and most recommended approach.
- Navigate to your theme’s settings: This is usually found under “Appearance” -> “Customize” in your WordPress dashboard.
- Look for layout options: Search for settings related to page layouts, sidebar positions, or WooCommerce-specific options. Look for phrases like “Shop Layout, Page Layout, or Sidebar Settings“.
- Choose “Full Width”: Select the “Full Width” option for the shop page. This may involve selecting “No Sidebar” or choosing a layout template specifically designed for full width.
- Save your changes: Be sure to save your customization settings after making your selection.
- Install and activate your chosen page builder plugin: If you haven’t already, install and activate a page builder plugin.
- Create a new page (if necessary): In some cases, you might need to create a new page and assign it as your shop page. Go to *Pages -> Add New*.
- Edit with the page builder: Open the page and click the button to edit with your chosen page builder (e.g., “Edit with Elementor”).
- Remove the default content and set the page layout to full width: Look for settings like “Page Attributes” or “Page Layout” and select “Full Width” or “No Sidebar.” Within the page builder, you can often set the canvas to full width as well.
- Use the WooCommerce widgets/modules: Page builders usually offer dedicated WooCommerce widgets or modules to display your products. Drag and drop these elements onto the page and configure them to display your products as desired.
- Identify the CSS class or ID of the shop page’s content area: Use your browser’s developer tools (right-click on the page and select “Inspect” or “Inspect Element”) to identify the CSS class or ID that wraps the content area of the shop page. Common examples include `.woocommerce`, `.shop`, `.content`, or `#main`.
- Add custom CSS to your theme: You can add custom CSS using the WordPress Customizer (Appearance -> Customize -> Additional CSS) or by editing your theme’s `style.css` file (not recommended for beginners as it can break your site).
- Write the CSS code: The CSS code will generally involve setting the width to 100% and removing or setting the margin/padding to zero.
- Test and adjust: Test the changes on different screen sizes and make adjustments to the CSS as needed to ensure the layout looks good on all devices.
- Create a child theme: A child theme allows you to modify your theme’s files without directly editing the original theme, protecting your changes from being overwritten during theme updates.
- Copy the relevant WooCommerce template: Copy the `archive-product.php` file from the WooCommerce templates directory (`/wp-content/plugins/woocommerce/templates/`) to your child theme’s WooCommerce directory (`/wp-content/themes/your-child-theme/woocommerce/`). If the ‘woocommerce’ directory doesn’t exist in your child theme, create it.
- Modify the template file: Edit the copied `archive-product.php` file to remove any sidebar elements and adjust the HTML structure to create a full-width layout. This often involves removing or commenting out code that includes `get_sidebar()` or elements related to the sidebar container.
- Adjust CSS as needed: You may still need to add custom CSS to fine-tune the layout and ensure it looks correct.
- Loss of sidebar functionality: Removing the sidebar eliminates the ability to display widgets like category filters, product search, or promotional banners, which can be helpful for navigation and conversions.
- Increased page load time: If the full-width layout necessitates loading more images or complex scripts, it could potentially increase page load time, affecting user experience and SEO. Optimize images and scripts to mitigate this.
- Mobile responsiveness issues: A poorly implemented full-width layout can lead to responsiveness issues on smaller screens. Ensure your layout is fully responsive and adapts well to different screen sizes. Test on different devices!
- Content becomes too wide: On very large monitors, the content might become too wide, making it difficult to read and navigate. Consider setting a maximum width for the content container.
Example: If you’re using the Astra theme, you might find the relevant options under *Appearance -> Customize -> Layout -> WooCommerce -> Product Archive*. Here you can select “No Sidebar.”
2. Using a Page Builder Plugin
Page builder plugins like Elementor, Beaver Builder, and Divi offer a visual and flexible way to customize your WooCommerce shop page.
Example using Elementor: When editing the page with Elementor, in the bottom left corner, click on the settings gear. Under the ‘Page Layout’ dropdown, choose ‘Elementor Full Width’ or ‘Elementor Canvas’. Then, use Elementor’s WooCommerce elements (like “Products” or “WooCommerce Products”) to build your shop page.
3. Using Custom CSS
If the above methods don’t work, you can use custom CSS to force the shop page to be full width. This method requires some basic knowledge of CSS.
/* Example CSS for making the shop page full width */
.woocommerce {
width: 100%;
max-width: 100%; /* Ensure it stretches to the full width */
margin: 0;
padding: 0;
}
.woocommerce ul.products li.product {
width: auto; /* Allow products to flow within the full-width container */
}
.woocommerce .col2-set .col-1, .woocommerce .col2-set .col-2 {
width: 100%; /* ensure the content blocks take full width */
}
4. Using a Child Theme and Custom Templates
This is the most advanced method and requires a deeper understanding of WordPress theme development. It involves creating a child theme and overriding the WooCommerce template files that control the shop page layout.
Important note: Always use a child theme when making modifications to template files to avoid losing your changes when the main theme is updated.
Potential Drawbacks of a Full-Width Shop Page
While a full-width shop page can enhance the visual appeal, it’s crucial to consider potential drawbacks:
Conclusion
Creating a full-width WooCommerce shop page can be a significant improvement to your online store’s appearance and user experience. By using the methods outlined in this guide, you can achieve a visually appealing layout that showcases your products effectively. Remember to carefully consider the potential drawbacks and ensure your implementation is responsive and optimized for performance. Choose the method that best suits your technical skill and your theme’s capabilities. By taking these steps, you’ll be well on your way to creating a shop page that converts visitors into happy customers.
