How to Disable the WooCommerce Shopping Cart: A Beginner’s Guide
So, you’re running a WooCommerce store, but you don’t actually want people to *buy* things directly from your site right now? Maybe you’re only showcasing products, using your site as a catalog, or directing sales through other channels. Whatever the reason, you need to disable the WooCommerce shopping cart. Don’t worry, it’s easier than you think! This guide will walk you through the process, step-by-step, even if you’re new to WordPress and WooCommerce.
Think of it like this: Imagine you’re opening a fancy art gallery. You want people to browse the beautiful paintings, but they can’t just walk out with one under their arm! You’d want them to inquire about prices and availability first. Disabling the shopping cart allows you to control that interaction.
Why Would You Want to Disable the WooCommerce Shopping Cart?
There are several legitimate reasons to ditch the traditional shopping cart experience:
- Turning Your Store into a Catalog: You might want to showcase your products without immediate purchasing options. This is common for businesses that handle custom orders or require consultations before a sale.
- Generating Leads: Instead of direct sales, you can use your website to collect leads. Disabling the cart and replacing “Add to Cart” buttons with “Request a Quote” or “Contact Us” buttons can be a powerful lead generation tool.
- External Sales Channels: Perhaps you sell primarily through platforms like Etsy or Amazon, and your website serves as a central hub for information.
- Product Launch Preparation: You might want to display upcoming products before they’re available for purchase, building hype and anticipation.
- Wholesale Businesses: Often, wholesale businesses require customers to register and have their accounts approved before they can see pricing and place orders.
- No coding required: You don’t need to touch a single line of code.
- Easy to install and configure: Plugins are designed to be user-friendly.
- Safe and reliable: Well-maintained plugins are regularly updated to ensure compatibility and security.
- Installation: Go to Plugins > Add New in your WordPress dashboard. Search for “Disable Cart & Redirect if Empty” (or a similar plugin) and click “Install Now” followed by “Activate.”
- Configuration: After activating the plugin, you’ll usually find settings under WooCommerce > Settings or in the plugin’s dedicated settings page. The options generally allow you to:
- Completely disable the cart page.
- Remove the “Add to Cart” buttons.
- Redirect users to a different page when the cart is empty.
- Customize the “Add to Cart” button text (e.g., “Request a Quote”).
- Remove the “Add to Cart” button from product pages:
Methods to Disable the WooCommerce Shopping Cart
There are a few ways to achieve this, ranging from simple plugin installations to code snippets. Let’s explore the most common and beginner-friendly methods:
1. Using a Dedicated Plugin (Recommended for Beginners)
The easiest and safest way to disable the WooCommerce shopping cart is by using a dedicated plugin. Here’s why it’s recommended for beginners:
Example Plugin: “Disable Cart & Redirect if Empty”
This is just one example, but many similar plugins are available in the WordPress plugin repository.
2. Using Code Snippets (For More Advanced Users)
If you’re comfortable with code, you can disable the cart using code snippets. However, be extremely careful when editing your theme’s functions.php file or using a code snippet plugin. A small mistake can break your website. It’s always best to backup your website before making any code changes.
Here are some common code snippets:
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 this code to your `functions.php` file (ideally, use a child theme to avoid losing changes during theme updates) or use a code snippet plugin like “Code Snippets.”
- Remove the Cart page:
add_filter( 'woocommerce_is_cart_or_checkout', 'bbloomer_hide_cart_page' );
function bbloomer_hide_cart_page( $is_cart_or_checkout ) {
if ( is_cart() ) {
return false;
}
return $is_cart_or_checkout;
}
This code snippet prevents the cart page from loading. You may also want to redirect users if they try to access it directly.
- Remove the Cart icon from the menu:
This depends on your theme. Most themes use a WooCommerce shortcode or a custom menu item for the cart icon. You’ll need to edit your theme’s menu settings (Appearance > Menus) to remove the cart icon. If it’s a shortcode, you’ll need to remove the shortcode from your theme’s header or wherever it’s located.
3. Using WooCommerce Settings (Limited Options)
While WooCommerce doesn’t have a direct “Disable Cart” option, you can achieve some similar results through its settings.
- Manage Stock Levels: Set stock levels to zero for all products. This will display the “Out of Stock” message instead of the “Add to Cart” button. However, users will still be able to view the cart.
- Set Product Visibility to “Catalog”: When creating or editing a product, set the visibility to “Catalog” or “Search.” This prevents the product from being displayed in the main shop loop, but users can still find it through direct links.
Important Considerations
- User Experience: When disabling the cart, ensure you provide clear instructions to your visitors. Let them know how they can inquire about products, request quotes, or contact you for more information.
- Mobile Responsiveness: Test your website on different devices to ensure the changes look good and are easy to use on mobile phones and tablets.
- SEO: If you are replacing “Add to Cart” buttons with “Request a Quote” or “Contact Us” buttons, make sure to optimize the landing pages for relevant keywords to improve your search engine rankings.
Conclusion
Disabling the WooCommerce shopping cart is a relatively straightforward process. Whether you choose a plugin for simplicity or code snippets for greater control, remember to prioritize user experience and clear communication. By following these steps, you can effectively transform your WooCommerce store into a product catalog, lead generation tool, or whatever suits your business needs. Good luck!
