Ditch That Default WooCommerce Sorting Bar: A Beginner’s Guide
Are you tired of that default WooCommerce sorting bar cluttering up your shop pages? It’s understandable! While it offers functionality, it can sometimes clash with your theme’s design or simply feel unnecessary. This guide will Check out this post: Woocommerce How To Use Attributes And Variations show you how to easily remove that default sorting bar and create a cleaner, more streamlined shopping experience for your customers.
Why Remove the Default Sorting Bar?
Before diving into the “how-to,” let’s explore why you might want to remove the default WooCommerce sorting bar. Here Learn more about How To Sell On Amazon Woocommerce are a few common reasons:
- Design Inconsistency: The default sorting bar may not match the aesthetic Learn more about How To Add Subscription Option To Save Woocommerce of your carefully chosen theme. A jarring element like this can disrupt the overall visual harmony of your shop. Imagine a minimalist theme suddenly interrupted by a bulky, busy sorting bar – it’s not ideal!
- Unnecessary Clutter: For shops with a limited number of products (or a very specific product selection), the sorting options might be redundant. Why offer sorting options if your customers only see 10 items, all displayed chronologically? It’s just extra visual noise.
- Improved User Experience: A streamlined, less cluttered shop page can actually improve the user experience. A cleaner layout can help your visitors focus on your products more effectively, potentially leading to increased sales.
Methods to Remove the WooCommerce Sorting Bar
There are several ways to remove that pesky sorting bar, catering to different levels of technical expertise. We’ll cover the easiest options first.
#### Method 1: Using a WooCommerce Plugin (Easiest Method)
The simplest solution is often to use a plugin. Many plugins offer customization options for WooCommerce, allowing you to selectively disable features like the default sorting bar. This is generally the recommended approach for beginners. Search the WordPress plugin repository for “WooCommerce Customizer” or similar terms. Many free and premium plugins offer this functionality.
Advantages: Easy to implement, no coding required, often offers additional customization options.
Disadvantages: Requires installing and managing an additional plugin (a slight performance overhead).
#### Method 2: Child Theme Modification (Intermediate)
This method involves creating a child theme (highly recommended for any theme modifications) and editing a template file. This method requires basic understanding of PHP and WordPress theme structure.
Step 1: Create a child theme for your current theme. This protects your customizations when the parent theme updates.
Step 2: Locate your theme’s `archive-product.php` file. This file is responsible for the display of your product archive pages (shop pages). In your child theme create a copy of this file.
Step 3: Find the code responsible for displaying the sorting options. It will usually be within a loop displaying product information and often involves a function call like `woocommerce_catalog_ordering()`.
Step 4: Simply remove or comment out the line of code that calls this function. For example:
// Remove this line to hide the sorting bar: woocommerce_catalog_ordering();
Step 5: Save the changes and upload your modified `archive-product.php` file to your child theme.
Advantages: Clean solution, avoids reliance on plugins.
Disadvantages: Requires understanding of PHP and WordPress theme development; incorrect modification can break your site.
#### Method 3: Using a Custom Function (Advanced)
This is a more advanced approach, ideal if you prefer to keep your code concise and directly within your theme’s `functions.php` file (again, *strongly* recommend using a child theme).
// Add this function to your child theme's functions.php file add_action('woocommerce_before_shop_loop','remove_woocommerce_sorting',10); function remove_woocommerce_sorting(){ remove_action( 'woocommerce_before_shop_loop', 'woocommerce_catalog_ordering', 20 ); }
This code removes the `woocommerce_catalog_ordering` action hook, effectively hiding the sorting bar.
Advantages: Clean and efficient, directly within your theme’s functions.
Disadvantages: Requires strong PHP understanding; incorrect modification can break your site.
Choosing the Right Method
For most users, Method 1 (using a plugin) is the best option. It’s the easiest, safest, and requires no coding skills. If you’re comfortable with code and want a more permanent solution, Method 2 (child theme modification) is a good choice. Method 3 should only be used by experienced WordPress developers.
Remember to always back up your website before making any code changes. If you encounter problems, consider contacting a WordPress developer for assistance. Now Learn more about How To Speed Up Woocommerce Website go forth and create a cleaner, more beautiful WooCommerce shop!
