# How to Remove Shop Categories in WooCommerce: A Beginner’s Guide
WooCommerce is a powerful e-commerce platform, but sometimes its default features need tweaking. One common request is removing shop categories altogether. Maybe you’ve restructured your product organization, are using a different categorization method, or simply want a cleaner shop front. This guide will show you how to remove WooCommerce shop categories, explaining the different approaches and their implications.
Why Remove WooCommerce Categories?
Before diving into the technical aspects, let’s understand *why* someone might want to remove categories. Here are a few real-life examples:
- Rebranding: A company shifting its brand identity might decide its old category structure no longer fits the new image. Removing categories and reorganizing allows for a fresh start.
- Simplified Navigation: An online store with a small, tightly focused product range might find categories overly complex and prefer a simple, single-page product display.
- Alternative Organization: Some stores use tags, custom taxonomies, or a completely different method for product organization, making categories redundant.
- Visual Cleanliness: A minimalist store design might prioritize a clean look, and removing categories contributes to this aesthetic.
- Using a Plugin: Several plugins offer category hiding functionality. Search for “WooCommerce Category Manager” or similar in your WordPress plugin directory. These plugins often provide granular control, allowing you to hide specific categories or all categories.
- Custom CSS (Advanced): This method requires some familiarity with CSS. You can use custom CSS to hide category elements from your theme. However, this is not recommended for beginners as improper implementation can break your site’s styling. An example (that may need adjustments depending on your theme):
- Hiding: Best for temporary removal or if you might need the categories later.
- Removing from shop page: Ideal for a cleaner shop front but still keeping data.
- Deleting: Only suitable if you’re certain you’ll never need the categories again.
Methods for Removing WooCommerce Categories
There are several ways to achieve this, each with its own advantages and disadvantages:
1. Hiding Categories (Without Deleting Them)
This method is ideal if you want to keep your categories for future use but want to remove them from the shop’s main view. This is the easiest and safest method for beginners.
How to do it:
.woocommerce Learn more about How To Use Woocommerce Rest Api In Php ul.products li.product .posted_in {
display: none;
}
This code snippet hides the category links on the product archive pages. Remember to always back up your website before applying custom CSS.
2. Removing Categories from the Shop Page (Without Deleting Data)
This approach keeps the categories in your database but prevents them from appearing on the shop page, essentially making them invisible to customers. This requires a bit more coding knowledge than hiding them.
3. Deleting Categories (Permanent Removal)
This is the most drastic approach and should only be used if you are absolutely Read more about How Do I Add Shipping To My Woocommerce Products certain you no longer need the categories. Remember, deleting categories also deletes the category association with products, potentially impacting your SEO.
Steps:
1. Back up your website: This is crucial before performing any irreversible actions.
2. Navigate to Products > Categories: In your WordPress admin dashboard.
3. Select the categories you want to delete.
4. Click “Apply” or “Delete”. Be extremely careful and double-check before clicking “delete”.
Note: Deleted categories are gone for good, so exercise extreme caution. Think carefully before choosing this option. Also remember to update the product pages which used those categories to ensure that no links are broken.
Choosing the Right Method
The best approach depends on your goals:
Remember to always back up your website before making any significant changes. If you’re unsure about any of these methods, consult a WordPress developer or seek help from the WooCommerce support forums. Starting with the hiding method is always a safer approach for beginners.
