# How to Hide Product Categories on Your WooCommerce Shop Page: A Beginner’s Guide
Are you tired of seeing cluttered categories on your WooCommerce shop page? Do you want a cleaner, more focused shopping experience for your customers? Then you’ve come to the right place! This guide will walk you through how to effectively hide product categories from your WooCommerce shop page, improving both the user experience and the overall aesthetic of your online store.
Why Hide Product Categories?
Before we dive into the *how*, let’s address the *why*. There are several compelling reasons why you might want to hide product categories on your WooCommerce shop page:
- Improved Visual Appeal: A cluttered shop page with too many categories can overwhelm visitors. Hiding unnecessary categories creates a cleaner, more professional look. Imagine a clothing store with categories for “Shirts,” “Pants,” “Shoes,” *and* “Socks,” “Underwear,” and “Accessories” all crammed onto the main page – it’s visually overwhelming! A curated selection makes for a better first impression.
- Enhanced User Focus: By showcasing only the most relevant categories, you guide your customers towards your best-selling or most important products. Think of it like a well-organized museum – you don’t display everything at once; you guide the visitor through key exhibits.
- Strategic Marketing: You might want to temporarily hide certain categories to promote specific products or seasonal items. For example, a Christmas shop might hide “Summer Dresses” during the holiday season to focus on Christmas decorations.
- WooCommerce Product Visibility: This plugin allows fine-grained control over which products and categories are displayed. It often includes an easy-to-use interface to manage category visibility.
- Other similar plugins: Search the WordPress plugin directory for “WooCommerce category visibility” or “WooCommerce hide categories.”
Methods to Hide WooCommerce Product Categories
There are several ways to achieve this, ranging from simple plugin solutions to custom code. We’ll explore the most straightforward and effective methods.
Method 1: Using a Plugin (Easiest Method)
The easiest way to hide categories is by using a WooCommerce plugin. Many plugins offer this functionality as a feature. Some popular options include:
Advantages: Easy to install and use, often requiring no coding skills.
Disadvantages: Relies on a third-party plugin; potential for conflicts with other plugins; might add extra load to your website.
Method 2: Using Custom Code (Advanced Method)
This method requires some familiarity with PHP and child themes. Always back up your website before implementing any custom code!
This example shows how to hide a category with the ID `12` (replace this with your category’s ID):
add_filter( 'woocommerce_product_categories', 'hide_specific_category' );
function hide_specific_category( $categories ) {
foreach ( $categories as $key => $category ) {
if ( $category->term_id == 12 ) {
unset( $categories[$key] );
}
}
return $categories;
}
This code snippet removes the category with ID `12` from the shop page display. You’ll need to add this code to your theme’s `functions.php` file (ideally in a child theme to prevent data loss upon theme updates). Remember to replace `12` with the actual ID of the category you want to hide. You can find the category ID in your WordPress admin panel under “Products” -> “Categories.”
Advantages: Provides more control and flexibility than plugins.
Disadvantages: Requires coding knowledge; risks breaking your website if implemented incorrectly; may require updating if your theme or WooCommerce version changes.
Choosing the Right Method
For most users, using a WooCommerce plugin is the recommended approach. It’s simple, efficient, and minimizes the risk of errors. If you’re comfortable with PHP and child themes, and need more precise control, then the custom code method offers greater flexibility.
Remember to always test your changes thoroughly after implementing any solution. Observe your shop page to ensure the categories are hidden correctly and the overall user experience remains positive. By following these steps, you can create a more focused and visually appealing WooCommerce shop page.
