How to Remove the Shopping Cart from WooCommerce: A Comprehensive Guide
Introduction:
WooCommerce is a powerful and versatile e-commerce platform, enabling you to build anything from a simple online store to a complex marketplace. However, there are situations where you might want to remove the shopping cart functionality altogether. Perhaps you’re creating a catalog website, using WooCommerce for product displays only, or implementing a different checkout process. Removing the shopping cart can streamline the user experience and better align with your specific business needs. This article provides a detailed, SEO-friendly guide on how to achieve this, exploring various methods and their potential impact.
Main Part: Removing the WooCommerce Shopping Cart
There are several ways to remove the shopping cart from your WooCommerce store, ranging from simple plugin installations to more complex code modifications. Choose the method that best suits your technical expertise and the specific outcome you desire.
1. Using a Plugin (The Easiest Method)
This is the recommended approach for users who are not comfortable editing code. Several plugins allow you to easily disable the shopping cart functionality.
- Search for a Plugin: Go to your WordPress admin panel, navigate to “Plugins” -> “Add New,” and search for plugins like “WooCommerce Catalog Mode,” “YITH WooCommerce Catalog Mode,” or “Disable Cart & Checkout for WooCommerce.”
- Install and Activate: Choose a plugin with good reviews and recent updates, install it, and activate it.
- Configure the Plugin: Most catalog mode plugins offer options to:
- Hide the “Add to Cart” buttons.
- Remove the shopping cart icon from the menu.
- Redirect users away from the cart and checkout pages.
- Replace add to cart buttons with inquiry forms.
- Example using “WooCommerce Catalog Mode”:
- Enable Catalog Mode
- Disable the Add to Cart button
- Hide the cart page
- Hide the checkout page
Once installed and activated go to WooCommerce Catalog Mode > Settings. Here you will find options such as:
2. Using Code Snippets (For More Control)
For users who are comfortable with basic coding, using code snippets provides more control over the process. This method involves adding code directly to your theme’s `functions.php` file or using a code snippets plugin. Always back up your website before making any code changes.
#### 2.1. Hiding the “Add to Cart” Button:
This code snippet removes the “Add to Cart” button from the product pages.
#### 2.2. Removing Cart and Checkout Pages:
This snippet removes the cart and checkout pages by redirecting users to the homepage if they try to access them.
<?php
// Redirect Cart page
add_action( 'template_redirect', 'wc_remove_cart_page_redirect' );
function wc_remove_cart_page_redirect() {
if ( is_cart() ) {
wp_safe_redirect( home_url() );
exit;
}
}
// Redirect Checkout page
add_action( ‘template_redirect’, ‘wc_remove_checkout_page_redirect’ );
function wc_remove_checkout_page_redirect() {
if ( is_checkout() ) {
wp_safe_redirect( home_url() );
exit;
}
}
?>
#### 2.3. Removing Cart Icon from Menu:
You may also want to remove the cart icon from your navigation menu. This can be done by modifying your theme’s header file or using CSS. The best method depends on how your theme handles the cart icon. One example is to use CSS.
/* Hide the cart icon in the menu */
.woocommerce-cart-menu-item { /* replace with your theme’s cart menu item class */
display: none !important;
}
Important:
- Child Theme: Always add code snippets to a child theme to prevent losing your changes when the parent theme updates.
- Code Snippets Plugin: Consider using a plugin like “Code Snippets” to manage your code snippets more easily and safely.
3. Editing WooCommerce Templates (Advanced)
For advanced users, you can directly modify WooCommerce templates to remove the shopping cart functionality.
- Override Templates: Copy the templates you want to modify from the `woocommerce/templates/` directory in the WooCommerce plugin folder to your theme’s `woocommerce/` directory.
- Remove Cart Related Code: In the copied templates, remove the code related to the “Add to Cart” button, cart display, and checkout links. For example, in `woocommerce/templates/single-product/add-to-cart/simple.php`, you can remove the entire form that contains the “Add to Cart” button.
Caution: This method requires a strong understanding of WooCommerce templates and PHP. Be extremely careful, as incorrect modifications can break your website.
Conclusion:
Removing the shopping cart from WooCommerce can be a simple process, especially using a plugin. If you need more control or want to avoid using a plugin, code snippets offer a flexible solution. For those with advanced development skills, directly editing WooCommerce templates provides the greatest level of customization. Remember to always back up your site before making any changes and choose the method that aligns best with your technical expertise. Carefully consider the implications of each approach to ensure you achieve the desired result and maintain the integrity of your WooCommerce store. Now that you have successfully removed the shopping cart, consider optimizing your website content to reflect its new catalog or display-focused nature.
