How to Remove the Description from WooCommerce Tabs: A Beginner’s Guide
Welcome to the world of WooCommerce customization! One of the common tweaks many store owners want to make is adjusting the product page layout. Specifically, removing the product description from a separate tab and integrating it directly into the main content area. Why? Well, imagine someone lands on your product page eager to learn more. Requiring them to click a tab just to read the description can be a friction point, potentially leading them to bounce. Let’s walk through how to remove that tab and make the description instantly visible.
Why Remove the Description Tab?
Before we dive in, let’s consider the rationale behind removing the description tab:
- Improved User Experience: Fewer clicks mean a smoother, faster experience for your customers. They see the information they need immediately. Think about it: When you shop online, do you want to hunt for information, or have it readily available?
- Enhanced SEO: A consolidated product page with all the content visible can be better for search engines. They can crawl and index all the information more easily, potentially boosting your product’s visibility in search results.
- Modern Design: Some modern website designs prefer a cleaner layout where the description is integrated directly into the product summary area. The tabbed interface can sometimes feel outdated.
Methods to Remove the Description Tab in WooCommerce
There are a few ways to achieve this, ranging from simple code snippets to more comprehensive plugin solutions. We’ll focus on the code snippet method, as it’s often the most efficient and direct. Always back up your website before making any code changes! This will save you headaches if something goes wrong.
#### Option 1: Using `functions.php` (Recommended for Theme Customization)
This method involves adding code to your theme’s `functions.php` file (or preferably, a child theme’s `functions.php`). This is generally considered the best practice as it keeps your customizations separate from the core WooCommerce files, preventing them from being overwritten during updates.
1. Access your `functions.php` file: You can usually find this file by navigating to Appearance > Theme Editor in your WordPress dashboard. Look for the `functions.php` file on the right-hand side. If you are using a child theme (which you really should), make these changes in the child theme’s `functions.php` file.
2. Add the following code snippet:
add_filter( 'woocommerce_product_tabs', 'woo_remove_product_tabs', 98 );
function woo_remove_product_tabs( $tabs ) {
unset( $tabs[‘description’] ); // Remove the description tab
// unset( $tabs[‘reviews’] ); // Remove the reviews tab
// unset( $tabs[‘additional_information’] ); // Remove the additional information tab
return $tabs;
}
3. Save the changes: Click the “Update File” button.
Explanation:
- `add_filter( ‘woocommerce_product_tabs’, ‘woo_remove_product_tabs’, 98 );` This line tells WordPress to use our custom function `woo_remove_product_tabs` to modify the product tabs. The `98` is the priority.
- `function woo_remove_product_tabs( $tabs ) { … }` This defines our custom function.
- `unset( $tabs[‘description’] );` This line is the key! It removes the “description” tab from the `$tabs` array.
- The commented-out lines show you how to remove other tabs if needed (reviews and additional information).
- `return $tabs;` This returns the modified tabs array back to WooCommerce.
After adding this code, the “Description” tab will disappear from your product pages. The actual description content is still there; you just need to ensure it’s displayed somewhere else on the page, often automatically inserted by your theme below the product title and price. If not, you may need to edit your product page template files which is a more complex task.
#### Important Considerations:
- Child Theme: Using a child theme is crucial. If you directly edit your parent theme’s `functions.php` file, any theme update will overwrite your changes, and you’ll lose your customization. Child themes inherit the look and functionality of the parent theme but allow you to safely make Read more about How To Edit Woocommerce Prices In WordPress modifications.
- Displaying the Description: Removing the tab doesn’t magically display the description. You need to ensure your theme is configured to show the description in the main product content area. Most modern WooCommerce themes do this by default. If your theme doesn’t, you’ll need to edit your theme’s template files, specifically `content-single-product.php` or similar, which involves more advanced coding.
- Caching: After making changes to your `functions.php` file, clear your website’s cache (if you’re using a caching plugin) to ensure the changes are visible.
Example: A Before and After Scenario
Imagine a customer, Sarah, wants to buy a t-shirt from your store.
Before (with Description Tab):
Sarah lands on the product page. She sees the image, title, and price. To read about the material and care instructions, she has to click the “Description” tab. That’s an extra step!
After (Description Tab Removed):
Sarah lands on the product page. She sees the image, title, price, *and immediately sees the description with material details and washing instructions right below the price*. The information is immediately accessible, making her more likely to add the t-shirt to her cart.
Conclusion
Removing the description tab in WooCommerce is a relatively simple way to improve the user experience of your online store. By making the product description more accessible, you can potentially increase conversions and create a more engaging shopping experience for your customers. Remember to back up your website before making any code changes and consider using a child theme to keep your customizations safe. Good luck!
