How to Remove the WooCommerce Shopping Cart Icon: A Simple Guide
Introduction:
The WooCommerce shopping cart icon is a ubiquitous feature of most online stores, readily displaying to customers the items they’ve added and providing a quick pathway to the checkout process. However, there are situations where you might want to remove or hide this icon. Perhaps you’re building a catalog website without direct sales, you want to simplify the user interface, or you have a custom cart implementation. Whatever your reason, this article will provide you with a comprehensive guide on how to remove the WooCommerce shopping cart Read more about Woocommerce Pages How To Change Title Bar Text icon using various methods, catering to different technical skill levels. We’ll cover everything from simple CSS tricks to more advanced PHP code snippets. But first, let’s explore why you might even want to do this.
Main Part: Methods to Remove the Shopping Cart Icon
There are multiple ways to remove the WooCommerce shopping cart icon. Choose the method that best suits your skills and your website’s configuration.
1. Using Custom CSS (Simplest Method)
This is the easiest and fastest method, suitable for beginners. It hides the icon using CSS, which means it’s still present in the HTML but visually hidden from users.
- How to:
- Explanation:
- `display: none !important;` hides the elements with the specified classes. The `!important` declaration ensures that your CSS rule overrides any other conflicting styles.
- You may need to inspect your website’s code (right-click and select “Inspect”) to identify the correct CSS class for your theme’s shopping cart icon.
- Example Plugins:
- WooCommerce Menu Cart: While primarily designed to *add* a cart icon, it often includes options to *remove* it if it conflicts with your theme’s existing icon.
- Custom CSS and JS: Plugins that allow you to easily add custom CSS (like the code above) without directly editing your theme files.
- How to:
- Create a Child Theme (Highly Recommended): If you don’t already have one, create a child theme for your active theme.
- Edit the `functions.php` file: Go to Appearance > Theme Editor (or Theme File Editor in newer WordPress versions). Select your child theme from the dropdown menu and find the `functions.php` file.
- Add the following PHP code:
1. Locate your theme’s Customizer: Go to Appearance > Customize in your WordPress dashboard.
2. Find the “Additional CSS” section: This section allows you to add custom CSS rules to your theme.
3. Add the following CSS code:
.woocommerce-cart-menu-item,
.cart-contents {
display: none !important;
}
/* For some themes, you might need to target a different class, like: */
.widget_shopping_cart,
.woocommerce-cart {
display: none !important;
}
4. Publish your changes: Click the “Publish” button to save your changes.
2. Using a WordPress Plugin
Several plugins can help you manage your WooCommerce store, including the ability to remove elements like the shopping cart icon.
1. Install and Activate the Plugin: Go to Plugins > Learn more about How To Get Default Sorting Bar Off Of Woocommerce Add New in your WordPress dashboard, search for the plugin you want to use, install, and Discover insights on How To Customize Email Woocommerce activate it.
2. Configure the Plugin: Navigate to the plugin’s settings page (usually under WooCommerce or Settings) and look for options related to the shopping cart or menu.
3. Disable the Shopping Cart Icon: Enable the necessary settings to hide or remove the icon.
3. Editing Your Theme’s `functions.php` File
This method involves adding a code snippet to your theme’s `functions.php` file. Be extremely cautious when editing this file, as errors can break your website. It’s recommended to use a child theme to avoid losing your changes during theme updates.
<?php /**
function remove_woocommerce_cart_menu_item( $fragments ) {
unset($fragments[‘div.widget_shopping_cart_content’]);
unset($fragments[‘a.cart-contents’]); // Remove the cart link
return $fragments;
}
- Explanation:
- This code uses a `woocommerce_add_to_cart_fragments` filter to intercept the HTML fragments related to the cart and unset them.
- The specific code for `unset` depends on your theme, and you should inspect the code to see which elements include cart icon and change the `div.widget_shopping_cart_content` and `a.cart-contents` classes accordingly.
4. Editing Template Files (Advanced)
This is the most complex method and requires a good understanding of WordPress and WooCommerce templates. It involves directly modifying the template files that display the shopping cart icon. This method is not recommended for beginners.
- How to:
1. Identify the relevant template file: Usually, the shopping cart icon is located in the `header.php`, `menu.php`, or a specific WooCommerce template file. Use your browser’s developer tools to inspect the HTML and identify which file is rendering the icon.
2. Copy the template file to your child theme: Never edit the parent theme’s template files directly. Instead, copy the relevant template file to your child theme’s directory, maintaining the same folder structure.
3. Edit the copied template file: Open the copied template file and remove the code that displays the shopping cart icon. This might involve deleting specific HTML elements or PHP code blocks.
4. Save your changes.
Conclusion:
Removing the WooCommerce shopping cart icon is a relatively straightforward process, and there are multiple approaches to achieve the desired result. CSS is the simplest and quickest method, while using a plugin offers a more user-friendly interface. Editing the `functions.php` file is a more code-based approach but can be effective if you understand PHP. Editing template files is the most advanced option and should be reserved for experienced developers. Always back up your website before making any changes to your theme’s files and use a child theme to avoid losing your customizations during theme updates. Choose the method that best suits your technical skills and your specific needs. By implementing one of these techniques, you can easily remove the WooCommerce shopping cart icon and customize your website’s appearance to your liking.
