Woocommerce How To Remove Category Fron Shop

WooCommerce: How to Remove Categories from Your Shop Page (Step-by-Step Guide)

Having a clean and intuitive shop page is crucial for a positive customer experience. Sometimes, displaying all your product categories on the main shop page can feel cluttered or unnecessary. This article will walk you through various methods on how to remove categories from the WooCommerce shop page without affecting your product organization or SEO. We’ll explore plugin-based solutions and code snippets, empowering you to customize your shop front according to your brand’s aesthetic and business goals.

Understanding the Need to Hide Categories

Why would you want to hide product categories from your main shop page? There are several compelling reasons:

Improved User Experience: If you have numerous categories, displaying them all can overwhelm visitors. Focusing on featured products or a curated selection offers a cleaner, more focused experience.
Strategic Merchandising: You might want to prioritize specific products or promotions on the shop page, diverting attention away from categories initially.
Aesthetic Preferences: A minimal design might be your preference, and removing categories contributes to a cleaner, less cluttered look.
Better Navigation: Sometimes, categories are better accessed through the main navigation menu or sidebar widgets, making displaying them on the shop page redundant.

Now, let’s delve into the methods for removing categories.

Methods for Removing WooCommerce Categories from the Shop Page

There are different approaches you can take, depending on your comfort level with coding and your specific needs. We’ll cover plugin-based solutions, which are beginner-friendly, and code-based methods for more advanced users.

1. Using a Plugin (Recommended for Beginners)

The easiest and most straightforward method is using a dedicated WooCommerce plugin. These plugins offer a user-friendly interface to manage the visibility of categories without requiring any coding knowledge.

Advantages:
Easy to install and configure.
No coding required.
Often come with additional features for customizing your shop page.
Disadvantages:
Can potentially impact website performance if you install too many plugins.
May require a paid subscription for advanced features.

Plugin Recommendation: “WooCommerce Hide Categories” (or similar)

1. Installation and Activation: Search for “WooCommerce Hide Categories” (or a similar plugin based on reviews and ratings) in the WordPress plugin directory (Plugins -> Add New) and install it. Activate the plugin.

2. Configuration: The plugin will typically add a new settings panel within WooCommerce settings or under a dedicated menu item in the WordPress dashboard.

3. Select Categories to Hide: Navigate to the plugin’s settings page. You should see a list of your product categories. Simply check the boxes next to the categories you want to hide from the shop page.

4. Save Changes: Save the settings, and the selected categories will no longer appear on your shop page.

Important Note: The exact settings and interface will vary depending on the specific plugin you choose. Refer to the plugin’s documentation for detailed instructions.

2. Using Code Snippets (For Advanced Users)

If you’re comfortable with coding, you can use a code snippet to remove categories from the shop page. This method offers more control and flexibility but requires careful implementation.

Advantages:
More control over the functionality.
No need to install additional plugins.
Can be customized to suit specific needs.
Disadvantages:
Requires coding knowledge.
Incorrect code can break your website.
May require updates when WooCommerce is updated.

Method 1: Hiding Categories Using the `pre_get_posts` Filter

This method modifies the main query to exclude categories from being displayed on the shop page. Add the following code to your theme’s `functions.php` file or using a code snippet plugin (like Code Snippets).

/**
Hide specific product categories from the shop page.
*/
function hide_categories_from_shop( $query ) {
if ( is_admin() || ! $query->is_main_query() ) {
return;
}

if ( is_shop() ) {

// Replace ‘category-slug-1’, ‘category-slug-2’ with the actual slugs of the categories you want to hide.

$query->set( ‘category__not_in’, array( get_term_by( ‘slug’, ‘category-slug-1’, ‘product_cat’ )->term_id, get_term_by( ‘slug’, ‘category-slug-2’, ‘product_cat’ )->term_id ) );

}

add_action( ‘pre_get_posts’, ‘hide_categories_from_shop’ );

Explanation:

`is_shop()`: Checks if the current page is the shop page.
`category__not_in`: Excludes the specified category IDs from the query.
`get_term_by( ‘slug’, ‘category-slug-1’, ‘product_cat’ )->term_id`: Retrieves the term ID of the category based on its slug.
Crucially: Replace `’category-slug-1’` and `’category-slug-2’` with the actual slugs of the categories you want to hide. You can find the category slug in the WordPress admin area under Products -> Categories. Hover over the category and look at the URL; the slug is typically near the end. You can add more category slugs as needed.

Method 2: Using CSS (Less Recommended – Only Hides, Doesn’t Remove)

This method uses CSS to hide the category elements on the page. While simpler, it’s less SEO-friendly because the content is still loaded in the HTML, just visually hidden.

1. Inspect the HTML: Visit your shop page and use your browser’s developer tools (right-click, “Inspect”) to identify the CSS class or ID of the category elements. It might be something like `.product-category` or similar.

2. Add CSS: Add the following CSS code to your theme’s `style.css` file or using the WordPress Customizer (Appearance -> Customize -> Additional CSS).

.product-category.category-slug-1,

.product-category.category-slug-2 {

display: none !important;

}

Replace `.product-category.category-slug-1` and `.product-category.category-slug-2` with the correct CSS selectors for your category elements. Again, you need the category slug in the CSS selector. You might need to experiment with different CSS selectors to target the specific category elements.

Warning: CSS only hides the categories visually. Search engines will still be able to see them, which might not be ideal for SEO if you want to completely remove them. The `pre_get_posts` filter is a much better solution for SEO.

Conclusion

Removing categories from your WooCommerce shop page can significantly enhance the user experience and allow you to showcase your products more effectively. By using a plugin like “WooCommerce Hide Categories” or implementing a code snippet with the `pre_get_posts` filter, you can easily customize your shop page to meet your specific needs. Remember to choose the method that best suits your technical expertise and always back up your website before making any code changes. Prioritize the `pre_get_posts` filter method for the best SEO results. By carefully managing your shop page layout, you can create a more engaging and conversion-focused online store.