Woocommerce How To Remove The Cart From The Navigation Menu

WooCommerce: Removing the Cart from Your Navigation Menu – A Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction

The WooCommerce cart icon in your navigation menu is a vital element for most online stores, providing customers with quick access to their selected items. However, there are situations where you might want to remove the cart icon from the navigation. Perhaps you’re selling single products, subscriptions, or digital downloads where a traditional “shopping cart” experience isn’t necessary. Maybe you want to streamline your user interface or implement a different checkout process. Regardless of the reason, this article will guide you through several methods to remove the WooCommerce cart from your navigation menu. We’ll cover the pros and cons of each approach to help you choose the best solution for your specific needs.

Removing the Cart Icon: Different Approaches

There are a few ways to remove the WooCommerce cart from the navigation menu. Each method offers varying levels of complexity and control. Let’s explore these options in detail:

#### 1. Using the WordPress Customizer (Theme Dependent)

The simplest method is often found directly within the WordPress Customizer. However, this method is theme-dependent, meaning it relies on your theme providing an option to disable the cart icon.

* Navigate to Appearance > Customize in your WordPress dashboard.

* Look for theme options related to your header, menu, or WooCommerce. Common names might be “Header Settings”, “Navigation Settings”, or “WooCommerce Menu Settings”.

* Within these settings, you might find a checkbox or toggle to disable the cart icon.

Pros:

• Easiest method if the option is available.
• No code required.

Cons:

• Not available in all themes.
• Limited customization options beyond simply hiding the icon.

#### 2. Using CSS (Hiding the Element)

A more universal approach is to use CSS to simply hide the cart icon. This method works regardless of your theme but might not be the most elegant solution because the cart still exists in the HTML, even though it’s not visible.

* Identify the CSS Class: Use your browser’s developer tools (right-click on the cart icon and select “Inspect” or “Inspect Element”) to identify the CSS class or ID associated with the cart menu item. Common examples might be `.woocommerce-cart`, `.cart-contents`, or `#site-header-cart`.

* Add Custom CSS: Go to Appearance > Customize > Additional CSS in your WordPress dashboard.

* Enter the CSS code to hide the element, replacing `.woocommerce-cart` with the actual class or ID you found:

.woocommerce-cart {

display: none !important; /* !important ensures this overrides other styles */

}

Pros:

• Works with virtually any theme.
• Relatively simple.

Cons:

• Doesn’t actually remove the cart functionality, just hides it.
• Might impact performance slightly (though negligibly).
• Requires knowledge of CSS.
• The cart might still be visible in mobile menu if you didn’t hide it using the appropriate class.

#### 3. Using a WordPress Plugin (For More Control)

Several plugins can help you manage your WooCommerce navigation menu, including the ability to remove specific elements like the cart. Search the WordPress plugin repository for terms like “menu editor” or “woocommerce menu”.

Some popular options include:

• Menu Editor: A comprehensive plugin that allows you to edit your WordPress menus, including removing or modifying WooCommerce elements.
• WooCommerce Menu Cart: While primarily designed to customize the cart icon, some versions allow you to disable it entirely.

Pros:

• User-friendly interface.
• Often provides more advanced customization options.

Cons:

• Requires installing and configuring a plugin.
• Plugin compatibility issues are possible.
• Might introduce performance overhead.

#### 4. Using Learn more about How To Change Select Options Button In Woocommerce PHP Code (The Most Direct Method)

The most direct and “cleanest” method is to use PHP code to unhook the WooCommerce cart fragment. This method completely removes the cart icon from the menu by preventing it from being added in the first place. This requires editing your theme’s functions.php file or using a code snippets plugin.

* Important: Back up your website before making any changes to the functions.php file. An error in this file can break your site.

* Add the following code snippet to your theme’s `functions.php` file (preferably a child theme) or a code snippets plugin:

 function remove_woocommerce_cart_from_menu( $items, $args ) { // Check if it's a WooCommerce menu and the cart item exists. if ( $args->theme_location == 'primary' && isset( $items['menu-item-cart'] ) ) { // Replace 'primary' with your menu location if necessary. Inspect your menu in the admin to see if you have an element with id 'menu-item-cart'. Otherwise, you may have to use other logic. unset( $items['menu-item-cart'] ); } return $items; } 

add_filter( ‘wp_nav_menu_objects’, ‘remove_woocommerce_cart_from_menu’, 10, 2 );

* Explanation:

* `remove_woocommerce_cart_from_menu()` is a custom function that filters the menu items.

* `$args->theme_location == ‘primary’` checks if the current menu is your primary menu. Replace `’primary’` with the actual theme location of your navigation menu (check in Appearance -> Menus). If you don’t have a menu item with an id of `menu-item-cart`, you may have to use other logic to identify the cart menu item to remove it.

* `isset( $items[‘menu-item-cart’] )` checks if the cart menu item exists in the array of menu items.

* `unset( $items[‘menu-item-cart’] )` removes the cart menu item from the array.

* `add_filter()` adds the custom function to the `wp_nav_menu_objects` filter, which modifies the menu items before they are displayed.

Pros:

• Cleanest and most efficient method.
• Completely removes the cart icon.
• Provides precise control.

Cons:

• Requires knowledge of PHP.
• Can break your site if done incorrectly.
• Requires creating a child theme or using a code snippets plugin for best practice.
• Requires finding your menu’s ID and the cart item ID, which can be challenging.

Conclusion

Removing the WooCommerce cart from your navigation menu can be achieved through various methods, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Choosing the right method depends on your technical skills, theme design, and specific requirements. If your theme provides a built-in option, that’s the easiest. If not, CSS offers a quick fix, but PHP provides the most robust and efficient solution. Remember to always back up your website before making any significant changes, especially when working with PHP code. By carefully considering the options presented, you can effectively remove the cart icon and optimize your WooCommerce store’s user experience.