WooCommerce: How to Remove “This is Where…” Default Text & Improve Your Store
Introduction:
WooCommerce is a powerful and flexible e-commerce platform, allowing you to create a custom online store tailored to your needs. However, upon initial setup, you might encounter default text like “This is where…” in various areas, such as product descriptions or widget areas. This generic placeholder content doesn’t exactly scream “professionalism” and can detract from your store’s branding. This article will guide you through how to remove the “This is where…” text in WooCommerce and replace it with compelling content that enhances your customer experience and boosts your SEO. We’ll cover several methods, from simple plugin solutions to more advanced code snippets.
Main Part: Removing “This is Where…” Default Text in WooCommerce
The “This is where…” text usually appears because WooCommerce, like many platforms, uses placeholder content to demonstrate where certain elements will eventually populate with real information. Here’s how to get rid of it:
1. Identifying the Source
Before diving into solutions, identify *where* the “This is where…” text is appearing on your site. Is it in:
- Product descriptions?
- Widget areas?
- Specific plugin areas?
- Theme elements?
- For Product Descriptions: Go to Products > All Products, edit the relevant product, and update the product description.
- For Widget Areas: Go to Appearance > Widgets, find the widget containing the text, and replace it.
- For Theme Elements: Use the theme customization options or edit the theme files (with caution and a backup!).
- Product pages
- Blog pages
- Footer areas
- Header areas
- Install and activate a snippets plugin.
- Add a new snippet.
- Use PHP code to remove or modify the text (see examples below).
- Activate the snippet.
Knowing the location helps pinpoint the correct fix.
2. Replacing Content Directly
This is the most straightforward method. Simply navigate to the area where the text is located and replace it with your own custom content.
3. Using a Theme Customizer
Many WooCommerce themes offer options in their customizer (Appearance > Customize) to modify default text or remove placeholder content. Look for sections related to:
These sections might contain settings to control default text visibility.
4. Using a Snippets Plugin (Recommended for Code Changes)
For more complex scenarios or when editing theme files directly isn’t ideal, a snippets plugin is a safe and convenient solution. Popular options include “Code Snippets” or “WPCode”.
Here are some examples:
#### Removing “This is where…” from Product Short Descriptions (Example)
This code snippet targets the product short description and filters out the “This is where…” text:
add_filter( 'woocommerce_short_description', 'remove_this_is_where_short_description' );
function remove_this_is_where_short_description( $description ) {
if ( strpos( $description, ‘This is where…’ ) !== false ) {
$description = str_replace( ‘This is where…’, ”, $description );
}
return $description;
}
Explanation:
- `add_filter( ‘woocommerce_short_description’, ‘remove_this_is_where_short_description’ );` This line tells WordPress to apply the function `remove_this_is_where_short_description` to the WooCommerce short description.
- `strpos( $description, ‘This is where…’ ) !== false` This checks if the short description contains the text “This is where…”.
- `str_replace( ‘This is where…’, ”, $description );` If the text is found, this replaces it with an empty string, effectively removing it.
Important Note: Adjust the string ‘This is where…’ to the exact text you want to remove if it differs. Also, always test these snippets in a staging environment before implementing them on your live site.
5. Editing Theme Files (Advanced – Use with Caution!)
This method involves directly editing your theme’s files. Always back up your theme before making any changes! Use a child theme to avoid losing your modifications during theme updates.
- Locate the relevant template file. This might be `single-product.php` for product pages or `functions.php` for theme-wide modifications. Use your browser’s developer tools to inspect the HTML and identify the template being used.
- Use a code editor to open the template file.
- Find the code responsible for displaying the “This is where…” text.
- Remove or modify the code.
- Save the changes.
Example (Conceptual – Specific code will vary based on your theme):
You might find something like this in `single-product.php`:
If `the_excerpt()` is directly outputting “This is where…”, you might need to modify a function in your theme’s `functions.php` file to filter the excerpt content. Again, proceed with extreme caution and back up everything!
6. Checking Plugin Settings
If the “This is where…” text originates from a plugin (e.g., a product builder plugin), check the plugin’s settings for options to customize or disable the default content. Many plugins provide configuration options to tailor their output to your specific requirements.
Conclusion:
Removing the default “This is where…” text from your WooCommerce store is crucial for creating a professional and trustworthy brand image. By following the methods outlined in this article, you can effectively replace placeholder content with engaging and informative text that resonates with your target audience and enhances your overall SEO. Remember to prioritize replacing this generic text with valuable content that highlights your product benefits, provides necessary details, and encourages conversions. Choose the method that best suits your technical skills and the specific location of the unwanted text, and always back up your site before making any code changes. Replacing generic content with high-quality, SEO-optimized text is a key step in creating a successful WooCommerce store.
