The Ultimate Guide: How to Remove Cart Icon Shopify

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Understanding the Cart Icon
  3. Why Remove The Cart Icon?
  4. Step-by-Step Guide to Remove the Cart Icon
  5. FAQs

In the ever-evolving world of e-commerce, Shopify stands out as a powerful platform that enables business owners to create and manage their online stores with ease. However, there comes a time when store owners may seek to customize their Shopify experience by altering the user interface—specifically, by removing the cart icon. Whether it's due to the shop being temporarily inactive, focusing on a catalog display, or any other reason, understanding how to remove the cart icon can significantly impact your site's aesthetic and functionality.

Introduction

Have you ever visited an online store only to notice that the cart icon was missing? This detail might seem minor, but it can dramatically change how customers interact with a website. For Shopify store owners, the decision to remove the cart icon could be driven by various strategies or short-term requirements. If you've been pondering over how to make this adjustment without compromising your site's integrity, you're in the right place.

In this blog post, we will dive deep into the "how-to" of removing the cart icon from Shopify stores. You'll learn why some businesses opt for this change, the impact it might have on user experience, and, most importantly, step-by-step instructions on how to remove or hide the cart icon from your Shopify theme. This guide is designed to provide you with all the tools you need to make informed decisions and execute them precisely.

Understanding the Cart Icon

Before we delve into the process of removing the cart icon, let's first understand its role and implications. The cart icon is a critical feature in e-commerce websites, signaling to customers where their chosen items are stored before purchase. Its presence is a constant reminder of incomplete transactions and encourages shoppers to complete their purchase. When you remove or hide this icon, it fundamentally changes how customers interact with your site, potentially affecting sales and customer experience.

Why Remove The Cart Icon?

There are several reasons why removing the cart icon might be beneficial for your Shopify store:

  • Focusing on Product Display: For stores not ready to sell or those showcasing products without immediate purchase intent, removing the cart icon helps keep the focus on browsing.
  • Site Redesign or Testing: During redesign phases or A/B testing, you might temporarily remove the cart icon to gauge different user interactions.
  • Service-Based Businesses: For sites focused on services rather than products, the cart icon might be irrelevant.

Understanding your specific reasons will guide you through the customization process efficiently and effectively.

Step-by-Step Guide to Remove the Cart Icon

Ready to tweak your Shopify store? Here's how you can hide or remove the cart icon:

1. Backing Up Your Theme

The first rule of making theme modifications is always to back up your current theme. This ensures that you can revert to the original design if necessary.

2. Accessing Theme Code

  • From your Shopify admin, go to Online Store > Themes.
  • Find the theme you want to edit, click the Actions dropdown, and then select Edit code.

3. Modifying the Header.liquid File

Most cart icons are located in the header section of the site, controlled by the header.liquid file.

  • Navigate to the Sections folder and click on header.liquid.
  • Use the CTRL+F (or Command+F on Mac) function to search for terms related to the cart, such as cart, basket, shopping, or icon.

4. Commenting Out the Cart Element

Rather than deleting the code, it’s safer to comment it out. This way, you can easily revert the changes if needed.

  • Locate the code snippet responsible for displaying the cart icon.
  • To comment it out, you’ll encapsulate the code snippet like so: <!-- Code snippet here -->.

5. Using CSS to Hide the Cart Icon

If you're unable to locate the cart icon code or prefer not to tamper with Liquid code, you can use CSS to hide the icon.

  • Navigate to the Assets folder and select your CSS file, usually named theme.scss.liquid or styles.scss.liquid.

  • At the bottom of this file, add:

    .cart-link { display: none !important; }

This method hides the cart link using CSS, making it invisible on the front end but not removing it entirely from the code structure.

6. Preview and Save

Before making any changes live, always preview your theme to ensure the cart icon is successfully hidden and that other elements have not been affected unintentionally.

FAQs

Is removing the cart icon permanent?

No, the changes are reversible. You can uncomment the code or remove the CSS rule to bring back the cart icon.

Can removing the cart icon affect my SEO?

Directly, no. However, changing how users interact with your site could indirectly affect your site’s performance, including bounce rates and time on page, which are factors in SEO rankings.

What should I consider before removing the cart icon?

Consider your business model, product types, and how this change aligns with your user experience goals. Also, think about how it impacts your sales process.

Can I remove the cart icon from a specific page only?

Yes, by using more specific selectors in your CSS or conditional Liquid code, you can target specific pages for these changes.

In conclusion, removing the cart icon from Shopify involves a careful consideration of your business needs and a precise execution in theme customization. Whether it's through direct code manipulation or CSS adjustments, the steps outlined above provide a comprehensive guide to achieving your desired site functionality. Always remember to back up your theme and thoroughly test changes to ensure a smooth transition for your users.

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