How to Remove the Cart Icon in Shopify's Dawn Theme for Better UX

Introduction

Shopify is a versatile e-commerce platform that caters to various business models. While many use it for traditional online retail, others might leverage its capabilities for different purposes, such as showcasing products without direct sales. If you’re using Shopify but don’t intend to sell products through your store, you might want to remove the cart icon to streamline your site’s user experience. This guide will walk you through the process of removing the cart icon in Shopify’s Dawn theme, as well as provide some additional customization options.

Why Remove the Cart Icon?

Streamlining User Experience

Removing the cart icon can help simplify your website’s interface, especially if you’re not using Shopify for direct sales. This can reduce confusion for visitors and keep them focused on your content or other primary goals.

Preventing Accidental Checkouts

By eliminating the cart icon, you can prevent visitors from accidentally reaching the checkout page, which might not be relevant to your site’s purpose.

Customizing Your Site’s Appearance

Removing unnecessary elements like the cart icon allows you to tailor your site’s look and feel to better match your brand and objectives.

How to Remove the Cart Icon in Dawn Theme

The Simple CSS Solution

The most straightforward way to remove the cart icon in Shopify’s Dawn theme is by adding a simple CSS rule. Here’s how to do it:

1. Log in to your Shopify admin panel.
2. Navigate to “Online Store” > “Themes”.
3. Find the Dawn theme and click on “Actions” > “Edit code”.
4. In the left sidebar, locate and click on the “Assets” folder.
5. Find and open the file named “base.css”.
6. Scroll to the bottom of the file and add the following CSS code:

#cart-icon-bubble {
    display: none;
}

7. Save the changes.

This CSS rule targets the cart icon element and sets its display property to “none”, effectively hiding it from view.

Verifying the Change

After adding the CSS code, visit your store’s frontend and refresh the page. The cart icon should now be hidden from view. If you don’t see the change immediately, try clearing your browser cache or viewing the site in an incognito/private browsing window.

Advanced Customization Options

Showing the Cart Icon for Logged-in Customers Only

If you want to display the cart icon exclusively for logged-in customers while hiding it for general visitors, you can use a combination of Liquid code and CSS. Here’s how to implement this:

1. Go to “Online Store” > “Themes” > “Edit code”.
2. Locate and open the “theme.liquid” file.
3. Find the closing “ tag.
4. Just above the “ tag, add the following code:

{% if customer %}
{% else %}
  <style>
    #cart-icon-bubble {
      display: none;
    }
  </style>
{% endif %}

This code snippet checks if a customer is logged in. If not, it applies the CSS to hide the cart icon.

Customizing the Cart Icon’s Appearance

Instead of completely removing the cart icon, you might want to modify its appearance to better suit your site’s design. Here are a few CSS properties you can adjust:

#cart-icon-bubble {
    /* Change the icon color */
    color: #your-color-code;
    
    /* Adjust the icon size */
    font-size: 20px;
    
    /* Add a background color */
    background-color: #your-background-color;
    
    /* Round the corners */
    border-radius: 50%;
    
    /* Add padding */
    padding: 5px;
}

Experiment with these properties to achieve the desired look for your cart icon.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Cart Icon Still Visible

If the cart icon remains visible after applying the CSS, try the following:

1. Clear your browser cache and reload the page.
2. Ensure you’ve saved the changes in the theme editor.
3. Check if there are any conflicting CSS rules in your theme that might be overriding the new styles.

Changes Not Reflecting on Mobile Devices

Sometimes, changes may not appear on mobile devices due to caching. To force an update:

1. Clear the cache on your mobile device.
2. Try accessing your site through a different browser on your mobile device.
3. If issues persist, review your theme’s responsive design settings to ensure the CSS is being applied across all device types.

Best Practices for Shopify Theme Customization

Always Backup Your Theme

Before making any changes to your theme’s code, always create a backup. This allows you to revert changes if something goes wrong.

Use Theme Customizer When Possible

For minor adjustments, try using Shopify’s built-in theme customizer before editing code directly. This can help prevent accidental code errors.

Test Across Multiple Devices and Browsers

After making changes, thoroughly test your site on various devices and browsers to ensure consistency in appearance and functionality.

By following this guide, you should be able to successfully remove the cart icon from your Shopify store using the Dawn theme. Remember that while removing the cart icon can streamline your site for non-sales purposes, it’s essential to ensure that this aligns with your overall business strategy and user experience goals.