Running a Shopify store involves customizing your website to meet your specific needs and preferences. One common customization is removing the cart icon from the header, especially if you don’t want to use Shopify’s built-in cart functionality. This guide will explain step-by-step how to remove the cart icon from the header in the Shopify Dawn theme.

Why Remove the Cart Icon?

Before diving into the steps, let’s understand why you might want to remove the cart icon from the header:

1. Custom Checkout Process: You might be using a custom checkout process that doesn’t require the cart icon.
2. Simple Browsing Experience: If your store is more for showcasing products without direct online sales, the cart icon may not be necessary.
3. Aesthetic Reasons: You may prefer a cleaner look for your website header.

Step-by-Step Guide to Remove the Cart Icon

Step 1: Access Your Shopify Admin

1. Log in to Your Shopify Account: Visit Shopify and log in with your credentials.
2. Navigate to Online Store: On the left-hand side menu, click on “Online Store.”

Step 2: Duplicate Your Theme

Before making any changes, it’s essential to create a backup by duplicating your theme. This way, you have a fallback if anything goes wrong.

1. Go to Themes: Under “Online Store,” click “Themes.”
2. Duplicate Current Theme: Find your current theme, click the “Actions” dropdown, and select “Duplicate.” Rename the duplicate to easily identify it later.

Step 3: Edit Theme Code

1. Go to Theme Editor: In the “Actions” dropdown of your main theme, select “Edit code.”
2. Find the Header File: In the left sidebar, under the “Sections” folder, look for a file named header.liquid or something similar (depending on the Dawn theme version).

Step 4: Locate the Cart Icon Code

1. Open header.liquid: Click on the file to open it in the editor.
2. Search for Cart Icon Code: Use the search function (Ctrl+F or Command+F) to look for keywords like cart or shopping-cart. This will help you locate the part of the code that controls the cart icon.

Typically, the cart icon code might look something like this:

liquidCopy code

Step 5: Comment Out or Remove the Code

To hide the cart icon, you can either comment out the code or remove it entirely. Commenting out is safer as it allows you to restore it easily if needed.

1. Comment Out the Code: Surround the cart icon code with comment tags {% comment %} and {% endcomment %}. It should look like this:

liquidCopy code{% comment %} {% endcomment %}

2. Save Changes: Click the “Save” button in the top-right corner.

Step 6: Preview Your Store

1. View Your Store: Go back to the Shopify admin and click “Online Store” then “Themes.”
2. Preview Your Theme: Click “Actions” and then “Preview” to see the changes live on your store.

Additional Customizations

Removing the cart icon is a good start, but you might also want to make other adjustments to ensure your header looks perfect.

Adjust Header Layout

After removing the cart icon, you may notice that the header layout needs some adjustments to look balanced.

1. Edit CSS: Go back to the theme editor and open the theme.css or styles.css file.
2. Adjust Header Styles: Add custom CSS to adjust the header layout. For example:

cssCopy code.header__icons {
  display: none; /* Hide the cart icon container */
}

Customize Navigation

You might want to re-arrange your navigation items after removing the cart icon.

1. Navigate to Customize Theme: Go to “Online Store” > “Themes” > “Customize.”
2. Edit Navigation: Select the “Header” section and adjust the navigation items as needed.

Using Shopify Apps for Advanced Customization

If you’re not comfortable editing the code directly, consider using Shopify apps that allow for more straightforward customization without touching the code.

1. Custom CSS/JS Loader: This app allows you to add custom CSS and JavaScript to your Shopify store easily.
   • Install the App: Find “Custom CSS/JS Loader” in the Shopify App Store and install it.
   • Add Custom CSS: Use the app to add CSS that hides the cart icon.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Cart Icon Still Visible

If the cart icon is still visible after following the steps, check the following:

1. Clear Cache: Clear your browser cache to ensure you’re seeing the most recent version of your site.
2. Check Code Placement: Ensure you commented out or removed the correct code in the header.liquid file.
3. Inspect Element: Use the browser’s “Inspect” tool to see if there are any other CSS rules affecting the cart icon.

Layout Issues

If the header looks unbalanced after removing the cart icon, you might need to adjust the CSS further:

1. Use Flexbox or Grid: Utilize CSS flexbox or grid to balance the header items.
2. Consult Theme Documentation: Some themes have specific guidelines for customizing the header layout. Refer to the Dawn theme documentation for additional tips.

Removing the cart icon from the header in the Shopify Dawn theme is a straightforward process that can significantly alter the look and functionality of your store. By following this guide, you can customize your store to better suit your needs, whether for aesthetic reasons or to support a different checkout process. Remember to back up your theme before making changes and test thoroughly to ensure everything works smoothly. Happy customizing!