Tag: Fields

WooCommerce: Remove Checkout Fields Safely (No Plugin)

When customizing your WooCommerce checkout page, you might want to remove unnecessary fields to simplify the user experience or tailor the form to your business needs. However, removing checkout fields incorrectly can cause errors or affect order processing. This guide shows you how to safely remove WooCommerce checkout fields without using a plugin by adding custom code to your theme or child theme.

Quick Fix: Remove WooCommerce Checkout Fields

1. Identify the checkout fields you want to remove.
2. Add a custom PHP function to your theme’s functions.php file or a site-specific plugin.
3. Use the woocommerce_checkout_fields filter to unset the fields you want to remove.
4. Test the checkout page to ensure the fields are removed and the checkout works correctly.

Why This Happens

WooCommerce checkout fields are defined in an array that includes billing, shipping, and additional fields. By default, WooCommerce requires certain fields for processing orders, but many fields are optional or customizable. Removing fields directly from the template files or via plugins without using the proper hooks can cause validation errors or break the checkout process. Using the woocommerce_checkout_fields filter allows you to safely modify the checkout fields array before it is rendered and validated.

Requirements

• Access to your WordPress site’s theme files (preferably a child theme).
• Basic knowledge of PHP and WordPress theme editing.
• WooCommerce plugin installed and active.
• FTP or hosting file manager access to restore files if needed.

Step-by-Step: Remove Checkout Fields in WooCommerce

1. Backup your site. Always create a backup before editing theme files.
2. Access your theme’s functions.php file. You can do this via Appearance > Theme Editor in WordPress admin or through FTP/cPanel file manager.
3. Add the following code snippet to remove unwanted checkout fields. Customize the fields you want to remove by unsetting them from the array.

function custom_remove_woocommerce_checkout_fields( $fields ) {
    // Remove billing phone field
    unset( $fields['billing']['billing_phone'] );

    // Remove billing company field
    unset( $fields['billing']['billing_company'] );

    // Remove shipping address 2
    unset( $fields['shipping']['shipping_address_2'] );

    // Remove order comments
    unset( $fields['order']['order_comments'] );

    return $fields;
}
add_filter( 'woocommerce_checkout_fields', 'custom_remove_woocommerce_checkout_fields' );

4. Save the file and test your checkout page. Visit the checkout page and verify the specified fields are no longer visible.
5. Check order processing. Place a test order to ensure no validation errors occur and the order completes successfully.

Common Pitfalls

• Removing required fields: Some fields like billing email or billing address are required for order processing. Removing them can cause checkout validation errors.
• Editing parent theme files: Avoid editing the parent theme directly; use a child theme to prevent losing changes during updates.
• Cache issues: Clear your site and browser cache after making changes to see the updated checkout form.
• Plugin conflicts: Other plugins may add or modify checkout fields; test changes with plugins disabled if issues arise.

Works On

This method works on sites running WooCommerce on:

• Apache or Nginx web servers
• LiteSpeed servers
• Hosting panels like cPanel and Plesk
• Any WordPress theme that supports WooCommerce (preferably child themes)

FAQ

Q: Can I remove all checkout fields using this method?

A: You can remove most optional fields, but some fields are required by WooCommerce and should not be removed to avoid checkout errors.

Q: Will this code be overwritten when WooCommerce updates?

No. Since the code is added to your theme’s functions.php or a custom plugin, WooCommerce updates will not overwrite it.

Q: How do I find the exact field names to remove?

You can inspect the checkout form HTML or refer to WooCommerce documentation. Common field keys include billing_phone, billing_company, shipping_address_2, and order_comments.

Q: Can I add fields back later?

Yes. To add fields back, simply remove the unset() line for that field or add custom fields using the same woocommerce_checkout_fields filter.

Q: Is it better to use a plugin for this?

While plugins offer UI-based field management, using code is more lightweight and gives you full control without adding extra plugins.

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