How to Customize WooCommerce Elements in the Twenty Twenty-Three Theme

Many users migrating to the modern, block-based Twenty Twenty-Three theme discover that customizing WooCommerce elements like the shopping cart, product pages, and shop layout works differently than in traditional themes. This guide covers the most common customization challenges and their solutions.

Common WooCommerce Customization Challenges

Based on community reports, users frequently need to modify these specific WooCommerce areas within the Twenty Twenty-Three theme:

• The sliding mini-cart text and button styles
• Product image sizes
• Product price display and font sizes
• The default shop page layout and columns
• Adding sidebars to shop pages
• Rearranging blocks on single product pages
• Payment button placement (e.g., PayPal)

Why These Customizations Can Be Challenging

Twenty Twenty-Three is a full-site editing (FSE) block theme. Unlike traditional themes, it relies on blocks and templates managed through the Site Editor, not the WordPress Customizer. This represents a significant shift in how WordPress handles styling and layout, which can be unfamiliar to users accustomed to older themes like Divi.

Solutions and Workarounds

1. Accessing the Customizer for Basic WooCommerce Settings

Although the Customizer is not the primary tool for block themes, it remains the easiest way to adjust some fundamental WooCommerce settings, such as product image dimensions.

How to access it: Navigate directly to your site's Customizer by entering the following URL in your browser, replacing [yourdomain] with your actual domain: https://[yourdomain]/wp-admin/customize.php. From there, look for the WooCommerce > Product Images section to make changes.

2. Editing WooCommerce Templates in the Site Editor

To change the layout of key shop pages, you need to edit the specific WooCommerce templates.

How to find them: Go to Appearance > Editor to open the Site Editor. Navigate to the Templates section. Once WooCommerce is installed, it adds templates like 'Product Catalog' (for the main shop page) and 'Single Product'. You can edit these templates just like any other page in the block editor.

3. Using a Child Theme for Advanced Customizations

For complex changes that the Site Editor cannot handle—such as creating a custom template with a sidebar for the shop page or deeply modifying the mini-cart—creating a child theme is often the recommended path. This involves creating custom template files and adding CSS. For detailed guidance on this advanced method, the WooCommerce support forums are an excellent resource.

4. Addressing Specific Block Limitations

Some WooCommerce blocks, like the Product Price block, have limitations on how they can be moved or edited within templates. If you encounter this, a common workaround is to create a new custom page for your shop instead of modifying the default template. You can then use WooCommerce blocks to build the layout with more flexibility.

Important Considerations

• Plugin Conflicts: Layout issues, especially with payment buttons, can sometimes be caused by residual code from a previous theme. Ensure you have completely removed old theme files and performed conflict testing by disabling other plugins.
• Beta Features: Some WooCommerce block features were in beta and may not have displayed correctly. These issues are often resolved in subsequent plugin updates.

Customizing WooCommerce within a block theme involves a new approach, but these methods provide a solid foundation for achieving the look and functionality you want for your online store.