The magnifying glass icon, commonly used as a search icon in WooCommerce, is a recognizable and essential part of any eCommerce website’s user interface. While it works well out of the box, there may be situations where you want to customize or change this icon to better align with your site’s design or branding. Whether it’s for aesthetic reasons or user experience improvements, changing the WooCommerce magnifying glass icon can enhance your store’s look and feel.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process of changing the magnifying glass icon in WooCommerce by using a variety of methods, including theme settings, custom CSS, and icon libraries like Font Awesome. We’ll also provide tips on how to ensure the icon fits well with your site’s responsive design.
Why Change the WooCommerce Magnifying Glass Icon?
The default WooCommerce search icon works well for most stores, but here are some reasons why you might want to modify it:
- Brand Consistency: To match your store’s unique branding and design.
- Improved User Experience: A more prominent or stylized icon can enhance usability.
- Design Modernization: You may want to adopt a more modern or minimalistic icon to align with current design trends.
- Customization: Adding a personal touch to stand out from competitors.
Now, let’s explore the steps you can take to make these changes.
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Step 1: Identify the Magnifying Glass Icon Location
Before making any changes, it’s essential to understand where the magnifying glass icon is located in your WooCommerce theme files. WooCommerce search icons are typically embedded in the theme files or controlled through CSS. Most themes use icons from popular icon libraries like Font Awesome or custom SVG files.
Here’s how you can locate the icon:
- Inspect Your Site’s Code: Right-click on the search icon in your WooCommerce store and select “Inspect” (in Google Chrome) or “Inspect Element” (in Firefox). This will open the browser’s developer tools.
- Search for the Icon: Look for the
<i>or<svg>tags in the HTML code. These are commonly used for icons. You’ll also see the class name of the icon or the image path for a custom SVG icon.
Once you’ve identified where the magnifying glass icon is located, you can proceed to customize or replace it.
Step 2: Use Theme Settings (If Available)
Many modern WooCommerce themes allow users to customize icons directly from the theme settings without editing the code. If your theme offers this option, it’s the simplest way to change the search icon.
- Access Theme Customizer: In your WordPress dashboard, go to Appearance > Customize.
- Find Search Icon Settings: Depending on your theme, navigate to sections like “Header” or “Search” to find the option to change the search icon.
- Replace the Icon: If your theme allows it, upload a new icon or choose one from an icon library available in the customizer.
If your theme doesn’t provide this option, don’t worry! You can still use custom CSS or external icon libraries.
Step 3: Change the Icon Using Custom CSS
If your theme doesn’t have built-in options for changing the magnifying glass icon, custom CSS can help. Here’s a step-by-step guide to replacing the search icon using CSS:
- Go to WordPress Customizer: In your WordPress dashboard, go to Appearance > Customize > Additional CSS.
- Add Custom CSS Code: Insert the following CSS code to replace the magnifying glass icon with your custom icon (for example, using an image):
css
/* Replace magnifying glass icon */
.header-search .search-icon {
background-image: url(‘your-custom-icon-url.png’);
background-size: cover;
width: 24px;
height: 24px;
}
- Replace
'your-custom-icon-url.png'with the URL of your custom icon. - Adjust the
widthandheightas needed to fit your design.
- Publish the Changes: After adding the code, click Publish to make the changes live on your site.
Step 4: Use Font Awesome or Icon Libraries
Another effective way to change the magnifying glass icon is by using an icon library like Font Awesome. Many WooCommerce themes already come with Font Awesome integrated, but if yours doesn’t, you can easily add it.
Adding Font Awesome
- Install Font Awesome Plugin: Go to Plugins > Add New and search for “Font Awesome.” Install and activate the plugin.
- Insert Font Awesome Icon: Once Font Awesome is active, you can replace the search icon with a Font Awesome icon by adding the following CSS to your theme’s stylesheet or custom CSS section:
css
/* Replace magnifying glass icon with Font Awesome search icon */
.header-search .search-icon:before {
content: “\f002”; /* Font Awesome search icon */
font-family: “Font Awesome 5 Free”;
font-weight: 900;
}
- The
\f002is the code for the search icon in Font Awesome. You can replace this with other icons by finding their codes on the Font Awesome website.
- Customize the Icon: You can further style the icon using CSS. For example:
css
.header-search .search-icon:before {
font-size: 20px;
color: #333;
}
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Step 5: Replace the Magnifying Glass with an SVG Icon
If you prefer using an SVG icon for higher quality and scalability, you can replace the WooCommerce search icon with a custom SVG.
Steps to Use an SVG Icon
- Upload Your SVG File: Upload your custom SVG icon to the WordPress media library.
- Add Custom CSS: Use CSS to replace the existing icon with the SVG image:
css
/* Replace magnifying glass with SVG */
.header-search .search-icon {
background: url(‘your-svg-icon-url.svg’) no-repeat center;
background-size: contain;
width: 24px;
height: 24px;
}
Replace'your-svg-icon-url.svg'with the URL of your uploaded SVG file.
Step 6: Test the Responsiveness and Cross-Browser Compatibility
After making the changes, ensure that your new search icon looks good across all devices and browsers.
- Test on Mobile Devices: Check your website’s responsiveness by shrinking your browser window or using developer tools to simulate mobile views. Make sure the new icon scales appropriately.
- Cross-Browser Testing: Test the changes on different browsers like Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Microsoft Edge to ensure consistent appearance and functionality.
Final Thought On How to Change WooCommerce Magnifying Glass
Customizing the WooCommerce magnifying glass icon is a simple yet effective way to personalize your store’s design and improve user experience. Whether you opt for changing the icon via theme settings, custom CSS, or using icon libraries like Font Awesome, this small adjustment can have a significant impact on the overall look and feel of your site.
By following these steps, you’ll be able to replace the default search icon with one that reflects your brand and enhances the usability of your WooCommerce store. Don’t forget to test the changes on multiple devices and browsers to ensure a seamless experience for all your users.
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