To remove product category counters in WooCommerce, filter woocommerce_subcategory_count_html and return null — this one-liner strips the “(12)” style count bubble that appears next to each subcategory when a category page displays its subcategories in a grid.
Why Remove the Category Counters
- Product counts can look dated or cluttered on a modern, minimal category grid design
- Some stores don’t want to reveal exactly how many products sit in each category
- Removing them simplifies the subcategory tiles to just image and name
Step 1: Add the One-Line Snippet
/** Remove the product count bubble from subcategory tiles */
add_filter( 'woocommerce_subcategory_count_html', '__return_null' );
Add this to your child theme’s functions.php, or a snippets plugin — never a parent theme’s functions.php, since parent theme updates will overwrite that file and silently undo the change.
Scope: This Only Affects the Subcategory Grid
This filter specifically targets the subcategory display grid shown on a category archive page (when “Show subcategories” is enabled in that category’s display settings). It does not touch category counters shown in the Product Categories widget or a category dropdown — those use different filters/settings entirely.
Troubleshooting
Counter Disappears From All Categories Except One
If one category still shows its counter after adding this snippet, suspect a theme or plugin conflict overriding the loop template for that specific category — test with a default theme (like Storefront or a current default WordPress theme) and only WooCommerce active to isolate the cause.
Counter Doesn’t Disappear at All
Confirm the snippet is actually saved and active (check for a PHP syntax error elsewhere in the file that could be preventing the whole file from loading), and clear any page cache after adding it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this also hide the count in the Product Categories widget?
No — the widget has its own separate “Show product count” checkbox in its settings, unrelated to this filter which only targets the subcategory grid display.
Can I customize the counter instead of removing it entirely?
Yes — instead of __return_null, use a custom function that receives the count HTML and modifies its formatting or wrapping markup before returning it.
Is this safe to use alongside a caching plugin?
Yes — this is a PHP-level template change, not something that conflicts with page or object caching; just clear the cache once after adding it so the change is visible immediately.
Conclusion
A single filter is all it takes to remove product category counters in WooCommerce from the subcategory grid. If a stray counter persists somewhere on the page, it’s likely a widget using its own separate display setting rather than this filter.
See also How to Show a Product Category Price Range in WooCommerce. Then read How to Show Only One Category on the WooCommerce Shop Page.
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