How to Remove the Sidebar on Your WordPress Website (2024 Guide)

Is your WordPress sidebar distracting visitors from your core content? Cluttered sidebars can be conversion killers, especially on mobile where space is limited. In fact, a study by Google found that 61% of users are unlikely to return to a site they had trouble accessing on mobile, and 40% will jump to a competitor instead. Yikes!

Removing the sidebar is a great way to simplify your design, improve readability, and boost engagement on key pages. Whether you want a cleaner look sitewide or need a full-width layout for landing pages, this expert guide will teach you multiple methods to remove the sidebar globally or on specific pages and posts. Kiss those cluttered sidebars goodbye and hello to higher conversions!

What is a WordPress Sidebar?

First, let‘s define what we mean by a "sidebar" in WordPress. Most WordPress themes include a sidebar that appears to the left or right of the main content. This widget-ready area typically contains elements like:

  • Search form
  • Post categories or tags
  • Recent posts or comments
  • Advertisements
  • Social media feeds or share buttons
  • Email opt-in forms
  • Navigation or page hierarchy

By default, the sidebar shows up on most pages across your site. While this can be handy for promoting content or calls-to-action, it can also distract from your main message. This is particularly problematic on mobile devices where sidebars get pushed below the content, leading to a disjointed user experience.

3 Reasons to Remove the WordPress Sidebar

So why would you want to ditch the sidebar altogether? Here are three compelling reasons:

  1. Increase focus on your content – Without a distracting sidebar, your content takes center stage. This is crucial for landing pages, sales pages, or any content aiming to drive a specific action. The fewer distractions, the higher your conversion rates.

  2. Boost readability and engagement – Removing the sidebar declutters your layout and creates a more immersive reading experience. With fewer elements competing for attention, visitors can better focus on and engage with your content. No more overwhelming walls of text!

  3. Improve mobile experience – Mobile traffic now accounts for over half of web traffic worldwide. Since sidebars typically get stacked below content on mobile screens, they force users to scroll endlessly to reach your calls-to-action. Removing the sidebar creates a seamless mobile experience and faster load times.

Of course, sidebars can still be useful for blogs or magazines that need to highlight lots of content. But for most other sites, removing the sidebar can significantly improve your user experience and conversions. In fact, a case study by Yuppie Chef found that removing their sidebar increased signups by 25%.

So how do you actually remove the sidebar in WordPress? Let‘s dive into three methods for global removal and two for page-specific removal.

3 Ways to Remove the Sidebar Globally in WordPress

Want to eliminate the sidebar across your entire site? Here are three approaches, from beginner-friendly to advanced.

Method 1: Remove Widgets via Appearance Settings

The easiest way to get rid of the sidebar contents is via the WordPress Appearance settings:

  1. From your WordPress dashboard, go to Appearance > Widgets.
  2. Find the sidebar area (usually called Main Sidebar, Primary Sidebar, or similar).
  3. Click the down arrow to expand the sidebar section.
  4. For each widget inside the sidebar, click Delete.
  5. Repeat until you‘ve removed all sidebar widgets.

Here‘s a quick visual:

[Screenshot showing Appearance > Widgets screen with arrows pointing to sidebar area and Delete button]

Removing all widgets will effectively eliminate the sidebar contents from your site. However, depending on your theme‘s template structure, it may leave behind an empty sidebar container that still takes up space. If you notice a blank sidebar area, you‘ll need to use one of the following methods instead.

Method 2: Directly Edit Theme Template Files

If you‘re comfortable editing code, you can remove the sidebar directly from your theme‘s template files:

  1. From your WordPress admin, navigate to Appearance > Theme Editor.
  2. In the list of theme files on the right, look for key template files like page.php, single.php, index.php, archive.php, etc.
  3. For each file, locate the line that looks like <?php get_sidebar(); ?>. This code snippet is what displays the sidebar.
  4. Delete that line of code and save your changes.
  5. Repeat for all relevant template files to fully remove the sidebar.

Here‘s an example of what that code looks like:

<div id="primary" class="content-area">
   <main id="main" class="site-main">
      <?php  
      while ( have_posts() ) : the_post();
         get_template_part( ‘template-parts/content‘, ‘page‘ );
      endwhile; // End of the loop.
      ?>
   </main><!-- #main -->
</div><!-- #primary -->

<?php get_sidebar(); ?>

In this case, you would remove the <?php get_sidebar(); ?> line to eliminate the sidebar.

A few notes with this method:

  • Always make a backup of your theme files before editing in case something breaks.
  • Consider creating a child theme to make these edits to avoid losing changes when your theme updates.
  • Consult your theme‘s documentation or support for help identifying which template files include the sidebar.
  • If you‘re not comfortable editing code, use one of the other methods instead.

Method 3: Use a Layout Plugin

If you‘d rather avoid code but still want to globally remove the sidebar, you can use a plugin:

  1. Install and activate a layout plugin like Custom Sidebars or Content Aware Sidebars.
  2. Navigate to the plugin‘s settings page (usually under Appearance or Settings).
  3. Use the provided options to disable the sidebar on your desired templates or content types.
  4. Save your changes.

The exact steps will vary depending on the plugin, but most provide an intuitive interface for controlling your sidebar display. Some even let you create custom sidebar configurations without touching any code.

Here‘s an example of what the Content Aware Sidebars interface looks like:

[Screenshot of Content Aware Sidebars settings page]

Using a plugin can be a good middle ground – it‘s easier than editing code but more powerful than just removing widgets. Plus, you can easily restore the sidebar if needed.

Now that we‘ve covered global removal, let‘s look at two ways to remove the sidebar on specific pages or posts.

How to Remove the Sidebar from Specific Pages or Posts

Depending on your theme and plugins, you have a few options for selectively disabling the sidebar.

Option 1: Use Full Width Page Templates

Many WordPress themes come with built-in page templates that let you display content in a full-width layout without the sidebar:

  1. Edit the desired page or post in the WordPress editor.
  2. In the Document settings on the right, locate the Page Attributes section.
  3. Under Template, select a full-width template like "Full Width" or "No Sidebar."
  4. Update or publish the page/post.

Here‘s what that Template dropdown looks like in the WordPress editor:

[Screenshot of Page Attributes meta box with template dropdown]

If your theme doesn‘t offer a full-width template, you can create your own:

  1. In your theme folder, make a copy of the existing page.php file and rename it template-full-width.php (or similar).
  2. Remove the sidebar code from the new template file (look for <?php get_sidebar(); ?>).
  3. At the top of the file, add the following code to register the template:
<?php
/**
 * Template Name: Full Width
 */
  1. Save the template file.
  2. The new "Full Width" template will now appear in the Template dropdown for pages and posts.

This method gives you granular control over which pages/posts have sidebars. However, it may not work for all content types, like archives or search results.

Option 2: Use Page-level Meta Options

Some themes provide a meta options box on the page/post editor to disable the sidebar for that specific piece of content:

  1. Edit the desired page or post.
  2. Below the editor, look for a meta box labeled something like "Layout Options" or "Theme Settings."
  3. Select the option for a full-width or no-sidebar layout.
  4. Update the page or post.

This is what a layout meta box might look like:

[Screenshot of layout meta box in the WordPress editor]

If your theme supports this feature, it‘s the quickest way to toggle the sidebar on a per-page basis without creating custom templates. However, not all themes include this option.

To summarize, here‘s a quick comparison table of the methods we‘ve covered:

Method Difficulty Global or Specific? Reversible?
Remove widgets Easy Global Yes
Edit theme files Advanced Global No
Use a plugin Moderate Global Yes
Use full-width templates Moderate Specific Yes
Use page meta options Easy Specific Yes

Design Considerations After Removing the Sidebar

Once you‘ve removed the sidebar, you may need to adjust your content and layout for the new full-width design:

  • Optimize line length – With more horizontal space, your content will spread out. Aim for 50-75 characters per line for optimal readability.
  • Break up text – Use headings, images, blockquotes, and other elements to visually break up long blocks of text and add visual interest.
  • Add content width – If your content looks too wide, you can add a max-width to constrain it (e.g. max-width: 800px; on your content container).
  • Reposition key elements – Make sure important calls-to-action or opt-in forms are still prominently placed within the content flow.
  • Simplify navigation – Consider streamlining your navigation menu now that sidebar links are gone.
  • Test on all devices – Preview your site on desktop, tablet, and mobile to ensure your content looks great at all screen sizes.

Key Takeaways and Next Steps

Removing the WordPress sidebar can be a smart strategy to increase content focus, improve readability, and boost conversions, particularly on mobile devices. Whether you want to eliminate the sidebar globally or only on specific pages, you now have multiple options:

  • Remove widgets from the sidebar area
  • Edit your theme‘s template files
  • Use a layout plugin
  • Apply full-width page templates
  • Toggle page-level meta options

Be sure to consider your theme‘s capabilities, your technical comfort level, and the scope of changes when choosing a removal method. Always test thoroughly and make backups before making significant layout changes.

With a cleaner layout, you can better guide visitors toward your most important content and calls-to-action. Pair your sidebar-free design with other conversion optimization techniques like compelling copy, strong offers, and clear visual hierarchy to maximize results.

Additional Resources

By following this guide and keeping user experience top of mind, you‘re well on your way to a high-converting, sidebar-free WordPress website. Here‘s to boosting engagement and achieving your online business goals!

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