How We Hid Star Ratings for Products with No Reviews in Shopify's Dawn Theme

Ah, ratings. They make or break our decisions faster than you can say "add to cart." But what happens when those enticing little stars hang awkwardly by themselves on products that are yet to gather even a whisper of feedback? We’ve all been there, bumping into that lonely row of stars next to our cherished, albeit unreviewed, products, reminding us of a school dance where nobody's picked a partner yet. But don’t despair! Together, we’ll banish those starry ghosts until they're ready to sparkle. And for this, we'll dive into some Dawn theme magic and a sprinkle of code—no wand or wizard robe required.

Step 1: Set the Scene – Access Your Shopify Theme

Before we dive headfirst into coding and muck it all up with fiddly typos, let's talk shop. Remember that time we downloaded a shiny new app only to find it disrupted our smooth-running website? Well, fate won't rewrite your code—but backups can save it. So, a gentle reminder: always, always back up your theme. You know, just in case a wild typo appears.

1. Navigate to Shopify Admin: Log into your Shopify account and gambol your way towards Online Store > Themes.

2. Duplicate Your Theme: Click on that alluring "Actions" button next to your Dawn theme and hit "Duplicate." Place your trust in this replica. If things explode, this is your phoenix down.

Step 2: Unravel the Mysteries – Tinker with the Code

Remember when we thought we could fix everything by rebooting it? This isn’t one of those situations, but has a similar vibe—fiddling with the code! Here, we need to bring our inner Sherlock and eliminate what's causing those pesky stars to appear.

1. Edit Code: Select Actions next to your duplicated theme and dive into the paradoxical world called “Edit code.”

2. Search and Deploy: Wield the mighty search bar like a seasoned detective and type main-product.liquid. This file orchestrates the grand symphony of product page design.

3. Hunt for Star Code: Tiptoe your way through the code looking for the rendering logic of the product stars. Typically, you’ll find something like:

   {% if product.reviews_count > 0 %}
   <!-- display star ratings -->
   {% endif %}
   

4. Sneaky Insertion (The Key Edit): Tweak that to check if there are reviews before displaying stars. Tactfully adjust it like so:

   {% if product.reviews_count > 0 %}
   <!-- Insert the existing code for star ratings here -->
   {% endif %}
   

Subtle swoop of the code, and voila, no reviews, no stars. It's all about elegant simplicity—or sheer genius, really.

Step 3: Cherish the Simplicity – Put It All Together

There's something deeply satisfying about mastering a puzzle, even if that puzzle is a bunch of foreign-looking code lines. But remember: our true shop-life balance involves momentarily stepping away from the screen and indulging in celebratory coffee. We emerge victorious.

1. Preview it: Press "Preview" innocently and bask in the glory—or check if you've unwittingly asked your site to replicate the dance of a thousand error codes.

2. Cross-Reference: Navigate through products with and without reviews—a practice in diligence, and, quite possibly, in silent praise for those extra duplicates we made earlier.

3. Publish the Goodness: If everything is as seamless as that last mozzarella cheese pull, go forth and publish your changes, riding into the glorious sunset of user-friendly product listings.

Conclusion: Celebrate the Quiet Wins

Phew! Removing those empty stars feels like tidying up that one messy drawer—satisfyingly wholesome and aesthetically pleasing. The world of Shopify is vast and at times a little glitchy, but with a bit of diligence and plenty of save buttons, we can tweak it to our heart’s content. Now, while we might not always be able to influence customer reviews, our job is to present our wares in the best light. So let’s step back, take a deep breath, and toast to our now starless, elegantly understated product pages. Cheers!