Online shoppers can notice Shopify stores using numbered cart icons but also stores without cart numbers displayed. You have possibly considered whether incorporating or omitting this element would benefit your store’s customer journey.

Some stores use a cart count to nudge customers toward checkout, while others remove it for a sleeker, distraction-free design. Which one’s right for you?

Good news: Shopify lets you customize it either way. Whether you want to add a cart count for better visibility or remove it for a minimalist look, this guide walks you through both methods. Let’s get started!

Understanding Shopify's Cart Icon

Before learning how to add or remove the cart count icon, let’s dive into what it’s exactly.

What is a Cart Icon?

Picture this: You’re browsing an online store, adding a few things to your cart. As you shop, a small number appears next to the cart icon, reminding you how many items you’ve picked. Simple, right? But have you ever stopped to think about why it’s there—or if your store even needs it?

Image source: Old Navy

The cart icon is more than just a button; it’s a visual cue that reassures shoppers their selections are saved. Most stores use one of these styles:

• With a Quantity Count – A small number badge appears, showing how many items are in the cart.

• Without a Quantity Count – A simple cart icon keeps things clean and distraction-free.

• Cart Drawer or Pop-up – Instead of just an icon, a small cart preview slides in when items are added.

• Sticky Cart Icon – A floating cart button stays visible as customers scroll.

Why Does This Matter?

Because small design choices can influence buying behavior, a visible item count can create a subtle nudge—"Hey, don’t forget about these items!" On the flip side, removing it can create a more focused browsing experience, especially for high-end or single-product stores.

So, should you keep the quantity count or ditch it? That depends on your store’s goals. Let’s break it down.

Common Practices for Cart Displays

You need to help a buddy establish their online store while providing his customers with an optimal experience before they finish the purchase. Your clients need to achieve a pleasant shopping experience according to your plan. Your shopping cart functions as the final stage before purchase, so it requires outstanding performance.

Think of it like this:

• Keep it simple and clear: No one likes a cluttered cart. It's like trying to find something in a messy closet. Show the important stuff – what's in the cart, how many, and how much it costs. Use pictures, too, because who doesn't love seeing what they're about to get?

• Make it easy to use: Imagine you're at the grocery store, and you want to add another can of soup. You don't want to wrestle with the shopping cart, right? The same goes for online carts. Let people easily add stuff, take stuff out, or change how many they want. And for goodness sake, make that "Checkout" button nice and big so they can find it easily!

• Make it helpful: Imagine you're at a store, and the cashier is super friendly and helpful. That's how your cart should feel! Maybe suggest some other things they might like, or make sure they know about any deals. And definitely show them how much shipping costs, so there are no surprises later.

Benefits of Customizing the Shopify Cart Icon?

Customizing your Shopify cart icon might seem like a small detail, but it can actually offer some cool benefits:

• Brand Recognition: The cart icon functions like a small advertisement for your brand brand. Several changes to your shopping cart icon can help strengthen your brand identity and create deeper memorability for your store. 

Take Bywoops, for instance, beautiful French macarons and Argentinian alfajores. They are well-known for healthy macarons packaged in lovely gift boxes.

That’s the reason why Bywoop chose to show their website shopping cart in the cute gift box shape. It instantly connects the icon to their product and reinforces the idea that Bywoops is all about special treats and thoughtful gifts.  Every time a customer glances at that gift box, it reinforces the brand's image of premium quality and joyful moments.

• Improved User Experience: More accessible cart access becomes possible when customers can easily locate their cart due to a distinctive cart icon. Your cart icon will benefit mobile users whose screens have restricted space. 

An eye-catching cart icon that stands out to users will direct them to finish their purchase and streamline their shopping process.

While ByWoop selects the pink gift box as its cart icon, Old Navy makes its web shopping cart vibrant with a pulsating quantity count bubble to easily notify shoppers not to forget their in-cart items and checkout soon.

• Adding a Touch of Personality: Your cart icon presents an opportunity to express your brand identity, which makes your store more memorable. You should consider using a different icon that not only matches your brand personality but also appears whimsical and exciting. 

Or just neglect the cart icon. Showing full text “Shopping cart” with cart count. That’s what Zara has done with its web cart icon. You can see on the Zara webpage its website is minimal and clear, and the shopping cart is simple. Simple but modern.

The customers' shopping experience becomes more captivating while the generic feel of your store diminishes, resulting in better consumer perception.

How to Add Quantity Count to Cart Icon in Shopify Store

A clear and visible cart icon with a quantity count is essential for any successful eCommerce store. It provides a quick and easy way for customers to see the items they've added to their cart, encouraging them to complete their purchase.
Fortunately, you can easily add that icon to the eCommerce store created on the Shopify platform. Let's learn about this platform and how to add quantity Counts to a cart icon in the Shopify Store. 

Why Shopify?

For those who want to establish an online business, Shopify provides an immensely powerful eCommerce platform. 

Shopify provides solutions for beginners starting their online ventures as well as established thriving enterprises. The platform operates as an automated virtual storefront manager that controls website development, product arrangement, payment security features, and promotional tools. Here's the lowdown on why so many choose Shopify:

• Easy to use: Even if you're not techy, you can set up a shop.

• Customizable: Make your store look exactly how you want.

• Scalable: Grows with your business, big or small.

• Mobile-friendly: It looks great on phones and tablets.

• Tons of apps: Add extra features and functionality.

• Marketing tools: Get your products seen.

• Secure: Keeps your data and transactions safe.

• It supports many payment options and simplifies shoppers' shopping process.

• 24/7 Support: Help is always available.

Ready to give Shopify a try? Start your free trial here.

Method 1: Add the Number count on the cart icon (Coding required)

Theme code modification provides control over both the design and function of your cart counter through direct involvement in the theme maintenance process. Some basic background knowledge about HTML CSS and Liquid coding language used by Shopify is required to work with this method. It is crucial to create an identical theme duplicate before modifying the theme code. 

Having a backup copy of the theme enables you to restore the original design if any cart counter modification proves problematic.

So, how to start?

Step 1- Access your Shopify admin, then go to Online Store > choose Themes tab.

Step 2- Select a theme to configure, then you click the "..." button to open the actions menu, and then click “Edit code”.

Step 3- Locate the Cart Icon Code: 

• Open the file where your cart icon is located. This is often in the header.liquid, or theme.liquid file.

• Find the section where the cart icon is defined. It may look like this:

Step 4- Add Quantity Count Code:

• Insert the following Liquid code where you want the quantity to display:

Step 5- Save the changes.

How to Remove Quantity Count from the Cart Icon

To remove it, you just need to go back to the same file with the quantity count, then delete the code snippet you added that displays the number count from your Shopify store cart.

Bonus: If you just want to hide that icon, go back to header.liquid. You can hide the quantity count by adding a CSS rule. Look for the span or element that displays the quantity count and wrap it in a style tag or add the following CSS to your theme's CSS file (usually theme.scss.liquid or styles.css.liquid):

Or, if you want to change the quantity icon style, search base.css, scroll to the bottom, then add the code

Then press Save.

Method 2: Add/ Remove Number count on the cart icon by Shopify Theme

Nowadays, there are some Shopify themes, like Kalles, that allow you to show or hide the quantity count from your cart icon.

In particular, you need to download the theme and do some simple activating steps; you can choose the Section: Header Inline, then scroll down the section setting panel to “Shopping Cart.” Here, you can choose to change your Cart icon style from showing the cart with a quantity count bubble, a cart with a full quantity bubble and total price, or a cart with only the total price (the quantity count icon is hidden), etc. NO CODING REQUIRED.

Bonus: How to add Cart quantity count on tab

Besides your cart needs to have a quantity count, your web tab also needs it. 

That feature is called “ Favicon Cart Count,” which will help your store alert your shoppers when they abandon their cart and forget to check out.

EcomRise: Upsell & Bundles offers this plus much more. Not just upsells and bundles, EcomRise helps reduce cart abandonment with a vibrant Favicon Cart Count, displaying cart totals right on the browser tab.

It also packs powerful tools to boost sales: product bundles, upsells, sales notifications, volume discounts, and "Buy X Get Y" promotions.

It is an all-in-one, easy app with real-time analytics. Stop losing sales. Install EcomRise now!

Conclusion

Changing your Shopify cart icon with or without quantity count creates a major impact on your customer's shopping journey. You can enhance your cart icon to match both brand appearance and revenue targets by implementing the basic instructions from this guide along with a comprehension of their specific outcomes. 

Both simplified designs and explicit count displays help develop a smooth shopping process, which maximizes customer conversion rates. 

Your store will thrive best through testing and analysis to identify its strongest approach. EcomRise represents an option to enhance sales capabilities while decreasing cart abandonment through its Favicon Cart Count and additional features such as upsells and bundles.