Removing blocks with LOCAL.XML

[audiobuy_llc]

Domain : audiobuy.hk

There are a few blocks with no content being reference , trying to remove them from being called with LOCAL.XML

Path : 

/home/audiobuy/production/source/app/design/frontend/universal/Hong Kong/layout/local.xml

However , when I remove the blocks , they still get called - is this the correct path for the LOCAL.XML file ? or should I be changing /base/ LOCAL.xml 

Thanks

[Vimal Kumar]

HI @audiobuy_llc 

It looks like correct path. BTW what are you removing from file.

Try once after flush the cache.

or remove var/cache folder.

I hope it will help you!

[audiobuy_llc]

*I'm removing blocks which contain empty .phtml files , eg OPUPAJAXKIT
LOADER (i dont use ajax)*

*etc*

*I've made backups etc if anything goes awry.*

[michalskis8e53]

• Correct Path Check
  The correct path for overriding or removing layout blocks is indeed:
  /app/design/frontend/<package>/<theme>/layout/local.xml.
  In your case, /home/audiobuy/production/source/app/design/frontend/universal/Hong Kong/layout/local.xml should work if “universal” is the package and “Hong Kong” is the theme.

• Do Not Edit Base
  Avoid editing /base/layout/local.xml. This is the fallback and not intended for direct changes. Always work inside your custom theme’s local.xml.

• Check Theme Activation
  Make sure the “Hong Kong” theme is actually the active frontend theme in System > Configuration > Design. If another theme is active, your local.xml changes won’t load.

• Clear Cache
  After making changes to local.xml, clear the Magento cache. Use:
  System > Cache Management > Flush Cache Storage or run rm -rf var/cache/*.

• Correct Handle Usage
  Ensure that you’re removing blocks under the correct layout handle  like menu list (like <default>, <cms_index_index>, <catalog_category_view>, etc.). Wrong handles won’t affect the page.

• Removing Blocks Syntax
  To remove a block, use:

  <remove name="block_name_here"/>

  Example:

  <default> <remove name="right.reports.product.viewed"/> </default>

• Verify Block Name
  The name in <remove> must match the exact block name declared in the layout XML, not the alias. Double-check in the original layout.xml files.

• Merge Priority
  Magento merges XML files. If your block is still loading, another XML (like page.xml or a module layout file) may be re-adding it after local.xml. Confirm the merge order.

• Debugging Layout
  Enable layout hints (System > Configuration > Developer > Debug > Template Path Hints for Blocks) to see which blocks are still being called and confirm their names.

• Fallback Confirmation
  If Magento doesn’t find your theme’s local.xml, it falls back to /base. This means if you’re not seeing changes, Magento might not be reading your file — check file permissions and spelling of the folder names (case-sensitive).

• Test with Example (McDonald’s Menu Analogy)
  Imagine your layout loads extra empty “blocks” just like a McDonald’s menu listing empty food categories (e.g., a “Big Mac” section with no products). If you remove the wrong “category” (alias), it will still display. You must target the exact name — like removing “BigMac.block” instead of “Burgers.block.”

• Final Step
  If all else fails, temporarily hard-comment out the block in the original module’s XML to confirm it’s the right one, then move the proper <remove> into your local.xml once tested.