How to Create Custom Scroll Back to Top Button for Genesis Theme

For people who knows maybe its easy to go back to top of our web page by hit ‘Home’ keyboard key when they where visiting our site with their Computers Desktop/Laptop. 

But not all people who visit your site know that. Especially when they read your post about a tutorial that pretty long enough.

To make your audience easily go back to top without scrolling page is by adding a ‘Scroll Back to Top’ button. It seem trivial stuff, but it needed for audience comfortability to use your site.

Actually, it can be done easily by installing a plugin. But if you want to learn how to create ‘Your own’ back to top without a plugin. And get your hand dirty.

Then in this post, I will share how to create custom scroll back to top button for Genesis theme.

The original source basic code was actually I’ve learned from CodePen and w3schools.com. But I have modified the entire code.

What I do here is, just figure out how to install the code in Genesis and general WP Themes.

And because this tutorial is meant for Genesis child Theme. On other themes than Genesis Themes it will not work unless you modify the PHP code. But, you can give a try. I’ll explain later, just read carefully 😉

Okay, here we go!

1. Adding back to top button HTML code

To add HTML code, you can use PHP hook or using Genesis Simple Hook plugin.

To hook back to top HTML code using PHP method, place this PHP code in your theme function.php.

I’ve include both, for Genesis and standard WordPress theme hook.

PHP code for Genesis Theme

//Back to top btn.
add_action( 'genesis_before_footer', 'digimanx_back_to_top_btn' );
function digimanx_back_to_top_btn() {

  echo '<div id="top-btn "><a class="top-btn" href="#top" title=”ToTop”><span class="dashicons dashicons-arrow-up-alt2"></span></a></div>';
  
}

Standard WordPress hook

//Back to top btn.
add_action( 'wp_footer', 'digimanx_back_to_top_btn' );
function digimanx_back_to_top_btn() {

  echo '<div id="top-btn "><a class="top-btn" href="#top" title=”ToTop”><span class="dashicons dashicons-arrow-up-alt2"></span></a></div>';
  
}

If you wanna use Font Awesome or Ion Icons. In the div section, replace the Dashicon with Font Awesome or Ion Icons code. Below is the example;

<div id="top-btn "><a class="top-btn" href="#top" title=”ToTop”><i class="fa fa-arrow-up"></i></a></div>

On how to enqueue Font Awesome or Ion Icons to your theme, read here: Adding Font Awesome And Ion Icons to WordPress

But take a note that by using Font Awesome or Ion Icons, you may need to change the css on this line .top-btn span {} into .top-btn i {}

2. Adding CSS Code to make back to top button button look nice

To adding CSS code, simply go to WP admin > Appearance > Customize.

Then place the additional CSS code below in your WordPress theme Customizer.

/* Back To Top btn ------------------------------------------*/
.js .top-btn.sticky {
  visibility: visible;
  -webkit-transition: all 0.3s ease;
  -moz-transition: all 0.3s ease;
  -ms-transition: all 0.3s ease;
  -o-transition: all 0.3s ease;
  transition: all 0.3s ease;
}
.top-btn {
  overflow: hidden;
  visibility: hidden;
  display: block;
  float: right;
  bottom: 3%;
  right: 1%;
  z-index: 9999;
  width: 40px;
  height: 40px;
  position: fixed;
  background-color: rgba(0,0,0,0.4);
  border-radius: 50%;
  border-bottom: none;
  text-decoration: none;
  -webkit-transition: all 0.3s ease;
  -moz-transition: all 0.3s ease;
  -ms-transition: all 0.3s ease;
  -o-transition: all 0.3s ease;
  transition: all 0.3s ease;
}
.top-btn span {
  color: #fff;
  margin: 0;
  position: relative;
  left: 6px;
  top: 8px;
  font-size: 1.2rem;
  -webkit-transition: all 0.3s ease;
  -moz-transition: all 0.3s ease;
  -ms-transition: all 0.3s ease;
  -o-transition: all 0.3s ease;
  transition: all 0.3s ease;
}
.top-btn:hover,
.top-btn:focus {
  outline: none;
  text-decoration: none;
  background-color: rgba(0,0,0,0.7);
  -webkit-transition: all 0.3s ease;
  -moz-transition: all 0.3s ease;
  -ms-transition: all 0.3s ease;
  -o-transition: all 0.3s ease;
  transition: all 0.3s ease;
}

Be creative with CSS. For example if you want to make the Back to Top button square. Change the border radius from 50% to 1% and so on. If you want to change the button gap from the right change value right: 3%; etc.

3. Adding JS code to make it work!

In order to make the back to top button works. You need to add jQuery to your Theme.

Log in to cPanel and go to public_html > Your domain > WP Content > Themes > Genesis Sample > js.

Click on top left [+ File] button to reate a new js file and name it top-btn.js see screenshot.

When done, go back to WP Admin Theme Editor. Now you should see the new blank top-btn.js file under the JS dropdown menu. Copy and paste js code below into it.

jQuery code for back to top button.

(function($) {

  // Make sure JS class is added.
  document.documentElement.className = "js";

  // Run on page scroll.
  $(window).scroll( function() {
  
  // Toggle header class after threshold point.
    if ( $(this).scrollTop() > 100 ) {
      $(".top-btn").addClass('sticky');
    } else {
      $(".top-btn").removeClass('sticky');
    }

  });
  
  $('.top-btn').click(function() {      // When arrow is clicked
    $('body,html').animate({
        scrollTop : 0                       // Scroll to top of body
    }, 500);
});

})(jQuery);

Next step, enqueue the script to the Genesis theme function.php using below code.

[Important!] Please see the screenshot on where to place the code the right way in the Genesis themes. So it will not be effecting your WP Admin dashboard style.

wp_enqueue_script( 'genesis-sample-top-btn-script', get_stylesheet_directory_uri() . '/js/top-btn.js', array( 'jquery' ), CHILD_THEME_VERSION, true );

Enqueue the Back to Top button script for non-Genesis theme

For none Genesis theme user, depending on the theme that you use. Hopefully, it will work too.

Just put the code below to the bottom of your theme function.php to enqueue top-btn.js

// Enqueue custom scripts .
add_action( 'wp_enqueue_scripts', 'digimanx_custom__scripts' );
function digimanx_custom__scripts() {

  wp_enqueue_script( 'genesis-sample-top-btn-script', get_stylesheet_directory_uri() . '/js/top-btn.js', array( 'jquery' ), null, true );

}

4. Done!

Don’t forget to clean up the cache on your site and in your browser. Also, clean the browser cookies too if necessary.

Okay! that‘s it! Not too difficult eh? ? You can see the ‘Scroll back to top button’ in action here at Digimanx.

If you found an difficulties please don’t feel hesitate to ask me in the comment. And let’s discuss it.

Anyway, Thanks for visiting my blog ?