How to Reorder Categories in WooCommerce: A Beginner’s Guide
So, you’ve built your fantastic WooCommerce store, populated it with awesome products, and organized everything into categories. Great job! But what happens when those categories are in a seemingly random order, making it difficult for your customers to find what they’re looking for? Don’t worry! This guide will walk you through how to reorder categories in WooCommerce like a pro. No coding wizardry required (mostly!).
Imagine this: You sell handmade jewelry. You have categories like “Necklaces,” “Earrings,” “Bracelets,” and “Rings.” But on your shop page, they’re displaying as “Rings,” “Necklaces,” “Bracelets,” “Earrings.” That’s not ideal! You’d probably Discover insights on How To Change My Woocommerce WordPress Login Password want “Necklaces” and “Earrings” at the top, as they’re often the most popular items. Reordering your categories helps create a better user experience and can potentially boost sales.
Why Bother Reordering Categories?
Simply put, a well-organized online store is a happy online store (and a happy customer!). Here’s why reordering your WooCommerce categories is important:
- Improved User Experience: Customers can quickly find what they’re looking for, leading to a smoother shopping experience.
- Increased Sales: Making popular categories more prominent can encourage customers to browse and purchase more.
- Better Brand Perception: A well-organized store appears more professional and trustworthy.
- Strategic Product Placement: Highlight specific categories to promote new arrivals or special offers.
- Click the up and down arrows in the “Ordering” column to move categories up or down.
- Enter a number in the “Ordering” column to specify the exact order. Lower numbers will appear higher in the list. For example, setting “Necklaces” to “1” and “Earrings” to “2” will ensure they appear in that order.
Method 1: The Drag-and-Drop Method (The Easiest!)
This is the simplest and most common method for reordering categories in WooCommerce. It’s perfect for beginners!
1. Log in to your WordPress Admin Dashboard.
2. Navigate to Products > Categories. You’ll see a list of all your product categories.
3. Hover over the category you want to move. You should see a four-way arrow cursor appear.
4. Click and drag the category to its desired position in the list. A gray dashed line will indicate where the category will be placed.
5. Release the mouse button to drop the category into its new position.
That’s it! WooCommerce will automatically save the new order. Visit your shop page or category archive to confirm the changes.
Real-life example: Let’s say you’re launching a new line of “Statement Necklaces.” You’d drag that category to the top of your list to give it maximum visibility.
Method 2: Using the “Term Order” Plugin
If the drag-and-drop method isn’t working as expected (sometimes it can be a little finicky), or if you need more advanced ordering options, a plugin can be your best friend. The “Term Order” plugin is a popular and reliable choice.
1. Go to Plugins > Add New in your WordPress Admin Dashboard.
2. Search for “Term Order” by Yoast.
3. Install and activate the plugin.
4. Navigate back to Products > Categories.
You’ll notice a new column in the categories list: “Ordering.” You can now:
Important Note: After making changes, you might need to clear your website’s cache for the new order to display correctly. Caching plugins often store older versions of your pages.
Reasoning: The “Term Order” plugin provides a more precise control over the ordering of your categories, especially if you have a large number of categories.
Method 3: Custom Code (For the More Advanced Users)
Warning: This method involves editing your theme’s `functions.php` file. Always back up your website before making any code changes! Incorrect code can break your site.
This method allows you to define a custom order based on category IDs.
1. Open your theme’s `functions.php` file. You can find it in Appearance > Theme Editor. Important: Consider using a child theme to avoid losing your changes during theme updates.
2. Add the following code:
function custom_woocommerce_category_orderby( $args ) { $args['orderby'] = 'term_order'; return $args; } add_filter( 'woocommerce_get_categories_args', 'custom_woocommerce_category_orderby' );
function custom_terms_order($orderby, $args) {
if (isset($args[‘orderby’]) && $args[‘orderby’] == ‘term_order’) {
return ‘term_order’;
}
return $orderby;
}
add_filter(‘get_terms_orderby’, ‘custom_terms_order’, 10, 2);
function custom_get_terms_args($args, $taxonomies, $term_args) {
if (in_array(‘product_cat’, $taxonomies)) {
$args[‘menu_order’] = ‘ASC’;
$args[‘orderby’] = ‘term_order’;
}
return $args;
}
add_filter(‘get_terms_args’, ‘custom_get_terms_args’, 10, 3);
This code snippet tells WooCommerce to order the categories by the `term_order` field, which is the order you set using the drag-and-drop method or the “Term Order” plugin. This approach ensures consistent category ordering across your entire site.
Reasoning: This method provides a programmatic way to control the category order, making it less susceptible to accidental changes and ensuring a consistent user experience. It’s especially useful if you’re working with a custom theme or need to integrate category ordering into custom functionality.
Troubleshooting
- Changes Not Appearing: Clear your website’s cache, browser cache, and any other caching mechanisms you might be using.
- Drag-and-Drop Not Working: Try disabling any plugins that might be interfering with the WordPress admin interface. The “Term Order” plugin is a good alternative.
- Code Errors: Carefully review your code for typos and syntax errors. Revert to a previous version of your `functions.php` file if necessary.
Conclusion
Reordering categories in WooCommerce is a simple but effective way to improve your store’s user experience and potentially boost sales. Whether you choose the easy drag-and-drop method, the plugin approach, or delve into custom code, you now have the tools to organize your product categories like a pro! Happy selling!
