Showing Your WooCommerce Cart on a Custom Page: A Beginner’s Guide
WooCommerce provides a fantastic, pre-built cart page. But what if you want more control over its design, or want to integrate it into a custom page flow? Maybe you want to create a unique checkout experience, or embed the cart within a landing page. That’s where showing your WooCommerce cart on a custom page comes in.
This guide will walk you through the steps on how to achieve this, even if you’re new to WordPress and WooCommerce development. Don’t worry, we’ll keep it simple!
Why Show Your Cart on a Custom Page?
Before we dive in, let’s quickly understand the benefits:
- Complete Design Control: WooCommerce’s default cart page is somewhat limited in terms of customization. A custom page allows you to design the cart exactly how you want it, matching your brand and improving the user experience. Think of it like this: the default cart page is a rental car, functional but not exciting. A custom page is *your* car, designed exactly to your specifications.
- Integration with Landing Pages: Imagine running a marketing campaign with a specific landing page. You can embed the cart directly into that page, making the buying process smoother and more likely to convert. For example, a “Limited Time Offer” landing page could include the cart right below the product description, encouraging immediate purchase.
- Custom Checkout Flows: You can tailor the checkout process to your specific business needs. This might involve adding extra steps, displaying custom information, or integrating with third-party services. Let’s say you are selling personalized gifts, you can create a personalized form right before the cart review page and show it to customer in one page.
The Easiest Way: Using a Shortcode
The simplest method is to use the WooCommerce cart shortcode. WooCommerce provides the `[woocommerce_cart]` shortcode specifically for this purpose.
1. Create a New Page: Go to your WordPress admin area, navigate to “Pages” and click “Add New.”
2. Add the Shortcode: In the page editor, add a Shortcode block (or use the Classic Editor and just type it in). Enter the following shortcode:
[woocommerce_cart]
3. Publish the Page: Give your page a title (e.g., “My Custom Cart”) and publish it.
4. View Your Custom Cart: Visit the page you just created. You should now see your WooCommerce cart displayed on the page.
Reasoning: The `[woocommerce_cart]` shortcode is a pre-built function provided by WooCommerce. It automatically renders the cart template and displays the cart contents on the page where you insert it. It’s quick, easy, and requires no coding.
A More Advanced Way: Using PHP in a Custom Template (For Themers!)
If you’re comfortable with PHP and template files, you can create a custom page template and use WooCommerce functions to display the cart. This gives you even greater control over the layout and functionality.
1. Create a Custom Page Template: Create a new PHP file in your theme’s folder (or a child theme, which is highly recommended). Let’s call it `custom-cart-template.php`.
2. Add Template Header: At the very top of the file, add the following code to define it as a page template:
<?php /**
get_header();
?>
3. Display the Cart: Now, add the WooCommerce cart function inside the `custom-cart-template.php` file:
<?php
get_footer();
?>
4. Apply the Template: Go back to your WordPress admin area, edit the page you created earlier (or create a new one). In the “Page Attributes” meta box (usually on the right-hand side), select your “Custom Cart Page” template from the “Template” dropdown.
5. Publish the Page: Publish or update the page.
6. View Your Custom Cart: Visit the page. You should see your cart displayed using your custom template.
Explanation of Code:
- `get_header();`: Loads the theme’s header.php file.
- `woocommerce_content();`: This is the key! This WooCommerce function pulls the content from the cart, single product and other core WooCommerce pages.
- `get_footer();`: Loads the theme’s footer.php file.
Reasoning: This method gives you the most control because you’re directly manipulating the template code. You can add custom HTML, CSS, and PHP to modify the cart’s appearance and behavior. The `woocommerce_content()` function is a powerful way to render the core WooCommerce content, including the cart, within your custom template. It utilizes existing templates that can also be overridden with child theme.
Important Considerations:
- Child Themes: Always use a child theme when making changes to your theme’s files. This protects your customizations from being overwritten when the parent theme is updated.
- Styling: The basic shortcode and PHP template might require some CSS styling to fit seamlessly into your site’s design. Use your theme’s custom CSS option or a child theme stylesheet to add styling.
- Error Handling: If you run into problems, check your PHP error logs. Ensure WooCommerce is properly installed and activated.
- Plugins: Some plugins may offer even easier ways to create custom cart pages, sometimes with drag-and-drop interfaces. Research and see if there’s a plugin that suits your needs.
By following these steps, you can easily show your WooCommerce cart on a custom page, giving you more control over the shopping experience and allowing you to integrate it seamlessly into your website’s design and functionality. Remember to start with the simplest method (the shortcode) and move to the more advanced method (custom template) only if you need the extra control and customization. Good luck!
