How to Show Specific Category in WooCommerce: A Comprehensive Guide

Introduction:

WooCommerce, the leading e-commerce platform for WordPress, offers a flexible way to organize products through categories. But what if you want to highlight a specific category on your homepage, landing Learn more about How To Add Size In Woocommerce page, or within a blog post? Maybe you have a featured product line, a seasonal collection, or simply want to promote a particular brand. This article dives deep into various methods to achieve this, from using shortcodes and widgets to custom coding solutions. We’ll explore the pros and cons of each approach, helping you choose the best method for your needs and skill level. So, let’s get started on showcasing your specific WooCommerce categories!

Main Part: Different Methods to Display Specific Categories

There are several ways to show specific categories in WooCommerce, each with its own benefits and drawbacks. We’ll explore these methods in detail.

1. Using WooCommerce Shortcodes

WooCommerce provides built-in shortcodes that allow you to display products from specific categories without writing any code. This is often the easiest and fastest method, especially for beginners.

#### The `` Shortcode

The core shortcode we’ll focus on is ``. This shortcode allows you to display products belonging to a specific category.

How to use it:

1. Find your Category Slug: Go to Products > Categories in your WordPress admin area. Hover over the category you want to display, and look at the link in the bottom left corner of your browser. You’ll see something like `taxonomy=product_cat&tag_ID=XX&post_type=product`, where XX is the category ID. Alternatively, click edit on the category. The category slug can be found in the URL or in the “slug” field of the category edit screen. It’s usually a lowercase version of the category name with hyphens instead of spaces.

2. Implement the shortcode: Use the following shortcode, replacing `”your-category-slug”` with the actual slug of your category:

3. Customize the Display: The `` shortcode offers several attributes to customize the display:

• `per_page`: Number of products to display per page. (e.g., `per_page=”12″`)
• `columns`: Number of columns to display the products in. (e.g., `columns=”4″`)
• `orderby`: Order by attribute (e.g., `orderby=”popularity”` , `orderby=”date”` , `orderby=”price”`).
• `order`: Order direction (e.g., `order=”ASC”` or `order=”DESC”`).

Example: To display 8 products from the “shoes” category in 4 columns, ordered by popularity, you would use:

Pros:

• Easy to use, no coding required.
• Highly customizable with various attributes.
• Suitable for displaying categories on pages, posts, and widgets (using a text widget).

Cons:

• Limited design customization beyond the shortcode attributes.
• Can become cumbersome with very complex layouts.

2. Using WooCommerce Widgets

WooCommerce provides several widgets that can be used to display product categories. The “Product Categories” widget is the most relevant in this case.

How to use it:

1. Go to Appearance > Widgets in your Discover insights on How To Accept Payment On Woocommerce WordPress admin area.

2. Drag the “Product Categories” widget to the desired widget area (e.g., sidebar, footer).

3. Configure the widget:

• Title: Set a title for the widget.
• Display as dropdown: Choose whether to display the categories as a dropdown menu or a list.
• Show product counts: Option to display the number of products in each category.
• Hierarchical: Display categories hierarchically, showing parent and child categories.
• Only show the top-level categories: Show only the main (parent) categories.
• Hide empty categories: Hide categories with no products assigned to them.

Pros:

• Simple to Discover insights on How To Remove Shopping Cart Icon Woocommerce use and configure.
• Ideal for displaying a list of categories in Check out this post: Woocommerce How To Addproduct Title Above Short Description a sidebar or footer.

Cons:

• Limited customization options. Doesn’t directly allow focusing on a *specific* category with a dedicated, styled presentation.
• Generally used for navigation rather than highlighting a single category.

3. Custom Coding (PHP and WooCommerce Hooks)

For more advanced customization and control over the display, you can use custom coding with PHP and WooCommerce hooks. This approach requires a bit more technical knowledge but offers the greatest flexibility.

Example: Displaying Products from a Specific Category on a Custom Template:

1. Create a Custom Template: Create a new PHP file in your theme’s directory (e.g., `category-template.php`).

2. Add the Code: Add the following code to your custom template file, replacing `”your-category-slug”` with the actual slug of the desired category:

 <?php /** 
Template Name: Category Template
 */ 

get_header();

?>

<?php

$args = array(

‘post_type’ => ‘product’,

‘posts_per_page’ => 12, // Number of products to display

‘product_cat’ => ‘your-category-slug’ // Replace with your category slug

);

$loop = new WP_Query( $args );

if ( $loop->have_posts() ) {

echo ‘

‘;

while ( $loop->have_posts() ) {

$loop->the_post();

wc_get_template_part( ‘content’, ‘product’ ); // Render each product

}

echo ‘

‘;

} else {

echo ‘

No products found in this category.

‘;

}

wp_reset_postdata();

?>

<?php

get_sidebar();

get_footer();

?>

3. Create a Page and Assign the Template: Create a new page in WordPress and assign the “Category Template” to it. You might need to refresh your page edit screen to see the new template.

Explanation of the code:

• `WP_Query`: Creates a custom query to retrieve products based on the specified arguments.
• `post_type’ => ‘product’`: Specifies that we’re looking for products.
• `’product_cat’ => ‘your-category-slug’`: Filters the products to only include those in the specified category.
• `wc_get_template_part( ‘content’, ‘product’ )`: Uses the WooCommerce template to render each product.

Pros:

• Maximum customization options.
• Allows for complex layouts and design integration.
• Can be tailored to specific needs and requirements.

Cons:

• Requires coding knowledge (PHP, HTML, CSS).
• More time-consuming to implement.
• Potential for conflicts with theme updates or other plugins.

Important Considerations for Custom Coding:

• Child Theme: Always make modifications in a child theme to prevent your changes from being overwritten during theme updates.
• Hooks: Explore WooCommerce hooks (actions and filters) for more advanced customization without directly modifying core WooCommerce files. For instance, you could use the `woocommerce_before_shop_loop` hook to add a custom message above the product listing for a specific category.
• Security: Be mindful of security best practices when writing custom code, especially when handling user input or database queries. Sanitize data and escape output to prevent vulnerabilities.

4. Plugins

Numerous plugins offer more visually appealing ways to display specific WooCommerce categories, often with features like sliders, grids, and custom styling options. Search the WordPress plugin repository for terms like “WooCommerce Category Showcase,” “WooCommerce Category Slider,” or “WooCommerce Product Category Grid.”

Pros:

• Often easier than custom coding.
• Provides visually appealing layouts.

Cons:

• Can sometimes conflict with other plugins.
• May be overkill for simple requirements.
• Code quality can vary.

Conclusion:

Showing specific categories in WooCommerce can significantly improve your store’s user experience and marketing efforts. From the simplicity of shortcodes to the flexibility of custom coding, there’s a solution to suit every need and skill level. Choose the method that best balances your technical abilities with the desired level of customization. Remember to always test your changes thoroughly, especially when using custom code, and consider using a child theme to protect your modifications. By carefully selecting and implementing the right approach, you can effectively showcase your chosen categories and drive sales.