How To Show View Cart Button In Woocommerce

How to Show the View Cart Button in WooCommerce: A Comprehensive Guide

Introduction:

WooCommerce is a powerful and flexible e-commerce platform built on WordPress. A crucial element of the shopping experience is the “View Cart” button, allowing customers to quickly access their cart and proceed to checkout. However, sometimes this button might be missing or not prominently displayed, potentially hindering sales. This article will guide you through various methods on how to show the view cart button in WooCommerce, ensuring your customers have a seamless shopping experience. We’ll cover different scenarios and solutions, from basic settings to more advanced code modifications.

Understanding the Importance of the View Cart Button

The “View Cart” button is more than just a visual element. It plays a vital role in:

Improving User Experience: It provides instant access to the cart, allowing customers to easily review their selections and make adjustments.
Boosting Conversions: Easy access to the cart encourages customers to proceed to checkout, ultimately increasing sales.
Enhancing Navigation: It simplifies the shopping journey by providing a direct link to the cart page from various locations on your website.

Main Part:

Let’s explore the different methods to ensure your WooCommerce store displays the “View Cart” button effectively.

1. Checking the WooCommerce Settings

The simplest solution is often the right one. WooCommerce offers built-in settings that might be impacting the visibility of the “View Cart” button.

“Add to Cart” Redirect: Check if the “Add to cart” button redirects users directly to the cart page. This might inadvertently hide the “View Cart” button on product pages.

Navigate to: WooCommerce > Settings > Products > Display and ensure the “Redirect to the cart page after successful addition” is set to your preferred behavior, considering if it might impact your desired “View Cart” button visibility. Experiment to see what works best for your user experience.

2. Using WooCommerce Hooks and Filters (For Developers)

If the settings don’t resolve the issue, you might need to delve into code modifications. WooCommerce provides hooks and filters that allow you to customize its functionality.

#### 2.1. Adding a View Cart Button After the “Add to Cart” Button

A common approach is to add a “View Cart” button directly after the “Add to Cart” button on product pages. You can achieve this by using the `woocommerce_after_add_to_cart_button` hook.

/**
Add a View Cart button after the Add to Cart button.
*/
function add_view_cart_button_after_add_to_cart() {
$cart_url = wc_get_cart_url();
echo 'View Cart';
}
add_action( 'woocommerce_after_add_to_cart_button', 'add_view_cart_button_after_add_to_cart' );

Explanation:

`add_action( ‘woocommerce_after_add_to_cart_button’, ‘add_view_cart_button_after_add_to_cart’ );`: This line hooks the `add_view_cart_button_after_add_to_cart` function to the `woocommerce_after_add_to_cart_button` action, meaning it will execute after the “Add to Cart” button.
`wc_get_cart_url()`: This function retrieves the URL of the cart page.
`echo ‘View Cart‘;`: This line outputs the HTML code for the “View Cart” button, including the link to the cart page and some basic styling (`button wc-forward` which uses WooCommerce’s default button styling). Feel free to customize the `class` attribute for custom styling.
`esc_url()`: This function sanitizes the URL for security purposes.

Where to add this code?

Your Theme’s `functions.php` file: This is a common approach, but be aware that theme updates can overwrite your changes.
A Child Theme’s `functions.php` file: This is the recommended approach, as it preserves your changes even when the parent theme is updated.
A Custom Plugin: This is the most robust option, as it keeps your customizations separate from your theme and ensures they remain even if you switch themes.

#### 2.2. Adding a View Cart Button to the Mini Cart

The mini cart (often displayed in the header) provides a quick overview of the items in the cart. Adding a “View Cart” button to the mini cart makes it even more convenient.

While directly adding a button through a hook might be complex due to the structure of the mini-cart, you can usually customize its appearance through your theme’s options or CSS. However, if needed, you can modify the mini-cart template directly (copy it to your theme folder for safety!).

3. Utilizing WooCommerce Plugins

Several plugins specifically address cart visibility and enhancement. Some popular options include:

WooCommerce Menu Cart: This plugin adds a cart icon with item count to your menu, along with a customizable dropdown mini-cart.
WooCommerce Cart Notices: Allows you to display dynamic notices based on the contents of the cart, which can include a “View Cart” link.
Plugins offering Header customization: Many header builder plugins offer direct integration with WooCommerce, allowing you to add a cart icon and button to your header easily.

Using a plugin can be the easiest and quickest solution for non-developers.

4. Inspecting Your Theme’s Templates

Your theme’s templates might be overriding the default WooCommerce behavior. Carefully inspect the `cart.php`, `single-product.php`, and other relevant templates to see if the “View Cart” button is being intentionally hidden or altered. Always create a child theme and copy the template files there before making any changes.

Conclusion:

Showing the “View Cart” button prominently is essential for a smooth and efficient shopping experience in WooCommerce. By systematically checking your WooCommerce settings, exploring code modifications with hooks and filters, utilizing relevant plugins, and inspecting your theme’s templates, you can ensure that the “View Cart” button is visible and functional, leading to improved user experience and higher conversion rates. Remember to always back up your website before making any code changes, and if you’re not comfortable with code, consider using a plugin or consulting with a WooCommerce developer. By following these steps, you can optimize your WooCommerce store for sales success!