# How to Change Select Option Text in WooCommerce: A Beginner’s Guide
WooCommerce is a powerful platform, but sometimes its default settings need tweaking. One common customization is changing the text displayed in select options (dropdowns). Maybe you want to replace “Select an option” with something more engaging, or you need to translate text for a multilingual store. This guide shows you how, even if you’re a complete newbie to coding.
Why Change Select Option Text?
Before diving into the code, let’s understand *why* you might want to customize your select options. Here are a few real-life scenarios:
- Improved User Experience (UX): Generic phrases like “Select an option” are bland. More descriptive text like “Choose your color” or “Select your delivery method” guides users and improves the overall shopping experience.
- Branding Consistency: Using consistent language across your website strengthens your brand identity. Customizing select options ensures they align with your overall voice and tone.
- Multilingual Support: If you sell internationally, you need to translate all elements of your store, including select options, into different languages.
- Specific Product Attributes: Sometimes, the default attribute names don’t perfectly fit your product. For example, instead of “Size,” you might prefer “Size (in cm)” for clarity.
Method 1: Using WooCommerce’s Built-in Settings (Easiest Way)
For simple changes, you might not need any code at all. WooCommerce offers some control over attribute labels directly within the admin panel:
1. Navigate to Products > Attributes: Find this in your WooCommerce dashboard.
2. Edit the Attribute: Click on the attribute you want to modify (e.g., “Size,” “Color”).
3. Modify the Labels: In the attribute settings, you’ll find fields to change the name, and the options (the text you see in the dropdown). Change these directly in their respective fields and save the changes.
This method works well for minor adjustments, but it has limitations for more complex scenarios.
Method 2: Using a Child Theme and Functions.php (For Advanced Customization)
For more control, you need to add custom code. Always use a child theme to avoid losing your changes when WooCommerce updates. Here’s how to modify select option text using your child theme’s `functions.php` file:
Modifying the “Select an option” Placeholder
This code replaces the default “Select an option” text with “Choose your option”:
add_filter( 'woocommerce_attribute_label', 'custom_woocommerce_attribute_label', 10, 2 ); function custom_woocommerce_attribute_label( $label, $attribute ) { if ( $attribute == 'pa_color' ) { // Replace 'pa_color' with your attribute slug return __( 'Choose your color', 'your-text-domain' ); } elseif ($attribute == 'pa_size') { //Another example for size return __( 'Choose your size', 'your-text-domain' ); } return $label; }
Explanation:
- `add_filter`: This hooks into WooCommerce’s attribute label filter.
- `custom_woocommerce_attribute_label`: This is our custom function.
- `$label`: The original label.
- `$attribute`: The attribute slug (e.g., `pa_color`, `pa_size`). You find this in the attribute edit screen in your WooCommerce admin panel.
- `__( ‘Choose your color’, ‘your-text-domain’ )`: This translates the text, making it easily translatable. Replace `’your-text-domain’` with your theme’s text domain.
- The `if` statements allows you to target *specific* attributes. You can add more `elseif` blocks as needed.
Modifying Individual Option Values
To modify the text of individual options within an attribute:
add_filter( 'woocommerce_dropdown_variation_attribute_options_html', 'custom_woocommerce_variation_options', 10, 2 ); function custom_woocommerce_variation_options( $html, $args ) { // Example: Changing options for the 'pa_size' attribute if ( $args['attribute'] == 'pa_size' ) { $options = $args['options']; $new_options = array(); foreach ( $options as $option ) { if ( $option == 'small' ) { $new_options[] = 'Petite'; //Replacing 'small' with 'Petite' } elseif ( $option == 'large' ) { $new_options[] = 'Grand'; //Replacing 'large' with 'Grand' } else { $new_options[] = $option; } } $args['options'] = $new_options; $html = wc_dropdown_variation_attribute_options( $args ); }
return $html;
}
This code targets the `pa_size` Check out this post: How To Hide Specific Checkout Field Woocommerce Order E-Mail attribute and replaces “small” with “Petite” and “large” with “Grand”. Adapt this to your specific needs.
Conclusion
Changing select option text in WooCommerce offers a simple yet powerful way to improve UX and brand consistency. Choose the method that best suits your skill level and the complexity of your changes. Remember to always back up your files before making any code changes!
