How to Edit WooCommerce Shortcodes in Divi Builder: A Beginner’s Guide
Divi and WooCommerce are a powerful combination for building online stores. But sometimes, the default WooCommerce shortcodes don’t quite fit your Divi design. This article will show you how to easily customize them, even if you’re a complete beginner. We’ll cover the “why” and the “how” in a way that’s easy to understand.
Why Edit WooCommerce Shortcodes in Divi?
Let’s say you’re using the `[woocommerce_products]` shortcode to display products. It might show products in a default layout that clashes with your carefully crafted Divi design. Maybe you want to:
- Change the number of products displayed: The default might show too many or too few products per page.
- Alter the product display order: You might want to show products by newest first, price, or rating instead of the default.
- Customize the product layout: The default grid might not match your website’s aesthetic.
- Add specific products: You might want to showcase only certain products instead of all of them.
Editing the shortcode gives you this control, allowing you to seamlessly integrate WooCommerce with your Divi theme.
The Two Main Methods: Directly in Divi vs. Using a Child Theme
There are two primary approaches to editing WooCommerce shortcodes within Divi:
1. Editing directly within the Divi Builder (Easier, but less sustainable): This method is quick for simple changes but not ideal for long-term customization or theme updates. Any changes you make might be overwritten when you update Divi or WooCommerce.
2. Editing via a Child Theme (More advanced, but recommended): This approach is more involved but safer. Changes made within a child theme persist through updates and are generally the recommended method for advanced customization.
Method 1: Direct Editing in Divi (For Simple Changes)
This method involves using the Visual Editor or Code Editor within the Divi Builder. Let’s illustrate with an example:
Let’s say you want to show only 3 products using the `[woocommerce_products]` shortcode. The basic shortcode looks like this:
[woocommerce_products]
To limit it to 3 products, you would modify it within Divi’s code editor (found within a text module) to:
[woocommerce_products per_page=”3″]
You’ve added the `per_page=”3″` attribute. Experiment with other attributes! Refer to the WooCommerce documentation for a complete list of available attributes for each shortcode.
Important Note: This method only works for simple modifications. Complex changes requiring custom CSS or PHP are best handled via a child theme.
Method 2: Editing via a Child Theme (For Complex Changes and Long-Term Stability)
A child theme is a separate theme that inherits the functionality of your parent theme (Divi in this case) but allows for customizations without affecting the parent theme. This is crucial for preventing your changes from being lost during updates.
Steps:
1. Create a Child Theme: This involves creating a new folder (e.g., `divi-child`) inside your `/wp-content/themes/` directory. Inside, create a `style.css` and `functions.php` file.
2. Update `style.css`: Add the following to `style.css`, replacing `”Divi Child Theme”` with your theme name:
/*
Theme Name: Divi Child Theme
Theme URI:
Description: Child theme for Divi.
Author: Your Name
Author URI:
Template: divi
Version: 1.0.0
*/
3. Modify Shortcodes in `functions.php`: This is where you make more advanced changes. For example, let’s say you want to completely override the `[woocommerce_products]` shortcode’s output. You could create a custom function:
function my_custom_woocommerce_products_shortcode( $atts ) {
// Your custom code to generate product output here. You can access $atts for attributes.
// Example:
$atts = shortcode_atts( array(
'per_page' => '3',
'columns' => '3'
), $atts, 'woocommerce_products' );
// … your custom product display logic here …
return $output;
}
add_shortcode( ‘woocommerce_products’, ‘my_custom_woocommerce_products_shortcode’ );
This is a much more advanced technique, requiring a strong understanding of PHP and WooCommerce shortcodes.
Conclusion
Editing WooCommerce shortcodes within Divi allows for significant customization. For simple adjustments, direct editing in Divi’s code editor is sufficient. However, for more robust and sustainable modifications, creating a child theme is the recommended approach. Remember to always back up your website before making significant changes!
