# How to Change WooCommerce Sorting Options: A Beginner’s Guide
WooCommerce, the popular e-commerce plugin for WordPress, offers several default sorting options for your product catalog. But what if you want to give your customers *more* control, or simply change the default order? This guide will walk you through customizing your WooCommerce sorting options, making your shop more user-friendly and potentially boosting sales.
Why Change the Default Sorting?
The default WooCommerce sorting options (price, popularity, rating, newest, etc.) are a good starting point. However, customizing these options can significantly improve the shopping experience. Think about it:
* Improved User Experience: Offering more relevant sorting options directly addresses your customer’s needs. A shopper looking for the cheapest option will appreciate a clear “Price: Low to High” sort, while someone searching for the most popular items will benefit from a “Popularity” option.
* Increased Sales: By making it easier for customers to find what they need, you increase the chances of a sale. Frustrated customers who can’t easily filter results are more likely to abandon their shopping carts.
* Better Search Engine Optimization (SEO): A well-organized product catalog contributes to better SEO. Search engines reward sites with a clear, logical structure, making it easier for both users and crawlers to find information.
Methods to Change WooCommerce Sorting Options
There are several ways to modify WooCommerce sorting options, ranging from simple plugin use to custom code. We’ll cover the easiest methods first.
1. Using the WooCommerce Default Settings (Simplest Method)
WooCommerce provides a basic level of control directly within your WordPress dashboard. While limited, it’s a great place to start.
- Go to WooCommerce > Settings > Products > Display.
- Under “Product Catalog“, you can change the default sorting order. You can choose from:
- Default Sorting: (usually “Popularity”)
- Menu Order: Manually order products within your product categories.
- Price (low to high): Sorts products from lowest price to highest.
- Price (high to low): Sorts products from highest price to lowest.
- Rating: Sorts products by average customer rating.
- Newest: Sorts products by upload date (most recent first).
- YITH WooCommerce Product Sorting: This plugin adds more options like sorting by best-selling products, sales price, and more.
- WooCommerce Advanced Sorting: Provides additional sorting features and often includes custom fields support.
This is a simple adjustment, but it changes the *default* sorting only. Customers will still be able to change the sorting manually on the shop page.
2. Using a WooCommerce Sorting Plugin (Easiest for most users)
Several plugins offer expanded sorting capabilities. These are generally easy to install and configure, even for beginners. Popular options include:
These plugins usually offer intuitive interfaces, guiding you through the setup process. Check the plugin documentation for specific instructions.
3. Customizing the Sorting Options with Code (Advanced Method)
For more complex customizations, you’ll need to edit WooCommerce’s code. This method requires coding experience and should only be attempted if you’re comfortable working with PHP. Incorrectly modifying code can break your site. Always back up your files before making any code changes.
Here’s an example of adding a “Price: Low to High” option if it’s missing:
add_filter( 'woocommerce_get_catalog_ordering_args', 'add_my_custom_orderby' );
function add_my_custom_orderby( $args ) {
$args['orderby'] = isset( $_GET['orderby'] ) ? $_GET['orderby'] : 'price'; // Defaults to price
$args['order'] = isset( $_GET['order'] ) ? $_GET['order'] : 'asc'; // Defaults to ascending order
return $args;
}
This code snippet modifies the default ordering arguments. It checks if a `orderby` parameter is sent via URL (e.g., `?orderby=price`) and uses it, otherwise defaults to ‘price’ sorting in ascending order. You’ll need to place this code within your theme’s `functions.php` file or a custom plugin.
Remember to replace this example with code relevant to your desired sorting options. Again, proceed with caution and always back up your site before making changes.
Conclusion
Changing WooCommerce sorting options can greatly enhance your online store’s usability and potentially boost sales. Whether you opt for the simple built-in settings, a user-friendly plugin, or delve into custom coding, choosing the right method depends on your technical skills and desired level of customization. Remember to always prioritize a positive user experience!
