# How to Hide Products in WooCommerce: A Beginner’s Guide
Want to temporarily remove products from your WooCommerce store without deleting them? Maybe you’re out of stock, running a promotion, or simply want to reorganize your inventory. Whatever the reason, Check out this post: How To Add Cost To Shipping Class Woocommerce hiding products is a crucial WooCommerce skill. This beginner-friendly guide will show you exactly how, with clear explanations and real-world examples.
Why Hide Products Instead of Deleting Them?
Deleting a product is permanent. Hiding a product allows you to easily reinstate it later. This is beneficial in several scenarios:
- Temporary stockouts: You can hide a product until you restock it, avoiding frustrated customers.
- Seasonal items: Hide winter coats in summer and vice-versa.
- Promotional campaigns: Hide regular-priced items during a sale to emphasize discounted products.
- Inventory reorganization: Hide products Explore this article on How To Control Product Display In Woocommerce while you revamp your shop’s categorization.
- Testing new products: Hide a product while you refine its description or images.
- Go to: Products -> All Products.
- Select: The product you want to hide.
- Edit: The product.
- Inventory Tab: Under the “Inventory” tab, change the “Stock Status” to “Out of stock”.
- Save: Save changes.
- Create a hidden category: Go to Products -> Categories, and add a new category like “Hidden Products” or “Temporarily Unavailable.”
- Assign products: Assign the products you want to hide to this category.
- Check the visibility: By default, WooCommerce categories are publicly visible. You can’t hide a category directly, but if you don’t link it anywhere in your navigation or widgets, customers won’t readily find it.
Methods to Hide WooCommerce Products
There are several ways to effectively hide your WooCommerce products. Let’s explore the most common and easiest approaches:
1. Using WooCommerce’s Built-in “Out of Stock” Visibility Setting
This is the simplest method if you’re dealing with temporary stockouts. By default, WooCommerce hides products marked as “out of stock”.
Real-Life Example: Imagine you’re selling handmade candles. If you run out of “Lavender Serenity” candles, change its stock status to “Out of stock.” WooCommerce will automatically hide it from your shop until you update the stock.
2. Using Product Categories to Control Visibility
This method offers more control. You can create hidden categories and assign products to them. Customers won’t see products in hidden categories unless they directly navigate to them (unlikely).
Real-Life Example: You’re a clothing store and want to hide last season’s line. Create a “Archived Collections” category, assign those products, and don’t link this category to your main menu.
3. Using WooCommerce Plugins for Advanced Hiding Options
For more complex scenarios, consider plugins. Many offer advanced options to control product visibility. However, use plugins cautiously; choose reputable ones with good reviews.
Example (Conceptual): A plugin might let you schedule when products become hidden or visible, ideal for time-sensitive promotions.
4. Manually Hiding Products Using PHP (Advanced Users Only)
This method requires coding skills and isn’t recommended for beginners. Incorrectly modifying your theme’s functions.php file can break your website.
This is a VERY simplified and conceptual example. Do not use this code without understanding its implications. It Explore this article on How To Remove Products On Checkout Page In Woocommerce demonstrates the idea of filtering the product query:
add_filter( 'pre_get_posts', 'hide_specific_products' ); function hide_specific_products( $query ) { if ( is_shop() || is_product_category() || is_product_tag() ) { $query->set( 'post__not_in', array( 123, 456 ) ); // Replace 123, 456 with your product IDs } return $query; }
This code snippet, added to your theme’s `functions.php` file, prevents products with IDs 123 and 456 from appearing on shop pages, category pages, and tag pages.
Choosing the Right Method
The best method depends on your needs. For simple, temporary hiding due to stockouts, use the built-in “out of stock” feature. For more control and complex scenarios, consider using categories or a plugin. Avoid direct PHP manipulation unless you Discover insights on How To Add Social Media Buttons To Woocommerce are comfortable with coding and understand the potential risks. Always back up your website before making any significant changes.
