Woocommerce How To Display Different Types Of Same Product

WooCommerce: Displaying Different Variations of the Same Product – A Beginner’s Guide

So, you’re selling products in WooCommerce and want to offer different variations of the same core item? Maybe it’s a t-shirt that comes in different colors and sizes, or a phone case available in different materials and designs. You’re in the right place! This guide will walk you through how to effectively display these variations, making it easy for your customers to find exactly what they’re looking for, and boosting your sales in the process.

Why is this important? Because confusing customers *don’t buy*. They’ll bounce to a competitor who makes it easier to understand their options. Making your product variations clear and appealing is key to a successful online store.

Understanding Variable Products

In WooCommerce, the primary way to offer variations of a product is by using Variable Products. Think of a Variable Product as the “parent” product. This parent product holds all the common information, like the product description and general images. The *variations* are the “children,” each representing a specific combination of attributes, like color and size.

Imagine you’re selling Coffee. The parent product is “My Delicious Coffee.” The variations could be:

• “My Delicious Coffee – Whole Bean – Light Roast”
• “My Delicious Coffee – Ground – Dark Roast”
• “My Delicious Coffee – Whole Bean – Medium Roast”

This allows the customer to choose the *exact* type of coffee they want.

Step-by-Step: Creating a Variable Product

Let’s create a variable product from scratch. We’ll use the classic example of a t-shirt with color and size variations.

1. Create a New Product: In your WordPress dashboard, go to Products -> Add New.

2. Enter Basic Product Information: Give your product a title (e.g., “Awesome T-Shirt”), a description, and set a general image (usually the most representative image of the product).

3. Change Product Type to Variable Product: In the “Product data” meta box (usually below the description editor), change the “Simple product” dropdown to “Variable product”.

4. Set Up Attributes:

• Go to the “Attributes” tab within the “Product data” box.
• Click “Add custom product attribute”.
• Name the attribute. For example, “Color”.
• In the “Values” field, enter your available colors, separated by a `|` (pipe) symbol. For example: `Red | Blue | Green`.
• Important: Check the “Used for variations” box. *This is crucial!* Without this box checked, the attribute won’t be used to create variations.
• Click “Save attribute”.

Repeat this process for “Size” (values: `S | M | L | XL`).

5. Create Variations:

• Go to the “Variations” tab.
• In the “Add variation” dropdown, select “Create variations from all attributes”. This will automatically generate variations for every possible combination of your attributes (e.g., Red-S, Red-M, Red-L, Red-XL, Blue-S, etc.).
• Click “Go”. WooCommerce will generate a notification saying how many variations it created. Click “OK”.

6. Configure Each Variation:

• You’ll now see a list of all your variations. Click the dropdown arrow next to each variation to expand it.
• For each variation, you can set:
• Price: This is the *most important* thing to set. If a variation doesn’t have a price, customers won’t be able to add it to their cart.
• Sale Price: If the variation is on sale.
• Stock quantity: How many units of this specific variation are available. WooCommerce will track inventory for each variation independently.
• Image: A specific image for that variation. This is highly recommended. If the customer chooses the “Red” t-shirt, show them the *red* t-shirt, not the general product image.
• SKU: A unique identifier for this variation.
• Weight & Dimensions: If needed for shipping calculations.
• Shipping class: Apply different shipping rates to different products.

7. Save Your Product: Click “Publish” or “Update” to save your variable product.

Code Example: Customizing Variation Display (Advanced)

Sometimes you want to go beyond the default variation display. For example, you might want to display images *inline* instead of using dropdowns. This requires custom coding and is generally not recommended for beginners unless you’re comfortable with PHP and WooCommerce hooks. Here’s a simplified example of how you might start to customize the variation display (this is a starting point and requires further development to be fully functional):

<?php
/**
Customize the variation display (example).
This function replaces the default variation dropdowns with a custom display.
*  **IMPORTANT:** This is a simplified example and will require modifications
to fully integrate into your theme and handle all variation attributes.
*/
add_filter( 'woocommerce_dropdown_variation_attribute_options_html', 'my_custom_variation_display', 10, 2 );

function my_custom_variation_display( $html, $args ) {

global $product;

$attribute_name = $args[‘attribute’];

$options = $args[‘options’];

$selected = $args[‘selected’];

$product = $args[‘product’];

$name = $args[‘name’] ? $args[‘name’] : ‘attribute_’ . sanitize_title( $attribute_name );

// Get all available variation data (images etc) for better displaying

$available_variations = $product->get_available_variations();

$html = ‘

‘;

$html .= ‘‘ . wc_attribute_label( $attribute_name ) . ‘‘;

$html .= ‘

‘;

if ( ! empty( $options ) ) {

if ( $product && taxonomy_exists( $attribute_name ) ) {

// Get terms if this is a taxonomy – each option will have a term id

$terms = wc_get_product_terms( $product->get_id(), $attribute_name, array( ‘fields’ => ‘all’ ) );

foreach ( $terms as $term ) {

if ( in_array( $term->slug, $options, true ) ) { //check term

$html .= ‘‘;

$html .= ‘slug ) . ‘” ‘ . checked( sanitize_title( $selected ), $term->slug, false ) . ‘>’;

$html .= ‘‘ . esc_html( apply_filters( ‘woocommerce_variation_option_name’, $term->name, $term, $attribute_name, $product ) ) . ‘‘;

$html .= ‘‘;

}

}

} else { //else custom attribute

foreach($options as $option){

$html .= ‘‘;

$html .= ”;

$html .= ‘‘ . esc_html( apply_filters( ‘woocommerce_variation_option_name’, $option, null, $attribute_name, $product ) ) . ‘‘;

$html .= ‘‘;

}

}

}

$html .= ‘

‘; //variation-options

$html .= ‘

‘; //my-custom-variation-selector

return $html;

}

Where to put this code: This code needs to go into your theme’s `functions.php` file or a custom plugin. Be very careful when editing your theme’s `functions.php` file. A single error can break your entire site. It’s always best to use a child theme or a code snippets plugin.

Explanation: This code uses the `woocommerce_dropdown_variation_attribute_options_html` filter to intercept the HTML generated for the variation dropdowns. It then replaces that HTML with a custom structure using radio buttons. It’s important to realize that you will need to add CSS styling to properly render your new form correctly. This example also does not include the JS code to swap other variation attributes for instance.

Reasoning: The default dropdown can be clunky and less visually appealing. A more visual representation of the variations, especially using images inline, can significantly improve the user experience.

Warning: Customizing variation display can be complex. Always test thoroughly and back up your website before making changes to your theme’s files.

Optimizing for SEO and User Experience

* Descriptive Variation Names: Instead of just “Red” and “Large,” use more descriptive names like “Crimson Red” or “Large (Fits Chest 40-42 inches)”. This helps both users and search engines understand the product better.

* High-Quality Images: Use clear, high-resolution images for each variation. Show the product from multiple angles.

* Detailed Variation Descriptions: While the main product description covers the core features, add a brief description for each variation if it has unique characteristics (e.g., “This t-shirt is made from organic cotton”).

* Structured Data Markup: WooCommerce generally handles basic structured data. However, consider using plugins to enhance it further, ensuring search engines understand your product variations.

* Mobile-Friendly Design: Make sure the variation selection process is easy to use on mobile devices. Large, touch-friendly buttons or clear dropdown menus are crucial.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Forgetting to Set Prices: This is the most common mistake. If a variation doesn’t have a price, customers *cannot* buy it.
• Not Assigning Images to Variations: This creates a confusing user experience.
• Using Too Many Attributes: Keep it simple! Too many attribute combinations can overwhelm customers. Consider breaking complex products into separate listings instead.
• Duplicate Content: Make sure the descriptions for each variation are unique enough to avoid being flagged as duplicate content by search engines.

By following these steps and best practices, you can effectively display different types of the same product in WooCommerce, providing a better user experience and boosting your sales! Remember to always test your setup thoroughly to ensure everything works as expected. Good luck!