WooCommerce: Displaying Products Like a Pro (Even if You’re a Newbie)
So, you’ve got WooCommerce installed, you’ve added your products… but they’re not showing up quite the way you envisioned? Don’t panic! Displaying products effectively is a crucial part of running a successful online store. This guide will walk you through the different ways to display your products, tailored specifically for WooCommerce beginners. We’ll cover the basics, offer practical examples, and explain the *why* behind each method.
Understanding Product Display in WooCommerce
Before we dive into the “how,” let’s understand the fundamental concepts. WooCommerce offers several ways to display your products:
- Shop Page: This is your main storefront, typically displaying all your products. Think of it as the main aisle of your physical store.
- Product Categories: Organize products into logical groups (e.g., “T-Shirts,” “Mugs,” “Hats”). Like labeled shelves in your shop.
- Product Tags: Add more specific labels to products (e.g., “Red,” “Cotton,” “Funny”). Think of it as smaller, more refined labels on your products.
- Single Product Pages: The individual page for each product, containing detailed information, images, and add-to-cart options.
- Shortcodes: Powerful little snippets of code that let you display products anywhere on your site (pages, posts, even widgets).
- Create a new page named “Shop.”
- Go to: WooCommerce > Settings > Products > Display
- Under “Shop page,” select the “Shop” page you just created. Save changes.
Method 1: The Default WooCommerce Shop Page
This is the simplest and most common method. WooCommerce automatically creates a “Shop” page when you install Check out this post: How To Remove Woocommerce Extension it. This page, by default, displays all your published products.
How to Find It (and Check if it’s Set Up Correctly):
1. Go to: WordPress Admin > Pages
2. Look for a page titled “Shop.”
3. If it exists: Great! Visit this page to see your products.
4. If it doesn’t exist: You might need to create it and tell WooCommerce to use it as the shop page.
Example: Imagine you sell handmade candles. Your “Shop” page would display all your candle varieties: scented candles, beeswax candles, soy candles, etc.
Method 2: Displaying Products by Category
Categorizing your products makes it easier for customers to find what they’re looking for.
How to Create Product Categories:
1. Go to: Products > Categories
2. Enter a name for your category (e.g., “T-Shirts”).
3. Add a slug (optional but recommended): This is the URL-friendly version of your category name (e.g., “t-shirts”). If you leave it blank, WordPress will generate one.
4. Add a description (optional): This can be helpful for SEO.
5. Add a thumbnail image (optional but recommended): Makes your category pages visually appealing.
6. Click “Add New Category.”
Assign Products to Categories:
1. Go to: Products > All Products
2. Edit the product you want to categorize.
3. In the “Product categories” box on the right, check the box next to the appropriate category(s).
4. Update the product.
How to Display Category-Specific Products:
* Using Category Pages: WooCommerce automatically creates a page for each category. The URL will be something like `yourwebsite.com/product-category/t-shirts/`. You can link to these pages from your navigation menu or elsewhere on your site.
* Using Shortcodes (More Control):
WooCommerce provides a shortcode to display products from a specific category: `[products category=”your-category-slug”]`
Example: Let’s say you have a category called “Coffee Mugs” with a slug of “coffee-mugs.” To display only coffee mugs on a page, you would use the following shortcode:
[products category=”coffee-mugs”]
This shortcode displays products belonging to the “coffee-mugs” category, allowing you to showcase specific product selections on different pages.
Example: You might create a “Clearance” category and display all products in that category on a dedicated “Sale” page.
Method 3: Using Shortcodes for Custom Product Displays
Shortcodes are incredibly versatile for displaying products wherever you need them.
Commonly Used Shortcodes:
* `[products]`: Displays all products (similar to the shop page).
* `[products limit=”8″ columns=”4″]`: Displays 8 products in 4 columns. `limit` controls the number of products displayed, and `columns` controls the layout.
* `[products ids=”123,456,789″]`: Displays products with specific IDs. Replace “123,456,789” with the actual product IDs. This is useful for showcasing specific featured products.
* `[products tag=”sale”]`: Displays products with the tag “sale.”
How to Find Product IDs:
1. Go to: Products > All Products
2. Hover over the product you want to find the ID for.
3. Look at the URL in your browser’s status bar (bottom left corner). You’ll see something like `post=123`. The “123” is the product ID. You can also see it in the Edit Product page URL
Example: Imagine you want to feature your best-selling products on your homepage. You can find the IDs of those products and use the `[products ids=”…”]` shortcode to display them.
Reasoning: Shortcodes provide granular control over product display, enabling tailored presentations across different pages.
Method 4: Utilizing Product Attributes and Variations
If your products come in different variations (e.g., sizes, colors), WooCommerce handles this beautifully using attributes and variations.
Creating Product Attributes:
1. Go to: Products > Attributes
2. Enter a name for your attribute (e.g., “Size,” “Color”).
3. Add a slug (optional): The URL-friendly version of the attribute name.
4. Click “Add Attribute.”
5. Click “Configure terms” under the attribute you just created.
6. Add the terms for the attribute (e.g., “Small,” “Medium,” “Large” for the “Size” attribute; “Red,” “Blue,” “Green” for the “Color” attribute).
Creating Product Variations:
1. Go to: Products > All Products
2. Edit the product you want to add variations to.
3. In Read more about How To Change Overlay Skin Color Loading Bubbles Woof Woocommerce the “Product data” dropdown, select “Variable product.”
4. Click the “Attributes” tab.
5. Select the attributes you want to use for variations from the “Custom product attribute” dropdown and click “Add.” Check the “Used for variations” box.
6. Click the “Variations” tab.
7. Select “Create variations from all attributes” from the “Add variation” dropdown and click “Go.”
8. Click the “Expand” arrow on each variation to edit its details (price, stock, etc.).
Displaying Variations:
WooCommerce automatically handles the display of variations on the single product page. Customers can select their desired attributes (e.g., size and color) to choose the specific variation they Read more about How To Activate Woocommerce Plugin In WordPress want to purchase.
Example: If you sell t-shirts, you would create “Size” and “Color” attributes and then create variations for each combination (e.g., “Red – Small,” “Blue – Medium,” etc.). The single product page would then allow customers to select their desired size and color.
Reasoning: Product attributes and variations ensure clarity, offering customers choices tailored to their needs, ultimately improving the shopping experience.
Customizing Product Display with Code (Advanced)
While the above methods are sufficient for most beginners, you can further customize product display using PHP code. Be careful when editing theme files directly. Always back up your site first!
Example: Changing the Number of Products per Row on the Shop Page:
add_filter( 'loop_shop_columns', 'loop_columns' ); if (!function_exists('loop_columns')) { function loop_columns() { return 3; // Change the number to the desired number of columns. } }
This code snippet, added to your theme’s `functions.php` file (or a custom plugin), changes the number of columns on the shop page to 3. Remember to clear your website cache after editing any code files.
Reasoning: PHP customization empowers developers to override default WooCommerce behaviors, enabling bespoke product displays.
Conclusion
Displaying products effectively in WooCommerce is essential for creating a user-friendly and engaging online store. By understanding the different methods available and applying them strategically, you can present your products in a way that attracts customers and drives sales. Start with the simple methods and gradually explore more advanced options as you become more comfortable with WooCommerce. Good luck!
