Woocommerce How To Display Tag List In Sidebar

WooCommerce: Displaying Tag Lists in Your Sidebar (For Beginners!)

Want to help your customers find products faster and improve your WooCommerce store’s navigation? Displaying a tag list in your sidebar is a fantastic way to achieve that! Think of tags like mini-categories. They’re useful for grouping products based on characteristics that might not warrant a whole category. Imagine someone selling clothes: categories might be “Shirts,” “Pants,” and “Dresses,” while tags could be “Cotton,” “Summer,” “Slim Fit,” or “Floral.”

This guide will walk you through the easiest ways to display your product tags in your WooCommerce sidebar, even if you’re a complete beginner. No coding experience required for the first method!

Why Use Product Tags and Display Them in the Sidebar?

Here’s why adding a product tag list to your sidebar is a smart move:

• Improved Navigation: It makes it easier for customers to browse your products. They can quickly find items based on specific attributes. Think of a customer looking for “Red Dresses” – a tag link in the sidebar makes that search effortless.
• Enhanced User Experience: A well-organized website keeps visitors engaged and happy. A clear tag list helps them find exactly what they’re looking for, leading to a more positive experience.
• SEO Benefits: Tags can improve your store’s search engine optimization. They help search engines understand what your products are about, potentially boosting your rankings for relevant keywords.
• Increased Sales: Easier navigation = more browsing = more potential sales. A happy customer is more likely to buy something.

Method 1: Using the Built-in WooCommerce Product Tags Widget (Easiest!)

WooCommerce comes with a handy widget specifically designed for displaying product tags. This is the easiest way to add a tag list to your sidebar, and it requires absolutely no code.

Here’s how to use it:

1. Go to your WordPress Dashboard: Log in to your WordPress admin area.

2. Navigate to Appearance > Widgets: This is where you manage your website’s widgets.

3. Find the “WooCommerce Product Tags” Widget: Scroll through the available widgets until you see it.

4. Drag and Drop (or Add): Drag the “WooCommerce Product Tags” widget to the sidebar you want it to appear in. Typically, this will be called “Sidebar” or “Main Sidebar.” Alternatively, you can click the widget and choose your desired sidebar from the dropdown, then click “Add Widget.”

5. Configure the Widget (Optional): Once the widget is in your sidebar, you can customize it.

• Title: Give your tag list a title, like “Shop by Tag” or “Popular Styles.”
• Order By: Choose how the tags are ordered (e.g., name, count). Ordering by “count” shows the most frequently used tags first.
• Order: Choose ascending or descending order.
• Show Product Counts: Display the number of products associated with each tag. This is often helpful for users to gauge the popularity of a tag.

6. Save Your Changes: Click the “Save” button on the widget.

That’s it! Visit your website and you should now see the tag list in your sidebar.

Example: Imagine you sell handmade jewelry. Your tag list might include tags like “Silver,” “Gold,” “Beaded,” “Geometric,” “Floral.” Displaying the count helps customers see which styles are most popular, potentially influencing their choices.

Method 2: Adding a Custom Tag List Using Code (For the More Adventurous)

This method is for those comfortable with a little bit of code. It offers more control over the appearance and functionality of your tag list. Important: Always back up your website before making changes to your theme files!

1. Access Your Theme Files: You’ll need to access your theme files. The recommended way is to use an FTP client (like FileZilla) or your web hosting provider’s file manager. Alternatively, you can use the WordPress Theme Editor (Appearance > Theme File Editor), *but be extra careful here*.

2. Locate Your Sidebar File: Find the file that controls your sidebar. This is usually `sidebar.php` or `sidebar-woocommerce.php`. The exact name might vary depending on your theme.

3. Add the Code: Insert the following PHP code into your sidebar file where you want the tag list to appear:

 'product_tag',
'orderby' => 'name',
'order'   => 'ASC',
'number' => 10, // Number of tags to display (adjust as needed)
'hide_empty' => true // Hide tags with no products
);

$tags = get_terms($args);

if ($tags) {

echo ‘

Shop by Tag

‘; // Or whatever title you want

echo ‘

‘;

foreach ($tags as $tag) {

echo ‘

• ‘ . $tag->name . ‘ (‘ . $tag->count . ‘)

‘;

}

echo ‘

‘;

}

?>

4. Save the File: Save the changes to your sidebar file.

Explanation of the Code:

• `$args`: This array defines the parameters for fetching the product tags.
• `taxonomy => ‘product_tag’`: Specifies that we want to retrieve product tags.
• `orderby => ‘name’`: Orders the tags alphabetically by name.
• `order => ‘ASC’`: Sorts in ascending order.
• `number => 10`: Limits the number of tags displayed to 10. Adjust this as needed. Set to 0 to show all.
• `hide_empty => true`: Hides tags that have no associated products.
• `get_terms($args)`: Retrieves the product tags based on the specified arguments.
• The `if ($tags)` block ensures that the code only runs if there are tags to display.
• The `foreach` loop iterates through each tag and creates a list item (`
• `) with a link to the tag’s archive page and its product count.
• `get_term_link($tag)`: Gets the URL of the tag’s archive page.
• `$tag->name`: Gets the name of the tag.
• `$tag->count`: Gets the number of products associated with the tag.

Customization:

• Number of Tags: Change the `’number’ => 10` value to display more or fewer tags.
• Ordering: Modify the `’orderby’` parameter to sort by ‘count’ (number of products) or ‘term_id’.
• Styling: Use CSS to style the `
  ` and `
  • ` elements to match your website’s design. Add a class to the `
    ` element and then add CSS rules in your theme’s `style.css` file.

    Real-Life Example: Let’s say you sell coffee beans. Your tags might be: “Dark Roast”, “Light Roast”, “Arabica”, “Robusta”, “Fair Trade”, “Organic”. Using this code, you could limit the display to the 5 most popular tags (sorted by count), making it easy for customers to quickly find the beans they prefer.

    Tips for Effective Tag Usage

    • Be Consistent: Use tags consistently across all your products.
    • Be Specific: Use specific tags that accurately describe your products.
    • Don’t Overdo It: Avoid using too many tags per product. Focus on the most relevant characteristics.
    • Review Regularly: Periodically review your tags and remove any that are no longer relevant.
    • Consider Tag Hierarchy (Advanced): While WooCommerce doesn’t natively support hierarchical tags, you can achieve a similar effect with creative naming conventions (e.g., “Size – Small”, “Size – Medium”, “Size – Large”).

  By implementing these tips and following the steps outlined above, you can effectively use product tags to improve your WooCommerce store’s navigation and boost your sales! Remember to choose the method that best suits your comfort level. Good luck!