Woocommerce How To Add Excerpts

WooCommerce: How to Add Excerpts to Your Products (The Easy Way!)

So, you’ve got a rocking WooCommerce store filled with awesome products, but your product listings look a little… bland? One simple way to spruce them up and boost conversions is to use product excerpts. Think of them as a mini-sales pitch, grabbing your customer’s attention and enticing them to click through for more details.

This guide will show you exactly how to add excerpts to your WooCommerce products, even if you’re a complete beginner. No coding wizardry required (mostly!).

What Exactly *Is* a WooCommerce Excerpt?

An excerpt is a short description or summary of your product. It appears in places like:

• Product category pages: Instead of just seeing a product name and price, customers get a quick glimpse of its features and benefits.
• Search results: A well-written excerpt can make your product stand out in the search results, increasing the likelihood of a click.
• Related products sections: Entice customers to explore other items with compelling excerpts.

Think of it like this: you’re browsing an online bookstore. You see a book titled “The Mystery of the Missing Socks.” Which would make you more likely to click?

Option A: Just the title and author.

Option B: “A hilarious and heartwarming mystery! Follow Detective Fluffington as he unravels the perplexing disappearance of socks from laundry baskets worldwide. Perfect for readers who love a good laugh and a puzzling mystery.”

Option B, right? That’s the power of a good excerpt!

Why Are Excerpts Important for WooCommerce?

Here’s why you should care about adding excerpts to your WooCommerce products:

• Improved Click-Through Rates: A compelling excerpt encourages customers to click on your product, leading to more views and potential sales.
• Enhanced User Experience: Excerpts provide valuable information upfront, helping customers quickly determine if a product is right for them.
• Better SEO: Search engines use your excerpt to understand what your product is about, potentially improving your ranking in relevant searches.
• Increased Conversions: A well-crafted excerpt can persuade customers to add your product to their cart and complete the purchase.

Method 1: The Simple (and Recommended!) Way – Using the Product Editor

This is the easiest and most common way to add excerpts. No plugins or code required!

1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard.

2. Go to Products -> All Products.

3. Find the product you want to edit and click “Edit.”

4. Scroll down until you see the “Product short description” meta box. (If you don’t see it, click “Screen Options” at the top right of the page and make sure “Excerpt” is checked.)


*(Replace image-placeholder-excerpt.png with a screenshot of the product editor with the short description/excerpt field highlighted.)*

5. Write your excerpt! Keep it concise and engaging. Aim for around 150-300 characters.

6. Click “Update” to save your changes.

Tips for writing effective excerpts:

• Highlight key features and benefits. What makes this product special?
• Use strong action verbs. “Discover,” “Experience,” “Enjoy” are great choices.
• Include keywords. Help search engines understand what your product is about.
• End with a call to action. Encourage visitors to “Learn More,” “Shop Now,” or “Discover the Benefits.”
• Don’t just copy and paste from your full product description! The excerpt should be a unique summary.

Example:

Let’s say you’re selling a handcrafted leather wallet:

Bad Excerpt: “This is a wallet.”

Good Excerpt: “Experience the luxury of handcrafted Italian leather with this slim and stylish wallet. Features multiple card slots and a durable design. Shop Now and elevate your everyday carry!”

Method 2: Adding Excerpts Programmatically (For Advanced Users)

This method is for developers or those comfortable with coding. Use with caution! Mistakes can break your site.

Sometimes you might need to display the excerpt in a specific way or in a location that isn’t the default. This requires modifying your theme’s template files.

1. Backup your theme files before making any changes! This is crucial!

2. Identify the template file you need to modify. This is usually a category archive or a single product page template (e.g., `archive-product.php` or `single-product.php`). You can use a child theme to avoid losing changes during theme updates.

3. Use the `the_excerpt()` function to display the excerpt.

<?php
if ( has_excerpt() ) {
the_excerpt();
} else {
echo '
No excerpt available for this product.
';
}
?>

Explanation:

• `has_excerpt()`: Checks if the product has an excerpt defined.
• `the_excerpt()`: Displays the excerpt.
• The `else` condition provides a fallback message if no excerpt is found. This prevents empty spaces on your page.

Example:

Let’s say you want to display the excerpt *before* the product title on your category pages. You’d edit your `archive-product.php` file (or your child theme’s copy of it) and insert the code snippet above in the appropriate location.

Method 3: Using Plugins (If You Absolutely Need To)

While the first method is generally sufficient, some plugins offer advanced features related to excerpts, such as:

• Custom excerpt lengths.
• Excerpt generation from the product description.
• Automatic excerpt updates based on changes to the description.

However, use plugins sparingly! Adding too many plugins can slow down your site. If the default method or basic code modification works for you, stick with those.

If you *do* choose to use a plugin, research it thoroughly. Look for:

• Good reviews and ratings.
• Regular updates.
• Compatibility with your version of WooCommerce and WordPress.

Example:

Search for “WooCommerce Excerpt” in the WordPress plugin repository. Read the plugin descriptions and reviews carefully before installing anything.

Conclusion

Adding excerpts to your WooCommerce products is a simple but powerful way to improve your store’s user experience, SEO, and conversion rates. Start by using the “Product short description” field in the product editor. Experiment with different excerpt styles to see what works best for your products and audience. Happy selling!