How to Make WooCommerce Thumbnails Clickable: A Beginner’s Guide
Okay, so you’ve got your WooCommerce store up and running, showcasing your amazing products. Fantastic! But you’ve noticed something: the product thumbnails on your shop page *aren’t clickable*, and you need to make WooCommerce thumbnails clickable. People have to go to the product page to add something to their cart, which adds an extra step. Let’s fix that! This guide will walk you through how to make those thumbnails directly link to the product page, streamlining the shopping experience.
Think of it this way: imagine you’re in a physical store. If you see something you like on a shelf (the thumbnail), you want to be able to grab it (click on it) and take a closer look, right? That’s what we’re aiming for with clickable WooCommerce thumbnails. It’s about making the buying process as intuitive as possible.
Why Aren’t My WooCommerce Thumbnails Clickable by Default?
Out of the box, WooCommerce sometimes doesn’t make thumbnails directly clickable. Instead, they might just show the image or the product title without providing a direct link to the product page. This can happen due to your theme’s configuration, or perhaps a plugin you’re using that modifies the shop page layout.
Making Your WooCommerce Thumbnails Clickable: The Simple Solution
The easiest and most common way to ensure your thumbnails are clickable is to ensure your theme is displaying them correctly. Most modern WooCommerce-compatible themes should handle this automatically. However, if that’s not the case, we can step in.
Checking Theme Compatibility:
First, make sure your theme is designed to work well with WooCommerce. Look for themes specifically advertised as WooCommerce-compatible. A poorly coded theme can often cause these kinds of display issues.
If that’s not the problem, we delve a little deeper:
We need to ensure the WooCommerce loop, responsible for displaying products on your shop page, includes the link to the product page. This usually involves editing your theme’s template files. Don’t worry, we’ll provide clear steps!
Option 1: Using the WooCommerce Theme Customizer (If Available)
Some themes offer a built-in option within the WooCommerce customizer to control thumbnail linking.
1. Go to Appearance > Customize.
2. Look for a section related to WooCommerce or Product Catalog.
3. Check for a setting that controls how product images are linked. It might be labeled something like “Thumbnail Click Action” or “Link Thumbnails To.”
4. If you find such a setting, select “Product Page” or the equivalent.
5. Save your changes.
Option 2: Editing Your Theme’s Template Files (The Code Way)
Important Note: Always back up your theme before making any code changes. This is crucial! If something goes wrong, you can restore your backup. Using a child theme is also highly recommended. This protects your changes when the parent theme is updated.
1. Find the Correct Template File:
The template file you need to edit depends on your theme’s structure, but common suspects are:
- `woocommerce/templates/content-product.php`
- `woocommerce/archive-product.php`
- Your theme’s custom WooCommerce templates (if any).
You can usually locate these files by going to your theme’s directory and navigating to the `woocommerce` folder. If you don’t have a `woocommerce` folder in your theme directory, you might need to create one and copy the relevant template files from the WooCommerce plugin directory (`wp-content/plugins/woocommerce/templates/`) into your theme. This is called overriding templates, and it’s best practice to keep your theme customizations separate.
2. Edit the Template File:
Open the template file in a text editor (like Notepad++, VS Code, or Sublime Text). Look for the section of code that displays the product image. It will likely contain an `` tag.
Around the `` tag, you need to add an `` tag (an anchor tag) that links to the product page.
Here’s an example of what you might add:
<a href=""> <?php /**
/
* Hook: woocommerce_template_loop_product_link_close.
*
* @hooked woocommerce_template_loop_product_thumbnail – 10
*/
do_action( ‘woocommerce_shop_loop_item_title’ );
/
* Hook: woocommerce_after_shop_loop_item_title.
*
* @hooked woocommerce_template_loop_rating – 5
* @hooked woocommerce_template_loop_price – 10
*/
do_action( ‘woocommerce_after_shop_loop_item_title’ );
/
* Hook: woocommerce_after_shop_loop_item.
*
* @hooked woocommerce_template_loop_product_link_close – 5
* @hooked woocommerce_template_loop_add_to_cart – 10
*/
do_action( ‘woocommerce_after_shop_loop_item’ );
?>
Explanation:
- “ gets the URL of the current product page.
- The `` tag makes the entire content within it clickable.
Example scenario: Let’s say your original code was simply:
<img src="” alt=””>
You would wrap it like this:
<a href=""> <img src="" alt="">
3. Save the File and Upload it (if needed):
Save the modified template file. If you edited the file directly on your server, the changes should take effect immediately. If you edited it locally, upload the modified file to your theme’s `woocommerce` directory via FTP or your hosting control panel’s file manager.
4. Clear Your Cache:
Sometimes, caching can prevent changes from showing up. Clear your WordPress cache and your browser cache to ensure you’re seeing the latest version of your site.
Option 3: Using a Plugin (The Easier, Less Risky Way)
If you’re uncomfortable editing code, or prefer a simpler solution, several plugins can help you make WooCommerce thumbnails clickable. Here are a couple of examples (search the WordPress plugin repository for these or similar options):
* WooCommerce Quick View: Many “Quick View” plugins include a feature to link thumbnails to the product page.
* Custom CSS and JS: Use a code snippet plugin and some minimal jQuery to accomplish this. It’s not recommended for beginners since it involves some coding.
Example: Using a “Quick View” Plugin
1. Install and activate a WooCommerce Quick View plugin (search in Plugins > Add New).
2. Configure the plugin according to its documentation. Many will have settings to control whether the thumbnail links to the product page or opens the quick view window. Ensure it’s set to link to the product page.
3. Test your shop page to confirm the thumbnails are now clickable.
Testing Your Changes
After implementing any of these solutions, thoroughly test your shop page. Make sure that:
- All product thumbnails now link directly to their respective product pages.
- The links are working correctly.
- The overall design and layout of your shop page haven’t been negatively affected.
Conclusion
Making your WooCommerce thumbnails clickable is a small change that can have a big impact on your customer’s shopping experience. By following these steps, you can create a more intuitive and user-friendly online store, leading to increased sales and happier customers. Remember to always back up your site before making any code changes, and consider using a child theme to protect your customizations. Good luck!
