How to Print a List of Product Categories in WooCommerce: A Beginner’s Guide
So, you’re building a WooCommerce store and want to display a list of your product categories? Maybe you want to create a custom sidebar menu, a dedicated category page, or even just understand how WooCommerce handles categories under the hood. This article will walk you through several methods to achieve this, even if you’re new to PHP and WordPress development. We’ll cover everything from simple code snippets to using dedicated functions. Let’s dive in!
Why Display Product Categories?
Before we jump into the code, let’s consider *why* you might want to display product categories. Think about it this way: a well-organized product category display offers numerous benefits:
- Improved User Experience: Customers can easily navigate your store and find what they’re looking for. Imagine a shoe store – you wouldn’t want all the shoes piled in one big heap! Categories like “Running Shoes,” “Sandals,” and “Boots” help customers quickly narrow their search.
- Enhanced SEO: Proper category structure and internal linking can improve your website’s SEO. Search engines like Google can better understand your site’s content and hierarchy.
- Increased Conversions: A streamlined browsing experience leads to happier customers and, ultimately, more sales. If users struggle to find products, they’ll likely leave.
Method 1: Using `wp_list_categories()` (The Easiest Option)
The simplest way to display a list of product categories in WooCommerce is by using the built-in WordPress function `wp_list_categories()`. This function is incredibly versatile and can be customized with various arguments.
Here’s a basic example you can add to your `functions.php` file (be cautious when editing this file, as errors can break your site – consider using a code snippets plugin for safety):
function display_woocommerce_categories() { $args = array( 'taxonomy' => 'product_cat', // Important: Specify the WooCommerce product category taxonomy 'orderby' => 'name', // Order categories alphabetically 'show_count' => 1, // Display the number of products in each category 'pad_counts' => 1, // Include the count of products in subcategories in the parent category count 'title_li' => '', // Remove the default "Categories" title 'hierarchical' => 1, // Display categories in a hierarchical structure (parent/child) );
echo ‘
- ‘; // Add a class for styling
wp_list_categories( $args );
echo ‘
‘;
}
// Example usage: You can call this function in your template file
//
Explanation:
- `taxonomy` is set to `product_cat` to specify that we want WooCommerce product categories. This is the most important part. If you leave it out, you’ll get regular post categories.
- `orderby` controls the order in which categories are displayed. Other options include ‘id’, ‘slug’, and ‘count’.
- `show_count` displays the number of products within each category.
- `pad_counts` includes the product counts of subcategories within the parent category’s count.
- `title_li` removes the default “Categories” title that `wp_list_categories()` typically adds.
- `hierarchical` ensures that parent and child categories are displayed in a nested structure.
How to use it:
1. Add the code to your `functions.php` file (or a code snippets plugin).
2. In your template file (e.g., `sidebar.php`, `page.php`), call the `display_woocommerce_categories()` function where you want the list to appear:
Styling:
The code above wraps the output in a `
- ` with the class `product-categories`. You can then use CSS to style the list to match your website’s design:
.product-categories {
list-style: none;
padding: 0;
}
.product-categories li a {
text-decoration: none;
color: #333;
}
.product-categories li a:hover {
color: #007bff;
}
Method 2: Using `get_terms()` (More Control)
If you need more control over the output, you can use the `get_terms()` function to retrieve the product categories and then manually build the HTML. This method requires a bit more PHP knowledge but offers greater flexibility.
function display_woocommerce_categories_custom() { $args = array( 'taxonomy' => 'product_cat', 'orderby' => 'name', 'hide_empty' => false, // Show categories even if they have no products );
$product_categories = get_terms( $args );
if ( ! empty( $product_categories ) && ! is_wp_error( $product_categories ) ) {
echo ‘
- ‘;
- ‘ . $category->name . ‘
foreach ( $product_categories as $category ) {
echo ‘
‘;
}
echo ‘
‘;
}
}
// Example usage:
//
Explanation:
- `get_terms()` retrieves an array of term objects (in this case, product categories) based on the provided arguments.
- `hide_empty` Learn more about How To Make Store Notice Sitewide Woocommerce set to `false` ensures all categories are displayed, even if they don’t contain any products.
- We loop through the `$product_categories` array and manually build the HTML for each category link using `get_term_link()` to get the category URL and `$category->name` to get the category name.
Benefits of this method:
- Custom HTML: You can completely customize the HTML structure of the category list.
- Advanced Filtering: You can add more complex filtering logic to determine which categories to display. For example, you could only display categories with a specific parent.
- More control over display: Read more about How To Change Product Quantity Text Color In Woocommerce You have fine-grained control over how the categories are displayed.
Method 3: Using a WooCommerce Shortcode
WooCommerce provides some shortcodes that you can use to display different lists, which includes categories.
// In your theme, page, or plugin: echo do_shortcode('[product_categories]');
Key Advantages:
- Simplicity: Easiest method of the bunch.
- No Coding: No need to write custom PHP. Simply add the shortcode.
- Flexibility You can add parameters to the shortcode to further define the output
Shortcode Parameters:
Here is a list of common product category shortcode parameters:
- number: Specifies the number of product categories you want to display. By default, it displays all product categories.
- orderby: Defines how the product categories should be ordered. The values could be name, slug, term_group, term_id, id, description, or none. The default value is name.
- order: Specifies whether to order product categories in ascending or descending order. The values could be ASC or DESC.
- columns: Specifies the number of columns to use.
- hide_empty: Specifies whether to hide empty product categories.
For example:
`[product_categories columns=”4″ orderby=”name” order=”ASC” hide_empty=”true”]`
Important Considerations:
- Caching: If your category structure changes frequently, consider using a caching plugin to improve performance. Caching can sometimes prevent immediate updates from appearing on your site.
- Theme Compatibility: Ensure your code is compatible with your chosen WooCommerce theme. Some themes may have custom category display templates that override your code.
- Child Themes: Always make changes to your theme’s `functions.php` file in a child theme. This prevents your changes from being overwritten when you update the parent theme. Alternatively, use a code snippets plugin.
- Testing: Thoroughly test your code in a development environment before deploying it to a live site.
- WooCommerce Updates: Keep your WooCommerce plugin up to date to ensure compatibility and security. WooCommerce updates sometimes include changes that can affect custom code.
Conclusion
Displaying product categories effectively is crucial for creating a user-friendly and SEO-optimized WooCommerce store. By understanding the different methods available, from the simple `wp_list_categories()` to the more flexible `get_terms()`, you can choose the approach that best suits your needs and skill level. Remember to test thoroughly and always use a child theme to avoid losing your customizations during theme updates. Good luck!
