How to Print Shipping Address in WooCommerce: A Comprehensive Guide
Introduction:
WooCommerce is a powerful e-commerce platform, but sometimes you need more control over how your information is displayed. One common requirement is printing the shipping address directly from an order. This can be useful for creating packing slips, attaching labels to packages, or simply having a physical copy for record-keeping. While WooCommerce provides the shipping address details within the order interface, getting a neatly formatted printout can sometimes require a little extra effort. This article will guide you through various methods to print shipping addresses in WooCommerce, from simple solutions to more advanced customization options. We’ll cover using plugins, custom code snippets, and even leveraging WooCommerce’s existing template structure. Let’s dive in and explore the best approach for your needs!
Main Part: Methods for Printing Shipping Addresses
There are several ways to print shipping addresses in WooCommerce. The method you choose will depend on your technical skills and desired level of customization.
1. Using WooCommerce Plugins
The easiest and often most convenient method is to use a plugin. Numerous plugins offer enhanced order printing capabilities, including dedicated shipping address printing.
- Benefits:
- Ease of Use: Plugins are generally easy to install and configure.
- Feature-Rich: Many offer additional functionalities like printing order details, invoices, and packing slips.
- Time-Saving: They eliminate the need for custom coding.
- Popular Plugin Options:
- WooCommerce PDF Invoices & Packing Slips: A very popular plugin for generating and printing invoices, packing slips, and even automatically attaching them to order emails. It offers customization options for the address format.
- Printful Integration (If Applicable): If you use Printful for dropshipping, their integration often includes options for printing address labels.
- Search the WordPress plugin directory for “WooCommerce Order Print” or “WooCommerce Packing Slip” to find other suitable options.
- How to Use a Plugin (Example: WooCommerce PDF Invoices & Packing Slips):
- Basic Snippet to Display Shipping Address in Order Details:
1. Install and activate the plugin.
2. Navigate to the plugin settings (usually under WooCommerce -> PDF Invoices).
3. Configure the plugin to generate packing slips. Look for settings related to address formatting, including displaying the shipping address.
4. Go to the order details page in WooCommerce. You should see a button to “Download Packing Slip” or “Print Packing Slip.”
2. Custom Code Snippets
If you’re comfortable with PHP and want more control, you can use custom code snippets to print the shipping address. This method requires modifying your theme’s `functions.php` file or using a code snippets plugin. Always back up your website before making code changes.
This snippet adds a “Print Shipping Address” button to the order details page in the admin panel. Clicking the button will open a print-friendly window.
add_action( 'woocommerce_admin_order_actions_end', 'add_print_shipping_address_button' );
function add_print_shipping_address_button( $order ) {
$order_id = is_callable( array( $order, 'get_id' ) ) ? $order->get_id() : $order->id; // Handle WC versions
echo ‘‘ . __( ‘Print Shipping Address’, ‘woocommerce’ ) . ‘‘;
}
add_action( ‘wp_ajax_print_shipping_address’, ‘print_shipping_address_callback’ );
add_action( ‘wp_ajax_nopriv_print_shipping_address’, ‘print_shipping_address_callback’ ); // For non-logged in users (optional – generally not needed)
function print_shipping_address_callback() {
$order_id = isset( $_GET[‘order_id’] ) ? absint( $_GET[‘order_id’] ) : 0;
if ( $order_id ) {
$order = wc_get_order( $order_id );
if ( $order ) {
?>
body {
font-family: sans-serif;
}
window.onload = function() {
window.print();
}
Shipping Address
<?php
$shipping_address = $order->get_formatted_shipping_address();
echo ‘
‘ . wp_kses_post( $shipping_address ) . ‘
‘;
?>
<?php
}
}
wp_die(); // Required to terminate AJAX process
}
- Explanation:
- `add_action( ‘woocommerce_admin_order_actions_end’, ‘add_print_shipping_address_button’ );`: This adds a button to the “Order Actions” section of the order details page in the WooCommerce admin.
- `add_action( ‘wp_ajax_print_shipping_address’, ‘print_shipping_address_callback’ );`: This registers an AJAX action that will be called when the button is clicked. `wp_ajax_` means this action is for logged-in users (like administrators).
- `print_shipping_address_callback()`: This function fetches the order details using `$order = wc_get_order( $order_id );` and then retrieves the formatted shipping address using `$shipping_address = $order->get_formatted_shipping_address();`. It then outputs a simple HTML page containing the shipping address, designed to trigger the browser’s print function automatically.
- `wp_kses_post()`: This is a security function that sanitizes the output to prevent XSS vulnerabilities.
- `window.onload = function() { window.print(); }`: This JavaScript code automatically triggers the print dialog box when the page loads.
- Customizing the Snippet:
- Address Formatting: Modify the HTML within the `print_shipping_address_callback()` function to customize the address’s appearance.
- Adding Order Information: You can include other order details like the order number or customer name by accessing the order object (`$order`).
- CSS Styling: Add CSS within the `
` tags to control the look and feel of the printed address.
3. Overriding WooCommerce Templates
For the most control over the printed output, you can override WooCommerce templates. This allows you to directly modify the structure and content of the order details page. This method is more advanced and requires a good understanding of WooCommerce’s template hierarchy.
- Steps:
1. Locate the Relevant Template: The template you need to modify depends on where you want to print the shipping address. For example, if you want to modify the admin order details page, you might need to adjust `wp-content/plugins/woocommerce/templates/admin/meta-boxes/order/order-data.php` (but never edit this file directly!)
2. Create a Template Override: Copy the template file from the WooCommerce plugin directory to your theme’s directory, following the WooCommerce template structure. For instance, copy `wp-content/plugins/woocommerce/templates/admin/meta-boxes/order/order-data.php` to `wp-content/themes/your-theme/woocommerce/admin/meta-boxes/order/order-data.php`. If the folder structure doesn’t exist in your theme, create it.
3. Modify the Template: Edit the copied template file in your theme to include the shipping address printing functionality. You can use the same PHP code as shown in the code snippet example above, but embed it directly into the template. You will typically use `$order->get_formatted_shipping_address()` or the individual address fields (`$order->get_shipping_first_name()`, `$order->get_shipping_last_name()`, etc.) to display the address.
- Caution:
- Overriding templates can be more complex, and updates to WooCommerce might break your customizations if the original template is significantly changed. It’s important to keep your theme templates updated to be compatible with the latest WooCommerce version.
Conclusion:
Printing shipping addresses in WooCommerce can be accomplished through various methods, ranging from simple plugin installations to advanced template customizations. Using a plugin is generally the easiest and fastest option for most users, offering a balance of functionality and ease of use. Custom code snippets provide more control over the output, allowing you to tailor the printed address to your specific requirements. Finally, overriding WooCommerce templates offers the ultimate flexibility but demands a deeper understanding of the platform’s architecture. Choose the method that best suits your technical skill level and desired level of customization to streamline your order fulfillment process and improve your overall WooCommerce workflow. Remember to always test any code changes on a staging environment before deploying them to your live website.
