How To Create A Plugin For Woocommerce

How to Create a WooCommerce Plugin: A Beginner’s Guide

So, you’re ready to dive into the world of WooCommerce plugin development? That’s fantastic! Creating your own plugin allows you to extend WooCommerce’s functionality, customize your store to perfectly fit your needs, and even share your creation with the world. Don’t be intimidated; while it might seem complex, this guide will walk you through the basics in a beginner-friendly way.

Think of a WooCommerce plugin like an app for your phone. Your phone has basic functions, but apps add extra capabilities, like photo editing or social media. Similarly, WooCommerce provides core e-commerce features, and plugins add specialized functionality, like advanced shipping options, product recommendations, or integration with a specific payment gateway.

Let’s get started!

What You’ll Need

Before we jump into the code, you’ll need a few things:

A WordPress Installation with WooCommerce: You’ll need a working WordPress installation with WooCommerce installed and activated. Ideally, use a development environment (like a local install or a staging site) to avoid messing with your live store.
A Code Editor: Something like VS Code, Sublime Text, or Atom. These editors offer features like syntax highlighting and code completion, making your life much easier.
Basic PHP Knowledge: While you don’t need to be a PHP expert, a basic understanding of PHP syntax, variables, and functions is essential. Think of it as knowing the alphabet before you can write a sentence. There are tons of free resources online to get you started with PHP basics.
Patience and Willingness to Learn: Plugin development takes time and effort. Don’t be discouraged if you encounter errors or need to Google things along the way. It’s all part of the learning process!

Step 1: Setting Up Your Plugin Structure

The first step is to create the basic file structure for your plugin. This provides a foundation for your code.

1. Create a Plugin Directory: Inside your `wp-content/plugins/` directory, create a new folder for your plugin. Choose a descriptive and unique name. For example, if you’re creating a “Product Review Reminder” plugin, name the folder `product-review-reminder`. Using a unique name is crucial to avoid conflicts with other plugins.

2. Create the Main Plugin File: Inside your plugin directory, create a PHP file with the same name as your directory. For example, `product-review-reminder.php`. This is the main file that WordPress will use to identify and activate your plugin.

Here’s how your file structure should look:

wp-content/

└── plugins/

└── product-review-reminder/

└── product-review-reminder.php

Step 2: Adding Plugin Header Information

Now, open your main plugin file (`product-review-reminder.php`) in your code editor and add the plugin header information. This tells WordPress about your plugin.

 <?php /** Plugin Name: Product Review Reminder
 Plugin URI: https://example.com/product-review-reminder
 Description: Sends email reminders to customers who haven't reviewed their purchased products.
 Version: 1.0.0
 Author: Your Name
 Author URI: https://example.com
 License: GPLv2 or later
 Text Domain: product-review-reminder
 */

// Exit if accessed directly

if ( ! defined( ‘ABSPATH’ ) ) {

exit;

}

Let’s break down each line:

`Plugin Name:` The name of your plugin as it will appear in the WordPress admin. This is the most important line.
`Plugin URI:` A link to your plugin’s website or documentation.
`Description:` A brief description of what your plugin does. Write a clear and concise description, as this helps users understand your plugin’s purpose.
`Version:` The current version number of your plugin.
`Author:` Your name or the name of your company.
`Author URI:` A link to your website or company website.
`License:` The license under which your plugin is distributed. GPLv2 or later is a common choice for WordPress plugins.
`Text Domain:` Used for internationalization (making your plugin translatable into other languages).

The `if ( ! defined( ‘ABSPATH’ ) ) { exit; }` line is a security measure that prevents users from directly accessing your plugin’s files.

Step 3: Adding Some Functionality (A Simple Example)

Now, let’s add some actual functionality to our plugin. We’ll create a simple function that displays a message on the WooCommerce shop page.

 <?php /** Plugin Name: Product Review Reminder
 Plugin URI: https://example.com/product-review-reminder
 Description: Sends email reminders to customers who haven't reviewed their purchased products.
 Version: 1.0.0
 Author: Your Name
 Author URI: https://example.com
 License: GPLv2 or later
 Text Domain: product-review-reminder
 */

// Exit if accessed directly

if ( ! defined( ‘ABSPATH’ ) ) {

exit;

}

/**

Display a welcome message on the shop page.

function product_review_reminder_shop_message() {

echo ‘

Welcome to our store! Don’t forget to leave a review after your purchase.

‘;

}

add_action( ‘woocommerce_before_shop_loop’, ‘product_review_reminder_shop_message’ );

Let’s break this down:

`function product_review_reminder_shop_message() { … }`: This defines a PHP function called `product_review_reminder_shop_message`. Inside the function, we’re echoing some HTML that will display a message. Notice the use of WooCommerce CSS classes (`woocommerce` and `woocommerce-message`) to ensure the message looks consistent with the rest of the shop.
`add_action( ‘woocommerce_before_shop_loop’, ‘product_review_reminder_shop_message’ );`: This is the magic line that connects our function to WooCommerce. `add_action()` is a WordPress function that allows you to “hook” your own functions into specific points in WordPress’s execution. In this case, we’re hooking our `product_review_reminder_shop_message` function to the `woocommerce_before_shop_loop` action. This action is triggered *before* the product loop on the shop page. Understanding actions and filters is fundamental to WordPress and WooCommerce plugin development.

Step 4: Activating Your Plugin

Now it’s time to activate your plugin!

1. Log in to your WordPress admin panel.

2. Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins.

3. Find your “Product Review Reminder” plugin in the list.

4. Click “Activate”.

If everything went well, your plugin should be activated without any errors. Now, visit your WooCommerce shop page. You should see the welcome message displayed at the top.

Step 5: Expanding Your Plugin (Real-Life Example: A Simple Product Review Reminder)

Let’s take our example further and start building the “Product Review Reminder” functionality. This is a simplified version, but it demonstrates the core concepts.

1. Add a Function to Schedule a Review Reminder Email:

 /** Schedule a review reminder email after a purchase.
 * @param int $order_id The ID of the order.
 */ function product_review_reminder_schedule_email( $order_id ) { // Get the order object $order = wc_get_order( $order_id );

// Check if the order is complete

if ( $order && $order->has_status( ‘completed’ ) ) {

// Schedule the email to be sent after 7 days

$timestamp = strtotime( ‘+7 days’, time() );

wp_schedule_single_event( $timestamp, ‘product_review_reminder_send_email’, array( $order_id ) );

}

add_action( ‘woocommerce_order_status_completed’, ‘product_review_reminder_schedule_email’ );

This function, `product_review_reminder_schedule_email`, is triggered when an order status changes to “completed” (using the `woocommerce_order_status_completed` action).
It gets the order object using `wc_get_order()`.
It schedules a WordPress cron event (`wp_schedule_single_event`) to run after 7 days. This event will trigger the `product_review_reminder_send_email` function (which we’ll define next). We’re passing the `$order_id` to the scheduled event, so we know which order to send the reminder for. WordPress cron is a powerful tool for scheduling tasks, but it’s important to understand its limitations (it relies on website traffic to trigger events).

2. Add a Function to Send the Review Reminder Email:

 /** Send the product review reminder email.
 * @param int $order_id The ID of the order.
 */ function product_review_reminder_send_email( $order_id ) { // Get the order object $order = wc_get_order( $order_id );

if ( $order ) {

$billing_email = $order->get_billing_email();

$order_items = $order->get_items();

// Build the email subject and message

$subject = ‘Reminder: Please Review Your Recent Check out this post: How To Add A Placeholder Image In Woocommerce Purchase!’;

$message = ‘Dear ‘ . $order->get_billing_first_name() . “,nn”;

$message .= ‘We hope you enjoyed your recent purchase from our store!nn’;

$message .= ‘We would greatly appreciate it if you could take a few minutes to leave a review for the following products:nn’;

foreach ( $order_items as $item ) {

$product = wc_get_product( $item->get_product_id() );

if ( $product ) {

$product_name = $product->get_name();

$product_permalink = $product->get_permalink();

$message .= ‘

‘ . $product_name . ‘n’;

}

}

$message .= “nThank you for your support!nnSincerely,nThe ” . get_bloginfo( ‘name’ ) . ” Team”;

// Send the email

wp_mail( $billing_email, $subject, $message );

}

}

add_action( ‘product_review_reminder_send_email’, ‘product_review_reminder_send_email’ );
- This function, `product_review_reminder_send_email`, is triggered by the WordPress cron event we scheduled earlier. It receives the `$order_id` as a parameter.
- It retrieves the order object and extracts the billing email address and order items.
- It constructs an email subject and message, including a list of purchased products with links to their product pages.
- It uses the `wp_mail()` function to send the email. Remember that `wp_mail()` might not be reliable on all servers. Consider using a dedicated SMTP plugin for better email deliverability.
Check out this post: How To Make Notes On Woocommerce Check Out Page Required
- Place a test order on your WooCommerce store and mark it as “completed”.
- Wait 7 days (or use a plugin like “WP Crontrol” to manually trigger the scheduled event) and check your email inbox. You should receive the review reminder email.
Important Considerations:
- Error Handling: The above code is simplified for clarity. In a real-world plugin, you’d want to add robust error handling to catch potential issues (e.g., if `wc_get_order()` returns null, or if `wp_mail()` fails).
- Settings Page: Allow users to customize the email subject, message, and reminder delay through a settings page in the WordPress admin. Providing user-friendly settings is key to a successful plugin.
- Internationalization: Use the `__()` and `_e()` functions to make your plugin translatable into other languages.
- Security: Sanitize and validate all user input to prevent security vulnerabilities. Use WordPress’s built-in functions for security whenever possible.
- Performance: Optimize your code for performance to avoid slowing down your website. Avoid unnecessary database Check out this post: How To Create A Coupon On Woocommerce queries and use caching techniques where appropriate.

Conclusion

Creating a WooCommerce plugin might seem daunting at first, but by breaking it down into smaller steps and focusing on the fundamentals, you can build powerful and customized solutions for your store. Start with simple projects and gradually increase the complexity as you gain experience. Remember to consult the WordPress and WooCommerce documentation, experiment with different features, and learn from the community. Happy coding!