Woocommerce How To Display Categories

WooCommerce: How to Display Categories on Your Website (SEO-Friendly)

Introduction:

WooCommerce is a powerful and flexible e-commerce platform, but sometimes the default category display might not be exactly what you’re looking for. Whether you want to showcase specific categories, create a visually appealing navigation, or improve your website’s SEO, understanding how to display WooCommerce categories effectively is crucial. This article will guide you through various methods, from using built-in widgets to employing code snippets, to help you achieve the desired category presentation on your online store.

Main Part:

There are several ways to display WooCommerce categories on your website, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Let’s explore some of the most popular methods:

Using the WooCommerce Product Categories Widget

The easiest way to display categories is by using the built-in WooCommerce Product Categories Widget. This method requires no coding knowledge and is perfect for beginners.

• How to use it:

1. Go to Appearance > Widgets in your WordPress dashboard.

2. Find the “WooCommerce Product Categories” widget.

3. Drag and drop the widget into your desired sidebar or widget area.

4. Configure the widget settings:

• Title: The title that will appear above the category list.
• Display as dropdown: Choose whether to display the categories as a list or a dropdown menu.
• Show product counts: Display the number of products in each category.
• Show hierarchy: Show subcategories under their parent categories.
• Hide empty categories: Hide categories with no products.
• Order by: Order categories by name, slug, or term ID.
• Show Category Image: Display the category image if it has been set.

5. Click “Save”.

This method is quick and simple, ideal for basic category display in sidebars or footers.

Displaying Categories on a Specific Page using Shortcodes

WooCommerce provides shortcodes that allow you to display categories on any page or post. This gives you more control over placement and presentation.

• The `[product_categories]` shortcode: This is the primary shortcode for displaying categories.
• Example: `[product_categories number=”4″ columns=”4″ hide_empty=”1″]`
• Attributes:
• `number`: The number of categories to display.
• `columns`: The number of columns to display the categories in.
• `orderby`: Order categories by name, slug, or term ID.
• `order`: Order categories in ascending (ASC) or descending (DESC) order.
• `hide_empty`: Hide categories with no products (1 for yes, 0 for no).
• `parent`: Display only child categories of a specific parent category (using the parent category ID).
• `ids`: Display only specific categories (using a comma-separated list of category IDs).
• `category`: Display posts from a specific category (using the category slug).

This method offers more flexibility compared to the widget, allowing you to customize the number of categories and their layout on a page.

Customizing Category Display with Code (For Advanced Users)

For those comfortable with code, you can directly modify your theme’s template files to customize the category display to your exact requirements. This method requires knowledge of PHP and WordPress theming.

• Using `get_terms()` function: This is a powerful WordPress function to retrieve categories.

 'product_cat', 'hide_empty' => true, // Hide empty categories ); 

$product_categories = get_terms( $args );

if ( ! empty( $product_categories ) && ! is_wp_error( $product_categories ) ) {

echo ‘

‘;

foreach ( $product_categories as $category ) {

echo ‘

• ‘ . $category->name . ‘

‘;

}

echo ‘

‘;

}

?>

• Explanation:
• `$args`: An array of arguments to customize the query.
• `taxonomy`: Specifies the taxonomy to retrieve Check out this post: How To Add Woocommerce Shortcodes (in this case, `product_cat` for WooCommerce product categories).
• `hide_empty`: Hides categories with no products.
• `get_terms()`: Retrieves the categories based on the provided arguments.
• The code then loops through the categories and displays them as a list of links.

Important: Always use a child theme when modifying your theme’s files. This prevents your changes from being overwritten during theme updates. Also, back up your theme files before making any code changes.

This method provides the highest level of customization but requires technical expertise.

Optimize Category Pages for SEO

Regardless of the method you choose, remember to optimize your category pages for SEO.

• Category names and descriptions: Use relevant keywords in your category names and descriptions.
• Category images: Add visually appealing and optimized images to each category.
• Internal linking: Link to your category pages from other relevant pages on your website.
• URL structure: Ensure your category URLs are clean and SEO-friendly (e.g., `yourdomain.com/category/shoes`).

Conclusion:

Displaying WooCommerce categories effectively is essential for enhancing user experience and improving your website’s SEO. From the simple WooCommerce widget to custom code implementations, you have various options to choose from. Select the method that best suits your technical skills and desired level of customization. Remember to optimize your category pages for search engines to drive more traffic to your online store. By following these guidelines, you can create a visually Explore this article on How To Create Woocommerce Theme In WordPress appealing and user-friendly shopping experience for your customers.