How to Get Shipping Method in WooCommerce: A Beginner’s Guide
WooCommerce is a fantastic platform for selling online, but understanding its inner workings can be tricky, especially when dealing with shipping. Knowing how to get the shipping method selected by the customer is crucial for various reasons, from displaying custom messages to integrating with third-party shipping services. Don’t worry, we’ll break it down step-by-step, even if you’re a complete newbie!
Think of it this way: imagine you’re running a small bakery. A customer orders a cake online and chooses “Local Pickup” as their shipping method. You need to know this information so you don’t waste time preparing a delivery! That’s the power of knowing the selected shipping method.
Why Do You Need to Get the Shipping Method?
There are many situations where retrieving the shipping method is essential:
- Displaying Custom Messages: Let’s say you want to show a special thank you message for customers who choose “Free Shipping”. You need to know if they actually *chose* free shipping!
- Integrating with Third-Party Shipping APIs: If you’re using a service like EasyPost or ShipStation, you need to pass the selected shipping method (e.g., “USPS Priority Mail”) to their API to generate labels and track packages.
- Conditional Logic: Perhaps you want to offer a discount only to customers who choose a specific shipping method.
- Tracking and Reporting: Analyze which shipping methods are most popular with your customers to optimize your offerings.
- Custom Fee Calculation: You might want to add a custom fee depending on the selected shipping method (e.g., a handling fee for fragile items shipped via express).
- During the Checkout Process: This is when the customer selects their preferred shipping option.
- After the Order is Placed: Once the order is created, the selected shipping method is stored as part of the order data.
Where to Get the Shipping Method
The shipping method information is usually available in two main places:
Getting the Shipping Method in WooCommerce (Step-by-Step)
Here’s how you can retrieve the shipping method using PHP code within your WooCommerce theme or plugin. We’ll cover both during checkout and after the order is placed.
1. During the Checkout Process (Before Order Placement):
This is useful if you need to modify the checkout page based on the selected shipping method *before* the customer completes their purchase.
function get_selected_shipping_method_checkout() { if ( is_checkout() ) { if ( isset( WC()->session->chosen_shipping_methods ) && is_array( WC()->session->chosen_shipping_methods ) ) { $chosen_methods = WC()->session->chosen_shipping_methods; if ( ! empty( $chosen_methods ) ) { $selected_shipping_method = $chosen_methods[0]; // Get the first selected method return $selected_shipping_method; } } } return false; // No shipping method selected }
// Example usage: Display a message based on the selected method
add_action( ‘woocommerce_before_checkout_form’, ‘display_shipping_method_message’ );
function display_shipping_method_message() {
$shipping_method = get_selected_shipping_method_checkout();
if ( $shipping_method === ‘flat_rate:1’ ) { // Replace ‘flat_rate:1’ with your actual shipping method ID
echo ‘
‘;
} elseif ( Explore this article on How To Import Custom Text Fields Into Woocommerce $shipping_method === ‘local_pickup:2’ ) { // Replace ‘local_pickup:2’ with your actual shipping method ID
echo ‘
‘;
}
}
Explanation:
- `is_checkout()`: Checks if we’re on the checkout page.
- `WC()->session->chosen_shipping_methods`: This is where WooCommerce stores the shipping methods selected by the customer during the checkout process.
- `$chosen_methods[0]`: Retrieves the *first* selected shipping method (usually the only one).
- Important: The shipping method ID (e.g., `flat_rate:1`, `local_pickup:2`) is unique to your store. You’ll need to find the correct IDs in your WooCommerce settings (WooCommerce > Settings > Shipping). Look at your browser’s developer tools (Inspect Element) when you’re on the checkout page and selecting shipping methods. The ID will be in the HTML.
- The example uses `add_action(‘woocommerce_before_checkout_form’, …)` to hook into the checkout page and display a message *before* the form is displayed.
2. After the Order is Placed (For Order Processing):
This is essential when you need the shipping method information during order processing, for example, in an email notification or when generating shipping labels.
function get_shipping_method_from_order( $order_id ) { $order = wc_get_order( $order_id );
if ( $order ) {
$shipping_methods = $order->get_shipping_methods();
if ( ! empty( $shipping_methods ) ) {
foreach ( $shipping_methods as $shipping_method ) {
return $shipping_method->get_method_id(); // Or $shipping_method->get_method_title() for the name
}
}
}
return false; // No shipping method found
}
// Example Usage: Inside a function that processes the order.
add_action( ‘woocommerce_order_status_processing’, ‘my_custom_order_processing’ );
function my_custom_order_processing( $order_id ) {
$shipping_method_id = get_shipping_method_from_order( $order_id );
if ( $shipping_method_id === ‘flat_rate’ ) { // Check the METHOD ID (e.g., flat_rate, local_pickup)
// Do something specific for flat rate shipping
error_log( “Order ” . $order_id . ” used Flat Rate shipping.” ); // Log the event
} elseif ( $shipping_method_id === ‘local_pickup’ ) { // Check the METHOD ID (e.g., flat_rate, local_pickup)
// Do something specific for local pickup
error_log( “Order ” . $order_id . ” used Local Pickup.” ); // Log the event
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}
}
Explanation:
- `wc_get_order( $order_id )`: Loads the order object based on the order ID.
- `$order->get_shipping_methods()`: Gets an array of shipping methods used in the order. An order can technically have multiple shipping methods in some advanced scenarios, hence the loop (though rare).
- `$shipping_method->get_method_id()`: Returns the method ID (e.g., `flat_rate`, `local_pickup`). This is different from the ID with the instance number (e.g., `flat_rate:1`). The *method ID* is the general type of shipping.
- `$shipping_method->get_method_title()`: Returns the human-readable name of the shipping method (e.g., “Flat Rate”, “Local Pickup”).
- The example uses `add_action(‘woocommerce_order_status_processing’, …)` to hook into the order processing event. This is triggered when the order status changes to “processing”.
- We are using `error_log()` for debugging. This will write messages to your server’s error log. You can view this log through your hosting control panel. Do not use `echo` or `print` in the backend processing, use `error_log()` instead.
Important Considerations:
- Caching: Be mindful of caching. WooCommerce and your server might cache pages, which could lead to incorrect shipping method information being displayed. Use appropriate cache busting techniques if needed.
- Shipping Zones: WooCommerce uses shipping zones to determine which shipping methods are available to customers. Make sure your zones are configured correctly.
- Shipping Method IDs: As mentioned before, double-check your shipping method IDs. These are crucial for the code to work correctly. Use your browser’s developer tools to find the correct IDs.
- Testing: Thoroughly test your code after implementing any changes to ensure it’s working as expected. Place test orders with different shipping methods to verify the results.
- Plugin Conflicts: Be aware of potential conflicts with other WooCommerce plugins. If you’re experiencing issues, try disabling other plugins one by one to identify the source of the conflict.
Summary
Getting the shipping method in WooCommerce is a powerful technique that allows you to customize the user experience and integrate with other services. By following these steps and understanding the key concepts, you’ll be well on your way to mastering WooCommerce shipping! Remember to test thoroughly and use the correct shipping method IDs for your store. Good luck!
