How to Add a New WooCommerce Checkout Page: A Beginner’s Guide
WooCommerce is a fantastic platform for selling online, but sometimes the default checkout page just doesn’t cut it. Maybe you want a more streamlined experience, a specific design that matches your brand, or need to add custom fields. This guide will walk you through how to add a new WooCommerce checkout page, step-by-step, even if you’re a complete beginner.
Think of it like this: the default checkout page is a standard, pre-built house. Adding a new checkout page is like renovating or building a custom house – tailored to your specific needs.
Important Note: Before making any major changes to your WooCommerce store, always back up your website. This ensures you can easily revert to a working version if something goes wrong.
Why Would You Need a New Checkout Page?
There are several reasons why you might want to create a new checkout page:
- Improved User Experience: A customized checkout can be more intuitive and user-friendly, leading to higher conversion rates. Imagine a checkout page with fewer steps and clearer instructions – customers are more likely to complete their purchase.
- Branding and Aesthetics: The default WooCommerce checkout might not align with your brand’s visual identity. A custom page allows you to integrate your logo, colors, and overall design, creating a cohesive brand experience.
- Custom Fields and Functionality: You might need to collect specific information from customers, such as delivery instructions, gift messages, or custom product specifications. A new checkout page allows you to add these custom fields. For example, a florist might need a field for delivery date and time.
- A/B Testing: Creating multiple checkout pages allows you to test different layouts and elements to see which performs best. This data-driven approach can significantly improve your checkout process.
- Cart: Customers add products to their cart.
- Checkout: Customers enter their billing and shipping information, choose a payment method, and review their order.
- Order Confirmation: Customers receive confirmation that their order has been placed.
- Checkout Field Editor (WooCommerce): Allows you to add, edit, and remove fields on the checkout page.
- WooCommerce Checkout Manager: Offers more advanced customization options, including conditional fields and layout control.
- Go to Plugins > Add New in your WordPress dashboard.
- Search for “Checkout Field Editor (WooCommerce)”.
- Click Install Now and then Activate.
- Navigate to WooCommerce > Checkout Form.
- You’ll see a list of default checkout fields (Billing Fields, Shipping Fields, Additional Fields).
- Here you can:
- Add New Fields: Click the “Add Field” button to create custom fields. You can choose the field type (text, select, checkbox, etc.), label, placeholder, and other settings. For example, you might add a “Delivery Instructions” text field.
- Edit Existing Fields: Click on a field to modify its label, placeholder, required status, and other options.
- Remove Fields: Click the “Remove” button to delete a field. Be cautious when removing default fields, as some are essential for processing orders.
- Reorder Fields: Drag and drop the fields to change their order on the checkout page.
- Go to your website’s checkout page and verify that your changes are displayed correctly.
- Place a test order to ensure that the new fields are working as expected and the data is being captured.
- Add a new “Text” field.
- Label it “Text for Mug”.
- Set the placeholder text to “Enter the text you want printed on the mug”.
- Make it a required field so customers don’t accidentally skip it.
- `woocommerce_before_checkout_form`: Adds content before the checkout form.
- `woocommerce_after_checkout_form`: Adds content after the checkout form.
- `woocommerce_checkout_billing`: Adds content to the billing section.
- `woocommerce_checkout_shipping`: Adds content to the shipping section.
Understanding the WooCommerce Checkout Process
Before diving in, let’s understand the basics. The WooCommerce checkout process involves several key steps:
We’ll be focusing on customizing the Checkout step.
Method 1: Using a Plugin (Recommended for Beginners)
The easiest way to add a new WooCommerce checkout page is by using a plugin. Several excellent plugins are available, offering varying levels of customization. Here’s how to use a popular option:
1. Choose a Plugin:
Several plugins can help, such as:
For this example, let’s assume you’re using Checkout Field Editor (WooCommerce).
2. Install and Activate the Plugin:
3. Customize the Checkout Fields:
4. Test Your Changes:
Example:
Let’s say you’re selling personalized mugs. You want to add a field where customers can enter the text they want printed on the mug. You would:
Method 2: Custom Code (Advanced)
If you’re comfortable with coding, you can customize the checkout page using custom code. This method offers the most flexibility but requires a good understanding of PHP, HTML, and WooCommerce hooks.
Important: Before editing any code, create a child theme. This prevents your changes from being overwritten when you update your theme.
1. Create a Child Theme:
If you don’t already have one, create a child theme for your current WordPress theme. This is crucial for preserving your customizations during theme updates.
2. Use WooCommerce Hooks:
WooCommerce provides hooks that allow you to modify the checkout page’s behavior and appearance. Here are some commonly used hooks:
3. Add Custom Code to your Child Theme’s `functions.php` file:
This is where you’ll add the code to modify the checkout page. Here’s an example of adding a custom field to the billing section:
add_action( 'woocommerce_billing_fields', 'add_custom_billing_field' );
function add_custom_billing_field( $fields ) {
$fields[‘billing_company_size’] = array(
‘label’ => __(‘Company Size’, ‘woocommerce’),
‘placeholder’ => _x(‘Enter your company size’, ‘placeholder’, ‘woocommerce’),
‘required’ => false,
‘class’ => array(‘form-row-wide’),
‘clear’ => true
);
return $fields;
}
add_action( ‘woocommerce_admin_order_data_after_billing_address’, ‘display_company_size_in_admin’, 10, 1 );
function display_company_size_in_admin($order){
echo ‘
‘.__(‘Company Size’).’: ‘ . get_post_meta( $order->get_id(), ‘_billing_company_size’, true ) . ‘
‘;
}
add_action( ‘woocommerce_checkout_update_order_meta’, ‘save_custom_billing_field’ );
function save_custom_billing_field( $order_id ) {
if ( ! empty( $_POST[‘billing_company_size’] ) ) {
update_post_meta( $order_id, ‘_billing_company_size’, sanitize_text_field( $_POST[‘billing_company_size’] ) );
}
}
Explanation:
- `add_action( ‘woocommerce_billing_fields’, ‘add_custom_billing_field’ )`: Tells WordPress to run the `add_custom_billing_field` function when the billing fields are being displayed.
- `$fields[‘billing_company_size’] = array(…)`: Defines the properties of the new field (label, placeholder, required status, etc.).
- `update_post_meta(…)`: Saves the value of the custom field to the order meta so you can access it later.
4. Display the Field on the Order Confirmation Page and in Emails:
You’ll need to add more code to display the custom field’s value on the order confirmation page and in emails. This typically involves using the `woocommerce_thankyou` and `woocommerce_email_order_meta` hooks.
Important Considerations When Using Custom Code:
- Security: Always sanitize user input to prevent security vulnerabilities. Use functions like `sanitize_text_field()` to clean data before saving it.
- Code Quality: Write clean, well-documented code to make it easier to maintain and update.
- Testing: Thoroughly test your code to ensure it works correctly and doesn’t break any existing functionality.
Conclusion
Adding a new WooCommerce checkout page allows you to create a more user-friendly, branded, and functional experience for your customers. Whether you choose a plugin or custom code, remember to back up your website and test your changes thoroughly. By carefully customizing your checkout page, you can improve conversion rates and create a more seamless shopping experience. Good luck!
