How to Add a Sub Menu in WooCommerce: A Beginner’s Guide
Want to make your WooCommerce store navigation cleaner and easier to use? Adding a sub menu (also known as a dropdown menu) can significantly improve your customer’s experience and help them find what they’re looking for faster. Think of it like this: instead of having a long, overwhelming list of categories in your main menu, you can group related categories under a more general heading.
This guide is designed for beginners, so we’ll walk you through the process step-by-step. No coding expertise required!
Why Use a Sub Menu in WooCommerce?
Before we dive in, let’s understand why sub menus are beneficial:
- Improved User Experience (UX): A well-organized menu makes it easier for customers to navigate your store and find the products they’re looking for. Think of a large department store; they use signage and department organization to guide you. A sub menu does the same for your online store.
- Reduced Clutter: Sub menus help declutter your main navigation, making it less overwhelming and more visually appealing. Imagine a kitchen Learn more about How To Setup Product Catalog For Facbeook For Woocommerce with everything on the counter versus a kitchen with organized cabinets.
- Better SEO: While not a direct ranking factor, a clear site structure can help search engines understand your website’s content and improve crawling, leading to potentially better visibility.
- Increased Conversions: When customers can easily find what they need, they’re more likely to make a purchase. A frustrating navigation can lead to abandoned carts.
- Home
- Clothing
- Accessories
- Sale
- Contact
- T-Shirts
- Hoodies
- Jeans
- Dresses
- Hats
- Scarves
- Bags
- Categories Not Showing Up: Make sure you have created product categories in Products > Categories.
- Menu Not Displaying: Double-check that you have assigned the menu to a location in Appearance > Customize > Menus > Menu Locations. Also, ensure your theme supports menus in the chosen location.
- Sub Menu Not Dropping Down: Some themes require specific configurations to enable dropdown menus. Consult your theme’s documentation or contact their support for assistance.
- Custom styling options
- Icon support
- Dynamic content integration
Adding a Sub Menu in WooCommerce: The Simple Way (Using WordPress Menu Editor)
This method leverages the built-in Read more about How To Make Woocommerce Product Tabs Background Color WordPress menu editor, making it the easiest option for most users.
Step 1: Access the WordPress Menu Editor
1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
2. Go to Appearance > Menus.
Step 2: Create or Select a Menu
1. If you don’t have a menu yet, create one by entering a name (e.g., “Main Menu”) in the “Menu Name” field and clicking Create Menu.
2. If you already have a menu, select it from the dropdown menu at the top and click Select.
Step Learn more about How To Insert A Woocommerce Snippet 3: Add Categories and Pages to the Menu
1. On the left side of the screen, you’ll see sections like “Pages,” “Posts,” “Custom Links,” and, importantly, “Product categories”.
2. Expand the “Product categories” section.
3. Select the categories you want to include in your menu.
4. Click “Add to Menu”.
Step 4: Create the Sub Menu Structure
This is the key step!
1. In the menu structure (on the right side of the screen), drag and drop the categories you want to be sub menu items *under* the category you want to be the main menu item.
2. Slightly indent the sub menu items by dragging them a little to the right. This visually indicates that they are children of the main menu item. For example, if you want “T-Shirts” and “Hoodies” to be under the “Clothing” category, drag them both under “Clothing” and indent them.
3. Repeat this process for all the sub menu items you want to create.
Step 5: Save Your Menu
1. Once you’re happy with the menu structure, click “Save Menu”.
2. Go to Appearance > Customize > Menus, and then Menu Locations.
3. Choose where your menu will be displayed (e.g., “Primary Menu”).
Example:
Let’s say you sell clothing and accessories. Your main menu might look like this:
Under “Clothing,” you might have sub menu items like:
Under “Accessories,” you might have:
Troubleshooting
Advanced Options (For More Control)
While the above method is sufficient for most users, you can also use plugins for more advanced control over your menus. Plugins like Check out this post: How To Get Category In Woocommerce Max Mega Menu and UberMenu offer features like:
These plugins are great if you want to create highly customized and visually appealing menus.
Conclusion
Adding a sub menu to your WooCommerce store is a simple yet powerful way to improve the user experience and make your store more navigable. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can create a well-organized menu that helps customers find what they’re looking for quickly and easily, ultimately leading to increased sales. Remember to test your menu on different devices to ensure it looks and functions correctly. Good luck!
