How To Add Cart Count In Woocommerce

How to Add a Cart Count in WooCommerce: A Beginner’s Guide

Ever noticed how online stores like Amazon or Etsy always show a little number next to their cart icon, telling you how many items you have waiting? That’s the cart count, and it’s a powerful little feature! Adding a cart count to your WooCommerce store is a simple way to improve user experience, encourage purchases, and boost your conversions.

This guide will walk you through easy ways to add a cart count to your WooCommerce website, even if you’re not a coding whiz. We’ll cover different methods, from simple plugins to a bit of code customization. Let’s get started!

Why is a Cart Count Important?

Think of your online store like a physical store. Imagine a customer walking around with a basket full of items. Wouldn’t you want them to easily see how full their basket is? The cart count serves the same purpose online.

Here’s why it’s so useful:

• Visual Reminder: The cart count acts as a constant reminder to customers that they have items in their cart. This is especially important if they get distracted while browsing. Imagine a user adds an item, gets an important phone call, and forgets about their shopping! A visible cart count can bring them right back.
• Encourages Completion: Seeing items in the cart creates a sense of ownership. Customers are more likely to complete the purchase if they’re reminded of what they’ve already chosen. It’s a small nudge that can make a big difference.
• Improved Navigation: The cart count makes it easy for customers to access their cart from any page on your website. No more searching for the cart icon! It’s all about convenience.
• Reduced Abandoned Carts: By keeping the cart visible and easily accessible, you reduce the chances of customers abandoning their carts due to frustration or forgetting about their purchases.

Method 1: Using a WooCommerce Cart Count Plugin (Easiest)

This is the recommended method for beginners as it requires no coding. Several plugins can easily add a cart count to your WooCommerce store.

• Why Plugins are Great: Plugins handle all the technical stuff for you. You just install, activate, and configure!

Here’s how to do it:

1. Install and Activate a Plugin: Go to your WordPress dashboard, navigate to Plugins > Add New, and search for “WooCommerce Cart Count.” Popular options include:

• “WooCommerce Menu Cart”
• “YITH WooCommerce Menu Cart”
• “Cart Count on Menu”

Choose one with good reviews and a recent update. Click Install Now and then Activate.

2. Configure the Plugin: After activation, look for the plugin settings in your WordPress dashboard. This might be under the “WooCommerce” menu, or under its own dedicated menu item.

3. Customize the Display: Most plugins offer customization options, such as:

• Where the cart icon appears (e.g., in the menu, header, or footer).
• The icon itself.
• The color and style of the cart count.
• Whether to show the total cart price alongside the count.

Experiment with the settings until you find a look that matches your website’s design.

Example: Let’s say you installed “WooCommerce Menu Cart.” You’d go to Appearance > Menus and find the “WooCommerce Menu Cart” item. You can then drag it to your desired menu location (usually the main menu). The plugin settings will allow you to customize the icon, the text displayed (like “Cart (%d)”), and more.

Method 2: Adding Cart Count with Code (Intermediate)

If you’re comfortable with a bit of coding, you can add the cart count directly to your theme’s `functions.php` file. Important: Always back up your website before editing the `functions.php` file! Consider using a child theme to avoid losing changes during theme updates.

• Why Code Customization?: It gives you more control over the look and placement of the cart count.

Here’s the code snippet you can use:

<?php
/**
Add a cart count to the menu.
*/
add_filter( 'wp_nav_menu_items', 'woo_cart_count_menu', 10, 2 );
function woo_cart_count_menu( $items, $args ) {
// Only add to primary menu on front-end.
if ( is_admin() || ! is_front_page() || $args->theme_location != 'primary' ) {
return $items;
}

$cart_count = WC()->cart->get_cart_contents_count();

$cart_url = wc_get_cart_url();

if ( $cart_count > 0 ) {

$items .= ‘

• ‘;

  $items .= ‘‘ . esc_html( $cart_count ) . ‘‘;

  $items .= ‘

‘;

}

return $items;

}

?>

Explanation:

• `add_filter( ‘wp_nav_menu_items’, ‘woo_cart_count_menu’, 10, 2 );`: This line adds a filter to the navigation menu items, calling the `woo_cart_count_menu` function.
• `if ( is_admin() || ! is_front_page() || $args->theme_location != ‘primary’ ) { return $items; }`: This checks if we’re on the admin panel, not on the front page, or if the menu location isn’t “primary.” If any of these are true, it returns the original menu items without modification. Important: Change ‘primary’ to the actual theme location of your primary menu if it’s different.
• `$cart_count = WC()->cart->get_cart_contents_count();`: This gets the number of items in the cart.
• `$cart_url = wc_get_cart_url();`: This gets the URL of the cart page.
• `if ( $cart_count > 0 ) { … }`: This checks if there are any items in the cart. If so, it adds a new list item (`
• `) to the menu, containing a link to the cart and the cart count.
• `‘ . esc_html( $cart_count ) . ‘`: This is where the actual cart count is displayed. The `cart-count` class allows you to style it with CSS.

How to Use:

1. Access Your `functions.php` File: You can access this file through your WordPress dashboard by going to Appearance > Theme Editor and selecting `functions.php` from the list of files. Again, back up your website first!

2. Paste the Code: Paste the code snippet at the end of your `functions.php` file.

3. Save Changes: Click the “Update File” button.

4. Add CSS (Optional): You can add custom CSS to style the cart count. Add this CSS to your theme’s `style.css` file (or through the WordPress Customizer under Appearance > Customize > Additional CSS):

.cart-contents {

position: relative;

display: inline-block;

}

.cart-count {

position: absolute;

top: -8px;

right: -8px;

background-color: red;

color: white;

border-radius: 50%;

padding: 2px 5px;

font-size: 12px;

}

This CSS adds a small red circle with the cart count on top of the cart icon. Feel free to adjust the colors, sizes, and positioning to match your website’s design.

Important Considerations:

• Child Theme: Always use a child theme when making changes to your theme’s files. This prevents your changes from being overwritten when the theme is updated.
• Theme Location: Make sure to adjust the `$args->theme_location` in the code to match the actual theme location of your primary menu. Consult your theme documentation if you’re unsure.
• CSS Styling: Experiment with CSS to customize the look of the cart count to seamlessly blend with your website’s design.

Conclusion

Adding a cart count to your WooCommerce store is a simple yet effective way to improve the user experience and boost sales. Whether you choose the simplicity of a plugin or the customization of code, the benefits are clear. By making it easy for customers to see and access their cart, you’re encouraging them to complete their purchases and come back for more! So go ahead, add that cart count, and watch your conversions soar!