How To Add Product Categories Menu In Woocommerce

# How to Add a Product Categories Menu in WooCommerce: A Beginner’s Guide

WooCommerce is a powerful platform, but sometimes even simple tasks can feel overwhelming. Adding a clear, well-organized product categories menu is crucial for user experience and boosting sales. A poorly structured site makes it difficult for customers to find what they need, leading to frustration and lost revenue. This guide will show you how to effortlessly create a beautiful and functional product categories menu in your WooCommerce store.

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Why You Need a Product Categories Menu

Think of a real-world bookstore. Would you be happy if all the books were jumbled together? Of course Discover insights on How To Set Up The Register Page On Woocommerce WordPress not! You need clear sections like Fiction, Non-Fiction, Children’s Books, etc. Your WooCommerce store is the same. A well-organized menu allows customers to:

• Quickly find what they’re looking for: Improved navigation equals increased sales.

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• Browse related products: Encourages customers to explore and discover more items they might love.
• Enhance the overall user experience: A frustration-free shopping experience leads to higher conversion rates.

Method 1: Using WooCommerce’s Built-in Features (Easiest Method)

This is the simplest way to add a product categories menu and ideal for beginners. WooCommerce usually provides a default menu structure you can customize.

Step 1: Navigate to the Menus Section

In your WordPress admin dashboard, go to Appearance > Menus.

Step 2: Create a New Menu (or Edit an Existing One)

If you don’t have a menu yet, click “Create a new menu”. Give it a name like “Product Categories”. Otherwise, select an existing menu to modify.

Step 3: Add Product Categories

In the “Menu Structure” section, you’ll see a box labeled “Show options”. Click it. In the left-hand column, under “Categories”, find “Product categories“. Check the box next to it.

Step 4: Arrange and Save

Now you should see your product categories listed. Drag and drop them to organize them into sub-menus or arrange them in the order you want. Click “Save Menu” to apply your changes.

Step 5: Assign the Menu to a Location

WooCommerce often automatically places this menu in a suitable location (like the primary navigation), but it’s important to check. Scroll down the page in your Menus settings to the section labelled “Menu Settings”. Under “Menu Location”, choose where you want the menu to appear (e.g., “Primary Menu”).

Method 2: Using a Plugin (For More Advanced Customization)

While the built-in method is perfect for many, plugins offer more control and advanced features. Popular options include:

• Mega Menu plugins: These allow for creating visually appealing menus with multiple columns and images.
• Customizable navigation plugins: These provide detailed settings for controlling menu appearance.

If you choose this route, follow the plugin’s specific instructions. Most are quite user-friendly and involve similar steps to Method 1, often with a visual drag-and-drop interface for menu construction.

Method 3: Custom Code (For Developers)

For experienced users comfortable with PHP, you can create a custom menu using code. This gives you complete control, but it requires a deeper understanding of WordPress and WooCommerce’s template structure. Only use this method if you are comfortable editing your theme’s files.

Here’s a basic example of adding a product category list to a specific location in your theme. Always back up your theme files before making any code changes.

 true ) ); 

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

echo ‘

‘;

foreach ( $product_categories as $category ) {

echo ‘

• term_id, ‘product_cat’ ) . ‘”>’ . $category->name . ‘

‘;

}

echo ‘

‘;

}

?>

This code retrieves all product categories and creates an unordered list (`

`) of links. You would need to place this code snippet within your theme’s appropriate template file (like the `header.php` or a custom sidebar template).

Conclusion

Adding a product categories menu to your WooCommerce store is a simple yet highly effective way to improve user experience and boost sales. By following one of the methods outlined above, you can easily create a well-organized menu that helps customers find the products they’re looking for. Remember to always back up your website before making significant changes.