# How to Add Shortcodes in WooCommerce: A Beginner’s Guide
WooCommerce is a powerful e-commerce plugin, but sometimes you need more than its built-in features. Shortcodes offer a simple way to add dynamic content to your WordPress website, including your WooCommerce store. This guide will walk you through adding shortcodes to WooCommerce, even if you’re a complete beginner.
What are WooCommerce Shortcodes?
Think of shortcodes as mini-programs within WordPress. They’re wrapped in square brackets `[shortcode]`, and they perform a specific function. For example, you might use a shortcode to display your latest products, a specific product category, or even a shopping cart. This avoids complex coding and makes customizing your store a breeze.
WooCommerce provides several built-in shortcodes, and you can even create your own custom ones.
Common WooCommerce Shortcodes and Their Uses
Before diving into adding them, let’s explore some frequently used WooCommerce shortcodes:
- `` : Displays the shopping cart. Useful for a prominent “View Cart” button link.
- `` : Redirects to the checkout page. Essential for a clear path to purchase.
- `` : Links to the customer’s account page. Provides easy access to order history, details, etc.
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- `` : Displays products based on various attributes. This is incredibly versatile. You’ll need to customize this one with attributes. Examples are shown below.
- `` : Displays products from the “T-shirts” category. Great for showcasing specific product lines.
- `` : Shows your featured products. Highlights your bestsellers or new arrivals.
- `per_page`: The number of products to display.
- `columns`: The number of columns to display the products in.
- `orderby`: How to sort the products (e.g., `date`, `popularity`, `price`).
- `order`: The order of sorting (e.g., `asc` for ascending, `desc` for descending).
- `category`: Specifies a product category to show. For example, `category=”electronics”`.
- `ids`: Show specific products by ID separated by commas, e.g. `ids=”123,456,789″`.
- Correct syntax: Make sure you’ve typed the shortcode correctly, including the square brackets.
- Plugin activation: Ensure WooCommerce is activated.
- Conflict with other plugins: Try temporarily deactivating other plugins to see if there’s a conflict.
- Theme compatibility: Some themes might interfere with shortcodes. Try switching to a default theme temporarily.
Adding Shortcodes to Your WooCommerce Pages and Posts
Adding shortcodes is surprisingly easy. Just follow these steps:
1. Access your page or post: Log into your WordPress dashboard and navigate to the page or post where you want to add the shortcode.
2. Enter the shortcode: In the visual or text editor, simply type the shortcode you want to use. For example, to display your shopping cart, you would type `
`.3. Save your changes: Click “Update” or “Publish” to save the changes and view the shortcode in action.
Example: Let’s say you want to display your latest 3 products on your homepage. You could use the `
` shortcode with attributes like this:This displays 3 products in 3 columns.
Customizing the `` Shortcode
The `
` shortcode is extremely flexible. You can customize it with many attributes:Example using multiple attributes:
This displays the 6 most popular women’s clothing products in 3 columns.
Troubleshooting Shortcodes
If a shortcode isn’t working, check these things:
Conclusion
Adding shortcodes is a fantastic way to boost your WooCommerce store’s functionality without extensive coding. Remember to consult the WooCommerce documentation for a complete list of available shortcodes and their attributes. Experiment and find the combinations that best suit your store’s design and needs!
