How to Change the Order of Products in Your WooCommerce Shop
So you’ve built a beautiful WooCommerce store, filled with amazing products. But they’re not displaying in the order you want! Don’t worry, changing the product order in your WooCommerce shop is easier than you think. This guide will walk you through several methods, catering to different skill levels and preferences.
Why Change Product Order?
Before diving into the how-to, let’s understand *why* you might want to rearrange your products. Think of it like organizing a physical store. You wouldn’t randomly place items; you’d strategically position them to:
- Highlight bestsellers: Place your most popular items front and center to boost sales. Imagine a grocery store putting the milk at the back – not a great strategy!
- Showcase new arrivals: New products deserve attention. Positioning them prominently ensures customers don’t miss them.
- Create themed collections: Group related products together. For example, a clothing store might group “Summer Dresses” together, making browsing easier.
- Improve user experience: A well-organized shop improves navigation and encourages customers to browse longer.
- WooCommerce Product Order: This plugin often provides more granular control and advanced ordering options.
- Other similar plugins: Search the WordPress plugin directory for “WooCommerce product ordering” to find alternative options.
Method 1: The Easy Way – Using WooCommerce’s Built-in Ordering (Drag and Drop)
This is the simplest method, perfect for beginners. WooCommerce offers a drag-and-drop interface within your product listings.
1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
2. Navigate to Products > All Products.
3. You’ll see a list of your products. Notice the drag handles (usually three vertical lines or dots) next to each product.
4. Click and drag a product to reposition it. The order updates in real-time.
That’s it! No coding, no plugins – just simple drag-and-drop functionality. This method is ideal for making small, quick changes to your product order.
Method 2: Using Product Categories and Ordering (For More Control)
For more complex organization, using categories and then ordering *within* those categories is incredibly useful. Think of it like organizing your closet – you have sections for shirts, pants, etc., and then you arrange items within those sections.
1. Create or use existing product categories. This allows you to group related products.
2. Assign products to categories. Each product can belong to multiple categories if needed.
3. Go to Products > All Products and filter by a specific category.
4. Use the drag-and-drop method (as described in Method 1) to reorder products *within* that category.
This method gives you a hierarchical structure, making your shop much more organized and easier for customers to navigate.
Method 3: Advanced – Using a Plugin (For Extra Features)
While the built-in methods work well, plugins can offer additional features and control over product ordering. Popular options include:
Important Note: Always research a plugin before installing it. Read reviews and check its compatibility with your WooCommerce version.
Method 4: Advanced – Customizing the Query (For Developers)
This method involves directly manipulating the WooCommerce product query using PHP. It’s the most powerful but also the most complex, requiring coding knowledge. Only use this if you are comfortable with PHP and WordPress development.
Here’s a simplified example of how you might order products by a custom field called `order`:
add_filter( 'woocommerce_product_query', 'custom_product_order', 10, 2 );
function custom_product_order( $q, $wp_query ){
$q->set( 'meta_key', 'order' );
$q->set( 'orderby', 'meta_value_num' );
$q->set( 'order', 'ASC' ); // Change to 'DESC' for descending order
return $q;
}
Explanation: This code snippet uses a custom field `order` (you’d need to add this field to your products) to determine the order. `ASC` sorts ascending, and `DESC` sorts descending. This code requires careful implementation and should be tested thoroughly.
This comprehensive guide should help you effectively manage your product order in WooCommerce, regardless of your technical skill level. Remember to choose the method that best suits your needs and comfort level. Happy selling!
