# How to Change Product Category in WooCommerce: A Beginner’s Guide
So, you’ve built your amazing WooCommerce store, filled it with fantastic products, but now you need to reorganize your product categories. Maybe you’ve launched a new product line, or perhaps you want to improve your website’s navigation. Whatever the reason, changing product categories in WooCommerce is easier than you think! This guide will walk you through the process, step-by-step.
Understanding WooCommerce Product Categories
Before diving into the how-to, let’s clarify what product categories are and why they matter. Think of categories like the sections in a department store. They group similar products together, making it easier for customers to browse and find what they’re looking for. A well-structured category system improves:
- User experience: Check out this post: How Do You Add Pixels To Woocommerce Customers find products quickly and easily.
- SEO: Search engines understand your product organization, improving your ranking.
- Sales: Organized products lead to increased sales conversions.
For example, an online clothing store might have categories like “Men’s Clothing,” “Women’s Clothing,” “Accessories,” each containing further subcategories like “Shirts,” “Pants,” “Jewelry,” etc.
Method 1: Changing Product Category via the WooCommerce Dashboard (The Easiest Way)
This is the simplest method and requires no coding. Let’s say you have a product called “Blue Widget” currently in the “Gadgets” category, but it now fits better in the “Electronics” category. Here’s how you change it:
1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard: Access your website’s admin area.
2. Navigate to Products: Click on “Products” in the left-hand sidebar.
3. Select the product: Find the “Blue Widget” product and click on it to open its edit page.
4. Locate the “Product Category” field: Scroll down to the “Product Category” section. You’ll see a dropdown menu (or checkboxes, depending on your WooCommerce version) listing your existing categories.
5. Change the category: Remove “Gadgets” and select “Electronics.”
6. Update the product: Click the “Update” button at the bottom of the page. That’s it! Your product’s category is now changed.
Method 2: Changing Multiple Product Categories at Once (For Bulk Edits)
If you need to change categories for multiple products, manually editing each one is time-consuming. Fortunately, WooCommerce offers ways to handle bulk edits. This is often needed when you’re reorganizing large Check out this post: How To Add A Text Field To Woocommerce Variables parts of your store.
One effective method is using a plugin like “Bulk Edit Products for WooCommerce“. These plugins let you select multiple products and change their categories in one go, significantly speeding up the process. Instructions will vary depending on the plugin you choose, so carefully follow the plugin’s documentation.
Method Check out this post: How To Delete All Woocommerce Products 3: Programmatic Category Changes (For Advanced Users)
For those comfortable with PHP and coding, you can directly manipulate product categories using code. Caution: This method requires a deep understanding of WooCommerce’s database structure and PHP programming. Incorrect code can damage your site. Always back up your database before making any code changes.
Here’s a simplified example of how you might change a product’s category using a PHP function. This is just a snippet and should be incorporated into a larger function within a plugin or your theme’s `functions.php` file.
function change_product_category( $product_id, Explore this article on How To Set Up Woocommerce Admin App $new_category_id ) { $product = wc_get_product( $product_id ); $product->set_category_ids( array( $new_category_id ) ); $product->save(); }
// Example usage: Change product with ID 123 to category with ID 456
change_product_category( 123, 456 );
Remember: Replace `123` with your product ID and `456` with the ID of your new category. You can find these IDs in your WordPress database.
Conclusion
Changing product categories in WooCommerce is a straightforward process, regardless of your technical skills. Choose the method that best fits your needs and comfort level. Remember to always back up your website before making any significant changes. By correctly organizing your product categories, you’ll create a better shopping experience for your customers and improve your store’s overall performance.
