# How to Change WooCommerce Times: A Beginner’s Guide
Are you tired of your WooCommerce store displaying the wrong time? Maybe your orders are timestamped incorrectly, or your scheduled emails are arriving at odd hours. Don’t worry, you’re not alone! This guide will walk you through how to correctly set and manage time in your WooCommerce store, even if you’re a complete newbie.
Understanding the Time Zone Issue
Before we dive into solutions, let’s understand why time zones are important for your WooCommerce store. Imagine you’re selling products internationally. If your store’s time isn’t set correctly, it can lead to:
- Incorrect order timestamps: This makes tracking and managing orders incredibly difficult.
- Confusing scheduling: Automated emails, sales, and other scheduled Explore this article on How To Change Button Text In Woocommerce events won’t happen at the intended time.
- Customer dissatisfaction: Inconsistent timings can create a negative shopping experience.
For example, a customer in London placing an order at 10 AM GMT will have a different timestamp on your order record if your server is set to EST. This discrepancy can lead to all sorts of confusion, both for you and the customer.
How to Change WooCommerce Time: The Easy Way (No Coding Required)
The simplest way to manage WooCommerce time is through your WordPress settings. This doesn’t require any code and works for most situations.
Step 1: Accessing WordPress Settings
1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
2. Navigate to Settings > General.
Step 2: Setting the Time Zone
You’ll see a dropdown menu labelled Timezone. Select the correct time zone for your location. This is incredibly important! Don’t just guess – be precise. If you’re unsure, use a website like [https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/](https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/) to find your precise time zone.
Step 3: Saving Changes
After selecting your time zone, click the “Save Changes” button at the bottom of the page. That’s it! Your WooCommerce store should now display the correct time.
Troubleshooting: When Simple Settings Don’t Work
Sometimes, the simple WordPress settings approach Explore this article on How To Give Free Shipping On Some Woocommerce Products might not resolve the issue. This could be due to server-side configurations or conflicting plugins.
1. Check Your Server’s Time
Your server’s time might be incorrect. Contact your hosting provider to ensure your server time is accurately synchronized with a Network Time Protocol (NTP) server. They can usually help you with this.
2. Deactivate Conflicting Plugins
Some plugins might interfere with WordPress’s time settings. Try deactivating plugins one by one to see if any are causing the time conflict. If you find the culprit, search for updated versions or look for alternatives.
3. (Advanced) Using PHP Code (for Experts Only)
Warning: Only attempt Check out this post: How To Add An Ebook Downloadable File To Woocommerce this if you’re comfortable editing PHP files. Incorrectly editing your files can break your website. Always back up your files before making any changes.
If the previous methods fail, you can try adjusting the time zone directly in your `wp-config.php` file. Add the following line *before* `/* That’s all, stop editing! Happy blogging. */`:
date_default_timezone_set('America/New_York'); // Replace 'America/New_York' with your actual timezone
Replace `’America/New_York’` with your specific time zone string. You can find a list of valid time zone strings [here](https://www.php.net/manual/en/timezones.php). For example, for London, you’d use `’Europe/London’`.
Conclusion
Managing time zones in WooCommerce is crucial for accuracy and a positive customer experience. By following these steps, you can ensure your store displays the correct time, leading to smoother order processing and happy customers. Remember to start with the simplest methods before resorting to more advanced techniques. If you’re still facing issues, contact your hosting provider or a WooCommerce expert for assistance.
