How to Disable Related Products in WooCommerce: A Beginner’s Guide
Tired of WooCommerce suggesting products your customers might *not* actually want? Those “related products” can sometimes feel more like a distraction than a helpful feature. If you’re finding they’re hindering your sales rather Learn more about How To Change Add To Cart Button Name In Woocommerce than boosting them, it’s time to learn how to disable them. This guide will walk you through the process, explaining why you might want to do this and offering easy-to-follow steps.
Why Disable Related Products?
Before we dive into the *how*, let’s talk about the *why*. There are several good reasons why you might want to remove related product suggestions on your WooCommerce store:
- Improved Customer Focus: Explore this article on How To Css Woocommerce Pages Related products can lead customers down a rabbit hole, distracting them from the product they initially intended to buy. Imagine someone browsing for a specific type of running shoe – related products showing hiking boots might confuse and frustrate them.
- Reduced Clutter: Too many product suggestions can make your product pages look cluttered and overwhelming, negatively impacting the user experience. A clean and focused page often leads to higher conversion rates.
- Strategic Product Presentation: You might have specific product bundles or upsells you want to highlight instead of letting WooCommerce automatically suggest related items. This allows you to control the customer journey more effectively.
- Poorly Related Products: WooCommerce’s algorithm isn’t always perfect. Sometimes, it suggests products that are logically unrelated, creating a confusing experience for your customers.
- Step 1: Install and activate the chosen plugin. You can typically find these in your WordPress dashboard under “Plugins” -> “Add New”.
- Step 2: Look for settings related to “related products” or “upsells/cross-sells”. The exact location will vary depending on the plugin.
- Step 3: Disable the related products feature within the plugin settings. This usually involves simply unchecking a box or toggling a switch.
- Caution: Incorrectly editing your theme files Learn more about How To Add Google Pay Button To Product Page Woocommerce can break your website. Always back up your website before making any changes.
- The Code: You’ll need to add this code (or a similar variation depending on your theme):
Method 1: Using a Plugin (The Easiest Way)
The simplest way to disable related products in WooCommerce is using a plugin. Many free and premium plugins offer this functionality with a few clicks. One popular example is the WooCommerce Product Add-ons plugin (though many other similar plugins exist).
This method requires minimal technical knowledge and is the recommended approach for most beginners.
Method 2: Disabling via Theme Functions (For the Tech-Savvy)
This method requires some coding knowledge and is generally not recommended for beginners. If you’re comfortable editing your theme’s files, you can use a function to remove the related products section. This involves adding a snippet of code to your theme’s `functions.php` file or a custom plugin.
remove_action( 'woocommerce_after_single_product_summary', 'woocommerce_output_related_products', 20 );
- Explanation: This code snippet removes the `woocommerce_output_related_products` action hook, effectively disabling the display of related products.
Method 3: Customizing Product Pages Directly (Advanced)
This method involves directly editing the product page Learn more about Woocommerce How To Change No Products Were Found templates of your theme. It’s only recommended for advanced users who are comfortable with template files and understand the risks. You would need to locate the code responsible for displaying related products within your theme files and remove or comment out that section. This method is extremely theme-dependent and can be significantly more complex than the other methods.
Choosing the Right Method
For most users, using a plugin (Method 1) is the easiest and safest way to disable related products in WooCommerce. If you’re comfortable with coding, you can explore the other methods, but always prioritize backing up your website and testing changes thoroughly. Remember, a clean, focused shopping experience is key to converting browsers into buyers!
