How To Filter By Attribute Woocommerce

# How to Filter by Attribute in WooCommerce: A Beginner’s Guide

WooCommerce is a powerful e-commerce platform, but navigating its features can sometimes feel overwhelming. One particularly useful feature is attribute filtering, which allows customers to easily Check out this post: How To Print Shipping Labels In Woocommerce narrow down product selections based on specific characteristics. This article will guide you through the process, from setting up attributes to displaying filters on your storefront.

What are WooCommerce Attributes?

Think of attributes as the specific characteristics of your products. For example, if you sell t-shirts, your attributes might be:

• Color: Red, Blue, Green, Black
• Size: Small, Medium, Large, XL
• Material: Cotton, Polyester, Silk

These attributes allow your customers to filter and find exactly what they’re looking for. Imagine searching for a “red, large cotton t-shirt” – without attribute filtering, this would be much harder!

Setting Up Attributes in WooCommerce

Before you can filter by attributes, you need to set them up within your WooCommerce settings. Here’s how:

1. Navigate to Products → Attributes: This is where you manage all your product attributes.

2. Add a New Attribute: Click “Add new attribute” and provide a name (e.g., “Color”, “Size”).

3. Define Attribute Terms: This is where you list the specific values for each attribute. For example, under “Color”, you’d add “Red”, “Blue”, “Green”, etc. Each term is called a slug.

4. Save Your Attribute: Once you’ve defined the terms, save the attribute.

Now, let’s visualize this with an example:

Let’s say you sell shoes. You’d create attributes like “Color” with terms like “Black,” “Brown,” “White,” and an attribute “Size” with terms like “7,” “8,” “9,” etc. This allows customers to filter for black shoes, size 9 shoes, or black, size 9 shoes.

Assigning Attributes to Products

Now that your attributes are set up, you need to assign them to your individual products.

1. Edit a Product: Go to Products → All Products and select the product you want to edit.

2. Product Data Tab: In the product edit screen, switch to the “Product data” tab.

3. Attributes Section: Scroll down to the “Attributes” section.

4. Choose Attributes and Terms: Select the attributes you want to associate with the product and choose the appropriate terms. For instance, if it’s a red, small t-shirt, you would select “Color” and “Red”, and “Size” and “Small.”

Displaying Attribute Filters on Your Shop

Simply adding attributes doesn’t automatically add filters. You’ll need a plugin or custom code to achieve this.

Using WooCommerce’s built-in filtering (Limited Functionality):

WooCommerce offers basic filtering capabilities. If you only have a few attributes, this might suffice, but it isn’t as customizable. You’ll find basic filtering options under WooCommerce → Settings → Products → Display.

Using a Plugin (Recommended)

Most users will find a plugin is the easiest way to add advanced filtering. Popular options include:

• YITH WooCommerce Product Filter: This plugin offers a wide range of customization options for creating visually appealing and functional filters.
• WooCommerce Products Filter: Another highly-rated plugin offering similar functionalities.

These plugins often provide drag-and-drop interfaces, making the process significantly simpler. Follow the plugin’s instructions to install and configure them.

Advanced Filtering (Custom Code)

For maximum control, you can use custom code. This requires a good understanding of PHP and WooCommerce’s structure. This is not recommended for beginners.

Here’s a simplified example illustrating how to add a custom attribute filter (this is a fragment and needs integration into your theme’s loop):

 <?php $attribute_taxonomy = 'pa_color'; // Replace with your attribute slug $terms = get_terms( $attribute_taxonomy ); 

if ( ! empty( $terms ) ) {

echo ‘

‘;

foreach ( $terms as $term ) {

echo ‘

• term_id, $attribute_taxonomy ) . ‘”>’ . $term->name . ‘

‘;

}

echo ‘

‘;

}

?>

Important: Always back up your website before implementing any custom code.

Conclusion

Attribute filtering is a crucial aspect of improving user experience on your WooCommerce store. By carefully setting up attributes and using plugins or custom code (if necessary), you can significantly enhance the ease of navigation and product discovery for your customers, leading to improved sales. Remember to choose the method – using a plugin or using custom code – which best suits your technical skill level.