How to Get Product Category ID in WooCommerce: A Beginner’s Guide
So, you’re diving into the wonderful world of WooCommerce customization! That’s fantastic! One of the first things you’ll likely need to do is figure out how to get the product category ID. Why? Because you might want to:
- Display specific products from a certain category on a custom page.
- Apply unique styling to product pages belonging to a particular category.
- Filter reports based on product categories.
- Create custom navigation menus.
Don’t worry, it’s easier than it sounds! This guide will walk you through a few simple methods. We’ll explain the ‘why’ behind each method, so you understand *what* you’re doing, not just *how* to do it.
Why is the Category ID Important?
Think of the category ID as a unique identifier, like a social security number for your product categories. It’s a number that WordPress uses internally to keep track of each category. While you see the category name (“T-Shirts”, “Shoes”, “Electronics”) on the frontend, the system uses the ID behind the scenes. This is crucial for writing code that specifically targets certain categories.
For Discover insights on How To Change Recurring Total Title Woocommerce example, imagine you want to show a special banner only on product pages belonging to the “Sale” category. You can’t just tell WooCommerce to look for the word “Sale” because what if you rename the category? Using the category ID ensures your code still works, even if the category name changes.
Method 1: Using the WooCommerce Admin Panel (The Easiest Way!)
This is the most straightforward method and requires no coding at all. It’s the first place you should look!
1. Log in to your WordPress admin panel. This is usually `yourdomain.com/wp-admin`.
2. Navigate to Products > Categories. You’ll see a list of all your product categories.
3. Hover over the category you’re interested in. Don’t click the category name itself (that will take you to the edit screen).
4. Look at the URL in your browser’s status bar (bottom left corner). You’ll see something like this: `yourdomain.com/wp-admin/term.php?taxonomy=product_cat&tag_ID=23&post_type=product`.
5. The category ID is the number after `tag_ID=`. In this example, the category ID is `23`.
Why this works: WordPress uses the `term.php` page to edit taxonomies (like product categories). The `tag_ID` parameter in the URL tells WordPress which category you’re trying to edit. The number assigned to it is the category’s unique ID.
Method 2: Inspecting the Category Page Source Code
This method requires a little bit of technical know-how, but it’s still pretty simple.
1. Visit the product category page on your website. For example, `yourdomain.com/product-category/t-shirts/`.
2. Right-click anywhere on the page and select “View Page Source” (or “Inspect” depending on your browser). This will open a new tab with the HTML code of the page.
3. Search for the term “term_id” (without the quotes) using Ctrl+F (Windows) or Cmd+F (Mac).
4. You might find a snippet of code similar to this: “
5. The number after “term_id:” is your category ID. In this example, the category ID is `15`.
Why this works: Some themes and plugins add meta tags to category pages that include the term ID (which is the same as the category ID). This method relies on these meta tags being present.
Method 3: Using PHP Code (For Developers)
This method is for developers who need Check out this post: How To Add A Woocommerce Store To A Facebook Shop to retrieve the category ID dynamically within their code.
<?php // Get the category ID by slug (replace 't-shirts' with your category slug) $term = get_term_by( 'slug', 't-shirts', 'product_cat' );
if ( $term ) {
$category_id = $term->term_id;
echo “The category ID is: ” . $category_id;
} else {
echo “Category not found.”;
}
?>
Explanation:
- `get_term_by(‘slug’, ‘t-shirts’, ‘product_cat’)` : This function retrieves a term (category in this case) based on its slug. The slug is the URL-friendly version of your category name (e.g., “t-shirts” for the “T-Shirts” category). Remember to replace ‘t-shirts’ with the actual slug of your category. You can find the slug on the category edit page in the admin panel.
- `$term->term_id` : If the category is found, this accesses the `term_id` property of the `$term` object, which contains the category ID.
- The code checks if a category was found before trying to access its ID to prevent errors.
Where to use this code: You can use this code snippet in your theme’s `functions.php` file or in a custom plugin. Important: Always back up your `functions.php` file before making changes, as errors in this file can break your site.
Alternative using Category Name:
<?php // Get the category ID by name (replace 'T-Shirts' with your category name) $term = get_term_by( 'name', 'T-Shirts', 'product_cat' );
if ( $term ) {
$category_id = $term->term_id;
echo “The category ID is: ” . $category_id;
} else {
echo “Category not found.”;
}
?>
Why this works: The `get_term_by()` function is a powerful tool for retrieving taxonomy terms (like categories) based on various criteria. It’s the most reliable way to programmatically Learn more about How To Add Woocommerce Shortcodes get the category ID.
Real-Life Example: Displaying Products from a Specific Category on Your Homepage
Let’s say you want to display a list of your newest “Featured Products” on your homepage. These products are all in a category called “Featured”.
1. First, find the category ID of the “Featured” category using one of the methods above. Let’s say it’s `10`.
2. Then, you can use the following code snippet in your homepage template (or a custom shortcode) to display the products:
'product', 'posts_per_page' => 4, // Display 4 products 'tax_query' => array( array( 'taxonomy' => 'product_cat', 'field' => 'term_id', 'terms' => array( 10 ), // Use the category ID here ), ), );
$loop = new WP_Query( $args );
if ( $loop->have_posts() ) {
echo ‘
- ‘;
- ‘ . get_the_title() . ‘
while ( $loop->have_posts() ) {
$loop->the_post();
global $product;
echo ‘
‘;
}
echo ‘
‘;
} else {
echo ‘
No featured products found.
‘;
}
wp_reset_postdata();
?>
Explanation:
- This code uses `WP_Query` to retrieve products from a specific category.
- `’tax_query’` is used to filter the products based on the `product_cat` taxonomy.
- `’terms’ => array( 10 )` specifies that we only want products from the category with ID `10` (our “Featured” category).
Conclusion
Getting the product category ID in WooCommerce is a fundamental skill for customizing your online store. By understanding the methods described above, you’ll be well-equipped to tailor your WooCommerce website to meet your specific needs. Remember to choose the method that best suits your technical skills and the context in which you need to use the ID. Good luck and happy coding!
