How to Get WooCommerce Product Category ID in WordPress (Easy Guide for Beginners)
So, you’re diving into the world of WooCommerce and WordPress, and you’ve stumbled upon the need to get the product category ID. Don’t worry, it’s a common task and surprisingly simple once you know how! This guide will walk you through several methods, even if you’re a complete beginner. We’ll explain *why* you need it and provide real-world examples.
Why do you need a Product Category ID anyway? Think of it as a unique identifier, like a social security number for your category. It allows you to:
- Target specific categories: Display products from a certain category on a particular page, or exclude a category from a specific promotion.
- Customize category displays: Apply custom CSS styles or JavaScript functionality to a specific category.
- Use in plugins and themes: Many WooCommerce plugins and themes require the category ID to function correctly.
- Create custom queries: Fetch products belonging to a specific category using custom WordPress queries.
Let’s get started!
Finding the Category ID through the WordPress Admin Panel
This is the easiest and most common method. No code required!
1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard. This is your starting point for everything WordPress related.
2. Navigate to Products > Categories. In the left-hand menu, find “Products” and then click on “Categories.” This will take you to a list of all your product categories.
3. Hover over the category you want to find the ID for. Don’t click! Just hover your mouse cursor over the category name.
4. Look at the URL in the bottom left corner of your browser (or in the status bar). The URL will look something like this: `…/wp-admin/term.php?taxonomy=product_cat&tag_ID=15&post_type=product`. The number after `tag_ID=` is your product category ID. In this example, the ID is 15.
Real-life Example: Imagine you’re running a sale on “T-Shirts.” You need to exclude “Hoodies” from the sale. To do this effectively, you need the category ID for “Hoodies” so you can exclude it from the promotion settings in your WooCommerce plugin.
Finding the Category ID by Editing the Category
Another simple method that also doesn’t involve any code:
1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard. (Same as above)
2. Navigate to Products > Categories. (Same as above)
3. Click on the category you want to find the ID for. This will open the category edit screen.
4. Look at the URL in your browser’s address bar. The URL will look something like this: `…/wp-admin/term.php?taxonomy=product_cat&tag_ID=15&post_type=product`. Again, the number after `tag_ID=` is your product category ID.
Reasoning: This method is essentially the same as hovering, but it’s useful if you prefer to actually *see* the edit screen for the category.
Finding the Category ID Using PHP Code (For Developers or Advanced Users)
If you’re comfortable working with code, you can retrieve the category ID using PHP. This is particularly useful if you’re building custom WooCommerce functionality.
Important Note: Modifying your theme’s `functions.php` file can break your site if done incorrectly. Always back up your site before making changes, or use a child theme.
<?php // Get the category ID by category slug $term = get_term_by( 'slug', 'your-category-slug', 'product_cat' );
if ( $term ) {
$category_id = $term->term_id;
echo “The category ID is: ” . $category_id;
} else {
echo “Category not found.”;
}
?>
Explanation:
- `get_term_by( ‘slug’, ‘your-category-slug’, ‘product_cat’ )`: This function retrieves a term (in this case, a product category) based on its slug. Replace `’your-category-slug’` with the actual slug of your category.
- `$term->term_id`: If the category is found, this retrieves the ID of the term.
- `echo “The category ID is: ” . $category_id;`: This displays the category ID.
How to use it:
1. Replace `’your-category-slug’` with the actual slug of your product category. You can find the slug on the “Products > Categories” page. Hover over the category, and you’ll see the slug in the URL. Or, edit the category, and the slug will be in the “Slug” field.
2. Add this code snippet to your theme’s `functions.php` file, a custom plugin, or within a template file where you need the category ID.
3. View the page where you added the code. The category ID will be displayed.
Real-life Example: You’re building a custom WooCommerce widget that displays the latest products from a specific category. You’d use this code to dynamically fetch the category ID based on the category slug, making your widget more flexible.
Finding the Category ID using WP-CLI (For Command Line Users)
If you’re comfortable with WP-CLI (WordPress Command Line Interface), you can quickly get the category ID from the command line.
1. Open your terminal and navigate to your WordPress installation directory.
2. Run the following command:
wp term list product_cat –field=term_id –name=’Your Category Name’
Replace `’Your Category Name’` with the actual name of your category.
Explanation:
- `wp term list product_cat`: Lists terms (categories) in the `product_cat` taxonomy.
- `–field=term_id`: Specifies that you only want to see the `term_id` field.
- `–name=’Your Category Name’`: Filters the results to only show the category with the specified name.
Real-life Example: You are writing a script to automatically update product categories and need to fetch the category ID. WP-CLI provides a fast and efficient way to do this without accessing the WordPress admin panel.
Summary
Finding the WooCommerce product category ID is a crucial skill for customizing and extending your online store. This guide provides several methods, from the simple hover-over technique in the WordPress admin panel to more advanced methods like using PHP code or WP-CLI. Choose the method that best suits your comfort level and technical expertise. Remember to always back up your website before making changes to your theme’s files. Good luck!
