How to Rearrange WooCommerce Products: A Beginner’s Guide
So, you’ve built your WooCommerce store and are ready to start selling. But as you add more and more products, you might realize that the default product ordering isn’t quite working. Maybe your best-selling items are buried at the bottom, or perhaps you want to group related products together to encourage cross-selling. Don’t worry, rearranging WooCommerce products is easier than you think! This guide will walk you through different methods, from simple drag-and-drop to using plugins, ensuring you can present your products in the most effective way.
Why Rearrange Your Products?
Before we dive into the how-to, let’s consider why rearranging your products is so important:
* Improved User Experience: Customers are more likely to find what they’re looking for quickly if your products are organized logically and intuitively. Imagine a shoe store that has all of the shoe jumbled up. It would be chaos!
* Boost Sales: Highlighting your best-selling or most profitable items can significantly increase sales. Think of a grocery store putting candy right at the check-out counter. It’s strategically placed for impulse buys.
* Strategic Marketing: You might want to promote seasonal items, new arrivals, or products on sale by placing them prominently. For example, during the holiday season, you’ll want to see all the ornaments and decorations at the top of your storefront.
* Control Your Brand Image: Presenting your products in a specific order can reinforce your brand message and the overall aesthetic of your store.
Method 1: Drag and Drop (The Easiest Way!)
The simplest way to rearrange products in WooCommerce is using the built-in drag-and-drop functionality. This is a fantastic starting point, especially for smaller product catalogs.
1. Log into your WordPress Admin Dashboard.
2. Go to Products > All Products. This is the control center for all your products.
3. Look for the Sorting Tab: Make sure you’re in the standard “All Products” view, *not* the “List View” or any custom view from a plugin. You should see a tab icon that looks like four horizontal lines next to the “Add Product” button. Click it. This activates the drag-and-drop reordering.
4. Drag and Drop: Simply click and drag the products into the desired order. The products will be ordered as you rearrange them on the page. It’s just like organizing files on your computer!
5. Important: WooCommerce saves the order *automatically* as you drag and drop. There’s no save button to click, which is awesome for quickly updating your product listings!
Limitations:
* This method is best for smaller product catalogs. Rearranging hundreds of products this way can be tedious.
* The reordering only applies to the default WooCommerce shop page (or categories, if you are viewing categories in this same way.) If you’re using custom product listings on other pages (like a homepage slider powered by a plugin), this reordering might not affect those.
Method 2: Custom Ordering Using the “Menu Order”
WooCommerce uses a “Menu Order” field for each product, which determines its position in the list. You can manually set this value for each product.
1. Go to Products > All Products.
2. Quick Edit or Edit: Hover over the product you want to rearrange and click “Quick Edit” or “Edit”.
* Quick Edit: This is the faster method, allowing you to edit the “Menu Order” directly from the product list.
* Edit: This takes you to the full product edit screen. Scroll down to the “Product data” meta box. Click on the “Advanced” tab.
3. Set the “Menu Order”: In either the “Quick Edit” or “Advanced” section, find the “Menu Order” field. Enter a numerical value. Products are displayed in ascending order based on this value (lower numbers appear first).
4. Update: Click “Update” (in the full edit screen) or “Update” (in Quick Edit) to save the changes.
Example:
* If you want a product to be the first one displayed, give it a “Menu Order” of `0`.
* To make another product second, give it a “Menu Order” of `1`.
* And so on…
Important Considerations:
* If multiple products have the same “Menu Order” value, they’ll be displayed in the order they were created (oldest first).
* This method is more precise than drag-and-drop but can be time-consuming if you have many products to rearrange.
Method 3: Using WooCommerce Product Sorting Options
WooCommerce offers built-in sorting options on the front end, allowing customers to sort products by popularity, average rating, newest, price (low to high), and price (high to low). You’ll see these options on your shop page.
This method doesn’t *rearrange* the default product order, but it empowers customers to find what they need. You’re giving them the tools, and the customer controls the outcome.
1. Enable Sorting (if needed): Usually, sorting is enabled by default in WooCommerce themes. If you don’t see the dropdown, check your theme’s settings or custom template files. Some themes allow you to disable it.
Things to keep in mind:
- You generally can’t modify these options without code changes.
- This is a user-facing solution; it doesn’t change the default order that *you* control as the store owner.
Method 4: Plugins for Advanced Product Sorting
For more advanced control and features, consider using a WooCommerce plugin specifically designed for product sorting. These plugins often provide:
* Category-Specific Sorting: Set different sorting orders for different product categories.
* Custom Sorting Rules: Define your own sorting criteria, such as sorting by stock level or sales count.
* Drag-and-Drop Interfaces: Enhanced drag-and-drop functionality for easier reordering.
Popular Plugins:
* WooCommerce Product Table by Barn2Media: While primarily a product table plugin, it includes powerful sorting and filtering options.
* Custom Product Sort: A more focused solution specifically for product sorting.
Example of using a plugin:
Let’s say you install a plugin called “Custom Product Sort.” After installing and activating the plugin, you might find a new tab within the WooCommerce settings or a new option on the “Products > All Products” page. The plugin might offer a drag-and-drop interface similar to the built-in one, but with added features like:
* Category-Specific Sorting: The ability to sort products differently within each category. For example, you might want to sort “T-Shirts” by popularity and “Hats” by price.
* Rule-Based Sorting: Define rules to automatically sort products based on criteria you set. For example, “Always show products on sale first.”
“`php
// This is an example of how you MIGHT interact with a sorting plugin’s API (check plugin documentation!).
// It’s only an illustration.
// Get the plugin’s sorting manager (example).
$sorting_manager = Custom_Product_Sort()->sorting_manager;
// Set custom sorting for the “T-Shirts” category.
$sorting_manager->set_category_sorting( ‘t-shirts’, ‘popularity’ );
Choosing a Plugin:
* Read Reviews: Check the plugin’s ratings and reviews to ensure it’s reliable and well-supported.
* Consider Your Needs: Choose a plugin that provides the specific features you need, such as category-specific sorting or custom sorting rules.
* Check Compatibility: Ensure the plugin is compatible with your version of WooCommerce and your theme.
Conclusion
Rearranging your WooCommerce products is a vital aspect of creating a user-friendly and effective online store. Whether you opt for the simple drag-and-drop method, manual “Menu Order” adjustments, or a dedicated plugin, the key is to choose the approach that best suits your needs and product catalog size. By strategically ordering your products, you can enhance the user experience, boost sales, and create a more compelling brand presence. So, experiment with these methods and find the perfect arrangement for your WooCommerce store! Remember, a well-organized store is a happy store – and a profitable one!
