How to Show Subcategories in WooCommerce: A Comprehensive Guide
Introduction:
WooCommerce, the leading e-commerce platform for WordPress, offers a robust system for organizing your products using categories and subcategories. Categories help customers navigate your store and find what they’re looking for quickly. But simply creating subcategories isn’t enough; you need to make them visible and easily Learn more about How To Add Sales Tax In Woocommerce accessible to your customers. This article will guide you through various methods for displaying subcategories in your WooCommerce store, improving user experience, and boosting your SEO. We’ll cover different approaches, from built-in WooCommerce options to custom code solutions, ensuring you can choose the best method for your specific needs and theme.
Main Part: Displaying WooCommerce Subcategories
There are several ways to showcase your WooCommerce subcategories. Let’s explore the most popular and effective techniques:
1. Using the WooCommerce Category Widget
The most straightforward method is using the built-in WooCommerce category widget. This allows you to display a list of your categories and, optionally, include the subcategories under their respective parent categories.
How to Implement:
1. Go to Appearance > Widgets in your WordPress dashboard.
2. Find the “WooCommerce Product Categories” widget.
3. Drag and drop it into your desired sidebar or widget area.
4. Configure the widget options:
- Title: Enter a title for the widget (e.g., “Shop by Category”).
- Display as dropdown: Check this box to display the categories in a dropdown menu.
- Show product category hierarchy: Ensure this box is checked to display subcategories under their parent categories.
- Show product counts: Check this box to display the number of products in each category.
- Hide empty categories: Check this to hide categories without products.
This is the easiest and quickest way to show subcategories. However, its customization options are limited.
2. Displaying Subcategories on Category Pages
By default, WooCommerce may not automatically display subcategories on a Explore this article on How To Delete Customers In Woocommerce category page. You can modify this behavior directly within the WooCommerce settings.
How to Implement:
1. Go to Appearance > Customize > WooCommerce > Product Catalog.
2. Find the “Category display” option.
3. Select “Show categories & products” to display both subcategories and products on the category page. Alternatively, you can choose “Show categories” to only display the subcategories.
This setting controls how the category archive pages are rendered, greatly impacting user navigation.
3. Using Custom Code (for Advanced Customization)
For those needing more control over the appearance and placement of subcategories, using custom code provides flexibility. This involves adding snippets of PHP code to your theme’s `functions.php` file (or preferably, a child theme’s `functions.php` to avoid losing changes during theme updates).
a) Displaying Subcategories Below the Product Title on a Category Page:
<?php add_action( 'woocommerce_archive_description', 'display_subcategory_list', 10 );
function display_subcategory_list() {
if ( is_product_category() ) {
global $wp_query;
$cat = $wp_query->get_queried_object();
$terms = get_terms( ‘product_cat’, array(
‘parent’ => $cat->term_id,
‘hide_empty’ => false
) );
if ( $terms ) {
echo ‘
- ‘;
- ‘ . $term->name . ‘
foreach ( $terms as $term ) {
echo ‘
‘;
}
echo ‘
‘;
}
}
}
?>
Explanation:
- This code snippet hooks into the `woocommerce_archive_description` action, which executes after the product category description.
- It checks if the current page is a product category page (`is_product_category()`).
- It retrieves the subcategories of the current category using `get_terms()`.
- It loops through the subcategories and displays them as a list of Check out this post: How To Make Your Theme Woocommerce Compatible links.
b) Displaying Subcategories Using a Shortcode:
This option allows you to place subcategories anywhere you can use a shortcode (e.g., within a product description or on a static page).
<?php add_shortcode( 'woocommerce_subcategories', 'display_subcategories_shortcode' );
function display_subcategories_shortcode( $atts ) {
$atts = shortcode_atts( array(
‘parent’ => 0, // 0 means display top-level categories
), $atts );
$parent_id = intval( $atts[‘parent’] );
$terms = get_terms( array(
‘taxonomy’ => ‘product_cat’,
‘parent’ => $parent_id,
‘hide_empty’ => false,
) );
if ( empty( $terms ) || is_wp_error( $terms ) ) {
return ”; // No subcategories found
}
$output = ‘
- ‘;
- ‘ . esc_html( $term->name ) . ‘
foreach ( $terms as $term ) {
$output .= ‘
‘;
}
$output .= ‘
‘;
return $output;
}
?>
Explanation:
- This code defines a shortcode called `[woocommerce_subcategories]`.
- The shortcode accepts a `parent` attribute, allowing you to specify the parent category ID. If no `parent` ID is provided, it displays top-level categories.
- It retrieves the subcategories using `get_terms()`.
- It loops through the subcategories and displays them as a list of links.
To use the shortcode, simply insert `[woocommerce_subcategories parent=”X”]` into any page or post, replacing “X” with the parent category ID. If you want to display top-level categories use `[woocommerce_subcategories]`.
Important Considerations When Using Custom Code:
- Back up your `functions.php` file before making any changes.
- Use a child theme to avoid losing your customizations during theme updates.
- Test your code thoroughly to ensure it functions correctly and doesn’t break your site.
4. Utilizing WooCommerce Plugins
Several WooCommerce plugins can simplify the process of displaying subcategories and offer advanced customization options. Some popular options include:
- WooCommerce Category Accordion: Displays categories and subcategories in a collapsible accordion format.
- WooCommerce Product Category Display: Provides more flexible options for displaying categories and subcategories on various pages.
- Category Images: Allows you to add images to your categories and subcategories, making them more visually appealing.
Pros of using Plugins:
- Ease of Use: Most plugins provide a user-friendly interface.
- Advanced Features: Offer options beyond basic subcategory display.
- Reduced Coding: Minimize the need for custom code.
Cons of using Plugins:
- Potential Conflicts: Plugins can sometimes conflict with each other or with your theme.
- Performance Impact: Some plugins can slow down your site.
- Cost: Many advanced plugins are premium.
Conclusion:
Effectively displaying subcategories in your WooCommerce store is crucial for improving user navigation, boosting product discoverability, and ultimately, increasing sales. Whether you opt for the simple WooCommerce category widget, modify your category page display settings, leverage custom code, or utilize a dedicated plugin, the key is to choose a method that aligns with your store’s design and functionality. Remember to always test your changes and prioritize a user-friendly experience. By implementing Check out this post: How To Change Woocommerce-Price-Currencysymbol these strategies, you can create a well-organized and visually appealing online store that keeps customers engaged and coming back for more.
