How to Show WooCommerce Order Thumbnails: A Beginner’s Guide
You’ve got a thriving WooCommerce store, orders are pouring in, and you’re managing everything from the backend. Wouldn’t it be helpful to see a visual representation of each order at a glance? That’s where showing product thumbnails in your WooCommerce order list comes in handy.
This article will guide you through the process of adding thumbnails to your WooCommerce order list, making your order management faster and more intuitive. We’ll cover why you’d want to do this and provide a simple, newbie-friendly approach.
Why Show Thumbnails in WooCommerce Orders?
Imagine this: you’re reviewing your order list. Instead of seeing a simple product name like “Blue T-Shirt,” you see a small picture of that blue t-shirt. Here’s why that’s beneficial:
- Visual Identification: Human brains process images faster than text. A thumbnail allows you to quickly identify the products within an order, especially when orders contain multiple items. Think about it – which is easier to scan: a list of text, or a list of pictures?
- Reduced Errors: Quickly confirm the correct items are being packed and shipped. Mistakes happen, but a visual confirmation can significantly decrease them. For example, you might accidentally grab the wrong size, but seeing the image will quickly prompt the correct size.
- Improved Efficiency: Streamlines order processing for warehouse staff or anyone fulfilling orders. Faster identification means faster packing and shipping. This translates to happier customers and more efficient operations.
- Enhanced User Experience: A more visually appealing backend can be more enjoyable to work with, boosting productivity. No one wants to stare at lines of text all day!
The Simple Approach: Adding a Thumbnail Column
The easiest way to add thumbnails to your WooCommerce order list is through code. Don’t panic! We’ll break it down into easy-to-understand steps. You’ll need to add this code snippet to your theme’s `functions.php` file or, even better, to a custom plugin. Avoid editing your theme directly; creating a child theme or using a code snippets plugin is *highly* recommended to prevent your changes from being overwritten during theme updates.
Here’s the code:
<?php
/
* Add thumbnail column to WooCommerce orders list.
*/
add_filter( ‘manage_edit-shop_order_columns’, ‘woo_add_order_thumbnail_column’, 20 );
function woo_add_order_thumbnail_column( $columns ) {
$new_columns = array();
foreach ( $columns as $key => $value ) {
$new_columns[ $key ] = $value;
if ( ‘order_number’ === $key ) { // Place the thumbnail column after order number
$new_columns[‘order_thumbnail’] = __( ‘Thumbnail’, ‘woocommerce’ );
}
}
return $new_columns;
}
/
* Add thumbnail column content to WooCommerce orders list.
*/
add_action( ‘manage_shop_order_posts_custom_column’, ‘woo_add_order_thumbnail_column_content’, 10, 2 );
function woo_add_order_thumbnail_column_content( $column, $post_id ) {
global $woocommerce, $post;
if ( ‘order_thumbnail’ === $column ) {
$order = wc_get_order( $post_id );
// If we have line items (products) in the order
if ($order->get_item_count() > 0) {
foreach ( $order->get_items() as $item_id => $item ) {
$product_id = $item->get_product_id();
$image = wp_get_attachment_image( get_post_thumbnail_id( $product_id ), array(32,32) ); // Adjust thumbnail size as needed
if ( $image ) {
echo $image; // Display the image
break; // Only show the first product’s thumbnail
}
}
} else {
echo ‘-‘; // Or any other placeholder
}
}
}
?>
Let’s break down what this code does:
1. `add_filter( ‘manage_edit-shop_order_columns’, ‘woo_add_order_thumbnail_column’, 20 );`: This line uses a WordPress filter called `manage_edit-shop_order_columns`. This filter allows us to modify the columns that are displayed in the WooCommerce order list in the admin area. We’re telling WordPress that we want to add a new column.
2. `function woo_add_order_thumbnail_column( $columns ) { … }`: This function defines the new column we want to add.
- It loops through the existing columns and inserts our new “Thumbnail” column (`order_thumbnail`) after the “Order Number” column. You can adjust where the column appears by changing `’order_number’` to another existing column key.
3. `add_action( ‘manage_shop_order_posts_custom_column’, ‘woo_add_order_thumbnail_column_content’, 10, 2 );`: This line uses a WordPress action called `manage_shop_order_posts_custom_column`. This action allows us to populate the content of our custom column.
4. `function woo_add_order_thumbnail_column_content( $column, $post_id ) { … }`: This function determines what content is displayed in our “Thumbnail” column.
- It checks if the current column is our `order_thumbnail` column.
- It retrieves the order object using `wc_get_order( $post_id )`.
- It loops through the items in the order and gets the product ID for each item.
- It then uses `wp_get_attachment_image()` to retrieve the product’s featured image (thumbnail). The `array(32,32)` defines the thumbnail size (32×32 pixels). You can adjust this to your preference.
- Finally, it echoes the HTML `
` tag that displays the thumbnail. The `break;` ensures it only shows the first product’s thumbnail.
How to Use the Code:
1. Back up your website: Before making any code changes, it’s always a good idea to create a backup of your website. This ensures that you can easily restore your site if something goes wrong.
2. Install and activate a Code Snippets plugin: A Code Snippets plugin is highly recommended so you can easily add the php code without editing the theme.
3. Add the code snippet: Paste the entire code block above into your Code Snippets plugin.
4. Activate the snippet: Make sure the snippet is activated.
5. Check your WooCommerce orders: Go to your WooCommerce Orders page (WooCommerce -> Orders). You should now see a “Thumbnail” column with the thumbnails Discover insights on How To Hide Tags And Categories In Woocommerce of the products in each order.
Customizing the Thumbnail
- Thumbnail Size: The `array(32,32)` in the `wp_get_attachment_image()` function controls the thumbnail size. Change these values to adjust the width and height as needed. For example, `array(64,64)` will display larger thumbnails.
- Show All Products: The current code only displays the thumbnail of the first product in the order. If you want to show thumbnails for *all* products in the order, remove the `break;` statement within the `foreach` loop. This will output a list of thumbnails for each product.
- Placeholder Image: If a product doesn’t have a featured image, nothing will be displayed. You can add a placeholder image by adding an `else` condition to the `if ( $image )` block.
if ( $image ) { echo $image; // Display the image } else { echo ' ) . ')
'; }
This code will display WooCommerce’s default placeholder image if a product doesn’t have a featured image.
Conclusion
Adding thumbnails to your WooCommerce order list can significantly improve your order management workflow. This simple code snippet empowers you to quickly identify products, reduce errors, and streamline your operations. Remember to back up your website and use a child theme or code snippets plugin for safe code modifications. Enjoy your visually enhanced WooCommerce order list!
