Woocommerc How To Make Subcategories For Products

WooCommerce: How to Master Product Subcategories (Even if You’re a Total Beginner!)

So, you’ve got your WooCommerce store up and running – congratulations! But now you’re staring at a growing list of products and realizing your customers are going to have a *really* hard time finding what they need. That’s where product subcategories come to the rescue!

Think of it like organizing your closet. You wouldn’t just throw all your clothes in a pile, right? You’d separate them into sections like shirts, pants, dresses, and then *further* divide shirts into short-sleeved, long-sleeved, and tank tops. Product subcategories do the same for your online store, making it easier for visitors to browse and, ultimately, *buy*.

This article will walk you through creating and managing product subcategories in WooCommerce, even if you’re completely new to the platform. We’ll focus on simplicity and clarity, so you can get your store organized in no time!

Why Use Product Subcategories in WooCommerce?

Before we dive in, let’s solidify why subcategories are so important:

• Improved User Experience (UX): Customers can easily navigate to the specific products they’re looking for. Imagine a clothing store selling “Jackets.” Without subcategories, they’d have to scroll through *all* jackets – rain jackets, leather jackets, denim jackets, etc. Subcategories like “Rain Jackets” and “Leather Jackets” drastically improve the browsing experience.
• Better SEO (Search Engine Optimization): Subcategories help Google understand your website’s structure and the types of products you offer. By using relevant keywords in your subcategory names and descriptions, you can improve your search engine rankings. For instance, someone searching for “leather motorcycle jacket” is more likely to find your product if you have a category called “Leather Jackets” and a subcategory called “Motorcycle Jackets.”
• Enhanced Product Organization: Keep your store tidy and manageable. As your product catalog grows, subcategories become essential for maintaining a clear and logical structure. Imagine trying to manage hundreds of products without any categorization – a nightmare!
• Increased Sales: A better browsing experience and improved SEO can lead to more traffic and higher conversion rates. Happy customers who can easily find what they want are more likely to make a purchase.

Creating Product Categories and Subcategories in WooCommerce

Here’s the step-by-step process:

1. Log into your WordPress Dashboard: This is the starting point for everything.

2. Navigate to Products > Categories: You’ll find this in the left-hand menu.

3. Create Your Parent Category (if it doesn’t already exist):

• In the “Add new category” section, enter the Name of your main category. For example, “Clothing.”
• Add a Slug (optional, but recommended for SEO). This is the URL-friendly version of the name (e.g., “clothing”). If you leave it blank, WordPress will automatically generate one.
• Choose a Parent category (leave as “None” if this is a main category).
• Add a Description (optional, but good for SEO). Use relevant keywords to describe the products in this category. For example: “Shop our latest collection of clothing for men, women, and children. We offer a wide range of styles from casual to formal.”
• Select a Display type: Choose how you want the category to be displayed (e.g., “Default,” “Products,” “Subcategories,” or “Both”).
• Upload a Thumbnail (optional, but recommended for visual appeal).

4. Create Your Subcategory:

• In the “Add new category” section, enter the Name of your subcategory. For example, “T-shirts.”
• Add a Slug (e.g., “t-shirts”).
• Crucially, choose the Parent category from the dropdown menu. Select the parent category you created in the previous step (e.g., “Clothing”).
• Add a Description (e.g., “Browse our collection of comfortable and stylish t-shirts in various colors and designs.”).
• Select a Display type.
• Upload a Thumbnail.

5. Click “Add new category”: Your subcategory is now created and associated with its parent category!

Example:

Let’s say you’re selling shoes:

• Parent Category: Shoes
• Subcategories:
• Sneakers
• Boots
• Sandals
• Dress Shoes

This structure makes it incredibly easy for customers to find the *exact* type of shoe they’re looking for.

Adding Products to Categories and Subcategories

Now that you’ve created your categories and subcategories, it’s time to assign your products to them:

1. Edit an Existing Product or Create a New Product: Go to Products > All Products and click “Edit” on the product you want to categorize. Or, go to Products > Add New to create a new product.

2. Locate the “Product categories” box: This is usually on the right-hand side of the product editing screen.

3. Select the appropriate category and subcategory (or subcategories): Tick the boxes next to the categories and subcategories that apply to the product. You can select multiple categories if a product fits into more than one.

4. Update or Publish the Product: Click “Update” (for existing products) or “Publish” (for new products) to save your changes.

Real-Life Scenario:

You have a product called “Adidas Ultraboost Running Shoes.” You would:

1. Edit the “Adidas Ultraboost Running Shoes” product.

2. In the “Product categories” box, check the boxes for:

• Shoes
• Sneakers

This ensures that the product will appear in both the “Shoes” category and the “Sneakers” subcategory.

Managing Your Categories and Subcategories

* Editing Categories: You can edit existing categories and subcategories by going to Products > Categories and hovering over the category you want to edit. Click “Edit.”

* Deleting Categories: Be *very* careful deleting categories. If you delete a category, any products assigned to it will become uncategorized. You can delete categories by hovering over the category in Products > Categories and clicking “Delete.”

* Reordering Categories: The order in which categories appear on your website can affect user experience. You can reorder categories by going to Products > Categories and dragging and dropping them into the desired order. WooCommerce uses a hierarchical drag-and-drop interface to manage the order.

SEO Tips for WooCommerce Product Categories

• Keyword Research: Before creating categories and subcategories, do some keyword research to find the terms people are actually searching for. Tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, and Ahrefs can help.
• Use Relevant Keywords: Incorporate relevant keywords into your category names, slugs, and descriptions.
• Write Unique and Compelling Descriptions: Avoid generic descriptions. Write unique and informative descriptions that accurately describe the products in each category.
• Optimize Category Pages: Treat your category pages like landing pages. Use high-quality images, clear calls to action, and relevant content.
• Build Internal Links: Link to your category pages from other pages on your website, such as your homepage and product pages.

Code Examples (Advanced – Use with Caution!)

While you can usually manage categories through the WooCommerce interface, here’s a code snippet that demonstrates how you might programmatically retrieve subcategories:

<?php

// Get the ID of the parent category (e.g., “Clothing”)

$parent_category_id = get_term_by( ‘slug’, ‘clothing’, ‘product_cat’ )->term_id;

// Get the subcategories of the parent category

$subcategories = get_terms( array(

‘taxonomy’ => ‘product_cat’,

‘parent’ => $parent_category_id,

) );

// Display the subcategories

if ( $subcategories ) {

echo ‘

‘;

foreach ( $subcategories as $subcategory ) {

echo ‘

• ‘ . $subcategory->name . ‘

‘;

}

echo ‘

‘;

} else {

echo ‘No subcategories found.’;

}

?>

Important Notes about the code:

* Customize: Replace `’clothing’` with the slug of *your* parent category.

* Placement: You’d typically place this code within your theme’s template files or a custom plugin.

* Backups: *Always* back up your website before making code changes.

* Consult a Developer: If you’re not comfortable with PHP, consult a WordPress developer to avoid breaking your site.

Conclusion

Mastering product subcategories in WooCommerce is crucial for creating a user-friendly and SEO-optimized online store. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can easily organize your products, improve the browsing experience for your customers, and ultimately, boost your sales. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different category structures to find what works best for your specific business. Good luck!