Woocommerce How To Add Cart To Menu At Top

WooCommerce: How to Add a Cart to Your Menu (Easy Guide for Beginners)

Ever noticed how many online stores have a little shopping cart icon right up in their main menu? It’s a handy feature! It lets customers quickly see what they’ve added to their cart and jump straight to checkout, making for a smoother and more convenient shopping experience.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through exactly how to add a WooCommerce cart icon to your website’s main menu, even if you’re a complete beginner. We’ll break it down step-by-step, so you can boost your sales and improve your user experience in no time.

Why Add a Cart to Your Menu?

Think of it like this: You’re in a real-life store, and you’ve got a few items. Would you want to walk all the way back to the entrance to find your shopping cart? Of course not! The same principle applies to your online store.

Here are a few reasons why adding a cart to your menu is a great idea:

• Improved User Experience: It’s convenient for customers to quickly see what they have in their cart without navigating away from the page they’re on.
• Increased Conversions: Easy access to the cart means a faster path to checkout, which can lead to more sales.
• Professional Look: A shopping cart icon in the menu gives your website a more polished and professional feel, instilling trust in your customers.

Method 1: Using the WooCommerce Menu Item

This is the easiest method and often works right out of the box. WooCommerce cleverly provides a “WooCommerce Cart” menu item ready to use.

1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard. Go to your website URL followed by `/wp-admin` (e.g., `yourwebsite.com/wp-admin`).

2. Navigate to Appearance > Menus.

3. Locate the “WooCommerce Endpoints” panel. It’s usually on the left side of the screen, alongside pages, posts, and categories.

4. Expand “WooCommerce Endpoints.” You should see options like “Cart,” “Checkout,” and “My Account.”

5. Select “Cart” by checking the box next to it.

6. Click “Add to Menu.” The “Cart” item will appear in your menu structure on the right.

7. Rearrange the Menu Item (Optional). Drag and drop the “Cart” item to your desired location in the menu (usually near the “About Us” or “Contact” links.)

8. Click “Save Menu.”

That’s it! Visit your website and you should now see a “Cart” link in your menu. Clicking it will take customers directly to their cart page.

Method 2: Using a Plugin (if needed for customization)

If the “WooCommerce Endpoints” method doesn’t quite work for you, or if you want more control over the appearance of the cart icon (like showing the number of items in the cart directly in the menu), a plugin is the way to go. There are many free and premium plugins available. Here’s an example using a popular plugin:

* Search and Install a Plugin: In your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins > Add New and search for “WooCommerce Menu Cart.” Find a plugin with good reviews and a recent update (ensuring it is compatible with the current WooCommerce and WordPress versions). A popular option is “WooCommerce Menu Cart by WP Overnight.”

* Activate the Plugin: Once installed, click “Activate.”

* Configure the Plugin: Go to Appearance > Customize. You should see an option related to the plugin you installed. For “WooCommerce Menu Cart by WP Overnight,” it’s typically under the “WooCommerce” section in the Customizer.

* Customize Settings: Here you can configure things like:

• Which menu to display the cart in.
• What the menu item should show (e.g., just an icon, icon + total price, icon + number of items).
• Styling options to match your theme.

* Save and Publish: Once you’re happy with the settings, click “Publish” in the Customizer.

Example: With a plugin like “WooCommerce Menu Cart,” you can display a small shopping cart icon in your menu that also shows the number of items currently in the cart. For instance, it might display the icon along with “(3)” next to it, indicating that there are three items in the cart. This provides customers with immediate visual feedback.

Method 3: Manually Adding the Cart Link (Advanced)

This method involves editing your theme’s files and requires some basic coding knowledge. It’s not recommended for beginners unless you’re comfortable working with PHP.

1. Access your theme’s files. You can do this through your hosting control panel’s file manager or via FTP.

2. Find the `functions.php` file. This file is located in your theme’s directory (e.g., `/wp-content/themes/your-theme/functions.php`).

3. Add the following code to your `functions.php` file:

<?php
add_filter( 'wp_nav_menu_items', 'add_woocommerce_cart_link', 10, 2 );

function add_woocommerce_cart_link( $items, $args ) {

if ( ‘primary’ == $args->theme_location ) { // Change ‘primary’ to your menu’s location

$items .= ‘

• ‘;

  $items .= ‘‘;

  $items .= ‘ ‘; // Add a shopping cart icon (requires Font Awesome)

  $items .= ‘‘ . WC()->cart->get_cart_contents_count() . ‘‘;

  $items .= ‘‘;

  $items .= ‘

‘;

}

return $items;

}

?>

4. Important Considerations:

• Change `’primary’` to the actual theme location of your main menu. You can find this in Appearance > Menus.
• ``: This part adds a shopping cart *icon* to the menu item. This example uses Font Awesome, a popular icon library. You need to ensure Font Awesome is loaded on your site. If not, you can replace this with plain text like “Cart” or use a different icon library.
• Styling: The `woocommerce-cart-menu-item` class lets you style the cart item using CSS in your theme’s `style.css` file or through the WordPress Customizer.

5. Save the `functions.php` file.

Explanation: This code snippet hooks into the `wp_nav_menu_items` filter. This filter allows you to modify the items in your WordPress menu before they are displayed. The code checks if the menu being rendered is the “primary” menu (or whichever menu location you specify), and then appends a new list item (`

• `) containing the cart link to the menu. The code also adds a class to the `
• ` tag, which allows you to target the cart item for custom styling with CSS.

  Why use Font Awesome? Font Awesome is a simple and widely used icon library, however you’ll have to implement it correctly into your theme for it to function. Using an icon in the top menu provides visual clarification for the user.

  Troubleshooting

  • Cart Icon Not Showing:
  • Caching: Clear your website’s cache (and your browser’s cache) as this can sometimes prevent changes from appearing.
  • Plugin Conflicts: If you’re using a plugin, try deactivating other plugins to see if there’s a conflict.
  • Theme Compatibility: Some themes may override WooCommerce templates or styles. Contact your theme developer for assistance.
  • Cart Counting Incorrectly:
  • WooCommerce Settings: Double-check your WooCommerce settings under WooCommerce > Settings > Products > General to ensure the cart behavior is configured correctly.
  • Cart Link Not Working:
  • Permalinks: Go to Settings > Permalinks and click “Save Changes” (even if you don’t change anything). This can sometimes refresh your permalinks and resolve routing issues.

Conclusion

Adding a cart icon to your WooCommerce menu is a simple yet effective way to improve the shopping experience on your website. Whether you use the built-in WooCommerce option, a dedicated plugin, or a bit of custom code, the result will be a more user-friendly and conversion-optimized online store. Choose the method that best suits your technical skills and needs, and get ready to see your sales increase!