WooCommerce: Moving Product Title Above Short Description – A Beginner’s Guide
Want to give your WooCommerce product pages a quick visual boost? One simple change that can make a big difference is moving the product title to appear *above* the short description. By default, WooCommerce often places the title below, which can sometimes get lost in the layout. Putting it front and center helps visitors immediately understand what they’re looking at.
This guide will walk you through the process step-by-step, even if you’re not a coding expert. We’ll explore why this tweak is beneficial and how to achieve it safely and easily.
Why Move the Product Title?
Think of it like this: you walk into a bookstore. The first thing you see is the *title* of the book. It grabs your attention and tells you what it’s about. Your WooCommerce product page should do the same.
- Improved User Experience: Putting the title above the short description immediately informs customers about the product. They don’t have to scroll or search to figure out what they’re looking at.
- Enhanced Visual Hierarchy: A prominent title acts as a strong focal point, guiding the user’s eye down the page. This creates a clear and logical flow of information.
- Better SEO (Indirectly): While moving the title directly doesn’t drastically boost SEO, a better user experience encourages longer browsing times and lower bounce rates, which *do* influence search engine rankings. People stay on your page if they quickly find what they need.
- Brand Consistency: A consistently placed title across your product pages reinforces your brand and creates a more professional feel.
Methods to Move the Product Title
There are a few ways to achieve this, depending on your comfort level. We’ll focus on the most common and recommended approach using code snippets, which provides flexibility and avoids relying heavily on plugins.
Important Safety Note: Before making *any* code changes to your WordPress site, it’s crucial to back up your website. This ensures you can easily restore everything if something goes wrong. You can use a plugin like UpdraftPlus or BackWPup for easy backups.
Method: Using a Code Snippet (Recommended)
This method involves adding a small piece of code to your theme’s `functions.php` file or, even better, using a code snippets plugin. We strongly recommend using a code snippets plugin to keep your changes organized and independent of your theme. This way, if you change themes in the future, your changes won’t be lost.
Step 1: Install a Code Snippets Plugin
If you don’t already have one, install and activate a code snippets plugin like “Code Snippets” (by Code Snippets Pro). This plugin allows you to add and manage code snippets without directly modifying your theme files.
Step 2: Add the Code Snippet
1. Go to Snippets > Add New in your WordPress dashboard.
2. Give your snippet a descriptive name, like “WooCommerce Title Above Short Description”.
3. Paste the following code into the code editor:
remove_action( 'woocommerce_single_product_summary', 'woocommerce_template_single_title', 5 ); add_action( 'woocommerce_before_single_product_summary', 'woocommerce_template_single_title', 5 );
Step 3: Activate the Snippet
1. Make sure the snippet is set to “Run snippet everywhere”.
2. Click the “Save Changes and Activate” button.
Explanation of the Code:
- `remove_action( ‘woocommerce_single_product_summary’, ‘woocommerce_template_single_title’, 5 );`: This line *removes* the default WooCommerce action that displays the title within the `woocommerce_single_product_summary` hook (the area containing the short description). The `5` is the priority of the action.
- `add_action( ‘woocommerce_before_single_product_summary’, ‘woocommerce_template_single_title’, 5 );`: This line *adds* the title back in, but this time using the `woocommerce_before_single_product_summary` hook. This hook is located *before* the short description area. The `5` here is the priority, controlling where in the `before_single_product_summary` hook the title gets added.
That’s it! Visit a product page on your WooCommerce store, and you should see the title displayed above the short description.
Troubleshooting
- Title doesn’t move: Double-check that the code snippet is active and that you’ve cleared your website cache (if you’re using a caching plugin).
- Website breaks: If something goes wrong, immediately deactivate the code snippet. Then, review the code for typos or errors. A syntax error could cause the issue. If you still have trouble, revert to your backup and seek help from a developer or the WooCommerce support forums.
- Theme overrides: Some themes might have custom functions that interfere with this code. If that’s the case, you might need to adjust the hook names or priorities. Look at your theme’s single product page template to see if you can find what’s causing the conflict.
- Conflicting Plugin: Make sure there aren’t any plugins installed that override WooCommerce template.
Conclusion
Moving the WooCommerce product title above the short description is a small tweak that can significantly improve the user experience on your online store. By using code snippets, you can easily achieve this without modifying your theme files directly, ensuring a clean and maintainable setup. Remember to always back up your website before making any code changes, and happy selling!
