Woocommerce How To Add Zero For All Blank Prices

WooCommerce: How to Automatically Add Zero for Blank Prices (No More Embarrassing Emptiness!)

Have you ever been browsing an online store and come across a product page with an empty price? It’s frustrating, right? It leaves you wondering: Is it free? Is it out of stock? Is the website broken? For your WooCommerce store, leaving blank prices can scare customers away and hurt your sales.

This guide will show you a simple and effective way to automatically display “0” (or any other value you prefer) for products where the price field is left empty. We’ll tackle this with a little bit of code, but don’t worry! We’ll break it down so even complete beginners can understand.

Why Adding Zero (or a Default Value) is Important

Imagine you’re selling downloadable ebooks. Some ebooks might be free as promotional material. If you accidentally leave the price field blank for a free ebook, customers might assume there’s a problem and not download it. This means a missed opportunity for building your email list or showcasing your expertise!

Here’s why filling in blank prices matters:

Improved User Experience: Eliminates confusion and provides clear information for your customers.
Increased Sales: Customers are more likely to purchase if they see a price, even if it’s zero.
Enhanced Credibility: A professional-looking store inspires trust and confidence.
Avoids Errors: Prevents WooCommerce (and related plugins) from behaving unexpectedly with blank prices.

Method: Using Code Snippet to Auto-Fill Blank Prices

The best way to achieve this is through a code snippet. Code snippets are small pieces of code that extend the functionality of your WordPress and WooCommerce website without directly modifying the theme files (which is always risky!).

Here’s the code you’ll need:

add_filter( 'woocommerce_get_price_html', 'custom_zero_price', 10, 2 );
add_filter( 'woocommerce_get_sale_price_html', 'custom_zero_price', 10, 2 );
add_filter( 'woocommerce_get_regular_price_html', 'custom_zero_price', 10, 2 );

function custom_zero_price( $price, $product ) {

if ( ” === $product->get_price() ) {

$price = ‘Free!‘; // You can change “Free!” to “0.00” or any other text

}

return $price;

}

Let’s break down what this code does:

`add_filter()`: This is a WordPress function that allows you to modify existing functions. We are hooking into three different WooCommerce filters:
`woocommerce_get_price_html`: Filters the HTML output of the product’s general price.
`woocommerce_get_sale_price_html`: Filters the HTML output of the product’s sale price.
`woocommerce_get_regular_price_html`: Filters the HTML output of the product’s regular price.

`custom_zero_price( $price, $product )`: This is the custom function we’re creating. It takes the original price HTML (`$price`) and the product object (`$product`) as input.

`if ( ” === $product->get_price() )`: This checks if the product’s price is empty (an empty string).

`$price = ‘Free!‘;`: If the price is empty, we replace the price HTML with “Free!”. You can customize the text within the `` tags. For example, you can change it to `$price = ‘0.00‘;` to display “0.00” instead. The `` tag helps you style the “Free!” text using CSS if needed.

`return $price;`: Finally, the function returns the modified (or original if no change was needed) price HTML.

Where to Add the Code Snippet

There are several ways to add this code snippet to your WooCommerce site:

1. Using a Code Snippets Plugin (Recommended): This is the easiest and safest method for beginners.

Install and activate a plugin like “Code Snippets” (it’s free and popular).
Go to “Snippets” -> “Add New” in your WordPress dashboard.
Give your snippet a title (e.g., “WooCommerce Zero Price”).
Paste the code into the code editor.
Choose “Run snippet everywhere” or specifically select “Only run in administration area” and “Only run on front-end.” The latter is preferred for performance reasons.
Click “Save Changes and Activate.”

2. Using your Theme’s `functions.php` file (Not Recommended for Beginners): This is a more advanced method, and it’s risky if you make mistakes. Any errors in `functions.php` can break your entire website!

Back up your `functions.php` file before making any changes!
Open your theme’s `functions.php` file (Appearance -> Theme Editor).
Carefully paste the code snippet at the very end of the file, before the closing `?>` tag (if it exists). If there’s no `?>` tag, just paste it at the end.
Click “Update File.”

Why the Code Snippets plugin is preferred:

Safer: Easier to disable if something goes wrong.
Organized: Keeps your theme files clean.
Easier to Manage: Helps you organize and manage multiple code customizations.

Testing the Code

After adding and activating the code snippet, it’s time to test it!

1. Go to a product in your WooCommerce store.

2. If the product has a price, delete the price and save the product.

3. Refresh the product page on your website.

4. You should now see “Free!” (or whatever text you chose) displayed in place of the price.

If you don’t see the change, double-check the following:

Make sure the code snippet is active.
Clear your browser cache.
Clear your WooCommerce cache (WooCommerce -> Status -> Tools -> Clear product/shop transients).

Customizing the Code (Beyond “Free!”)

You’re not limited to displaying “Free!” You can customize the code to display other values or messages:

Display “0.00”: Change `$price = ‘Free!‘;` to `$price = ‘0.00‘;`

Display “Call for Price”: Change `$price = ‘Free!‘;` to `$price = ‘Call for Price‘;` This is useful for products where the price is determined individually.

Add a different class for styling: If you want to further style it through CSS you can add a class to the span, for example: `$price = ‘0.00‘;` and then style `.zero-price` in your theme’s CSS.

Conclusion

Adding a default value like “0” or “Free!” to products with blank prices in your WooCommerce store is a simple yet powerful way to improve the user experience, build trust, and potentially increase sales. Using a code snippet, as demonstrated in this guide, provides a safe and flexible way to achieve this. Happy selling!