Woocommerce How To Create Sub Categories In Shop

WooCommerce: How to Create Subcategories in Your Online Shop (and Why You Should!)

So you’ve got your WooCommerce shop up and running – congratulations! But as your product catalog grows, you’ll quickly realize the importance of organization. That’s where subcategories come in. Think of them as the helpful aisles in a real-life store, guiding your customers directly to what they need. This article will walk you through how to easily create subcategories in your WooCommerce store, and explain why it’s a *must* for a smooth user experience and improved SEO.

Why Use Subcategories? The Real-World Benefits

Imagine a clothing store that just piles *everything* – shirts, pants, socks, hats – into one giant heap. Frustrating, right? Subcategories do the opposite. They:

• Improve Navigation: Let customers find what they’re looking for *fast*. Instead of wading through hundreds of products, they can narrow their search with a few clicks. Think of it like this: Clothing -> Women’s -> Dresses -> Summer Dresses.
• Enhance User Experience (UX): A well-organized shop keeps customers happy and encourages them to browse longer. A frustrated shopper is a lost sale!
• Boost SEO: Using relevant keywords in your category and subcategory names helps search engines understand what your shop is about. This can lead to better rankings and more organic traffic. For example, instead of a generic “Accessories” category, use “Women’s Fashion Accessories” to target a more specific audience.
• Simplify Management: Organizing products into categories makes it easier to manage your inventory and run targeted promotions.
• Showcase Specific Collections: Highlight seasonal items, sale items, or product lines using subcategories.

How to Create Subcategories in WooCommerce

Here’s the step-by-step guide to creating subcategories in your WooCommerce store. It’s easier than you think!

1. Login to Your WordPress Dashboard: This is where the magic happens. Go to your website’s admin URL (usually `yourdomain.com/wp-admin`).

2. Navigate to Products > Categories: In the left-hand menu, find “Products” and click on “Categories”.

3. Add a New Category (or Edit an Existing One): You’ll see a form on the left-hand side labeled “Add New Category”.

• Name: Enter the name of your subcategory. For example, “Running Shoes”.
• Slug (Optional): The slug is the URL-friendly version of the name. WooCommerce usually generates this automatically, but you can customize it. For “Running Shoes”, the slug might be “running-shoes”.
• Parent Category: This is the crucial step! In the “Parent Category” dropdown, select the main category to which this subcategory belongs. For “Running Shoes”, you might select “Shoes”. If you don’t select a parent category, you’ll create a *top-level category*, not a subcategory.
• Description (Optional but Recommended): Write a brief description of the subcategory. This is good for both users and SEO. For example, “Find the perfect running shoes for any terrain, from trail running to road races.”
• Display Type (Optional): Choose how the subcategory should be displayed on the shop page. You can show products, subcategories, or both.
• Thumbnail (Optional but Recommended): Upload an image to represent the subcategory. This makes your shop visually appealing and helps customers quickly identify the categories they’re looking for. Use a relevant, high-quality image.

4. Click “Add New Category”: Once you’ve filled in the information, click the “Add New Category” button.

5. Repeat for More Subcategories: Continue adding subcategories as needed, assigning each one to the correct parent category.

Example: A Coffee Shop

Let’s say you run an online coffee shop using WooCommerce. Here’s how you might structure your categories and subcategories:

• Category: Coffee
• Subcategory: Whole Bean Coffee
• Subcategory: Ground Coffee
• Subcategory: Decaf Coffee
• Subcategory: Single Origin Coffee
• Category: Brewing Equipment
• Subcategory: French Presses
• Subcategory: Pour Over
• Subcategory: Espresso Machines
• Category: Accessories
• Subcategory: Coffee Grinders
• Subcategory: Mugs & Cups
• Subcategory: Filters

This clear structure makes it easy for customers to find exactly what they’re looking for, whether it’s whole bean decaf coffee or a French press for their kitchen.

Best Practices for WooCommerce Subcategories

• Plan Ahead: Before creating any categories, sketch out your ideal category structure. Think about your product line and how customers would naturally search for items.
• Use Relevant Keywords: Research keywords that people use to search for your products and incorporate them into Read more about How To Send Order Email In Woocommerce your category and subcategory names and descriptions. Tools like Google Keyword Planner can help.
• Keep it Simple: Don’t create too many categories or subcategories. Overcomplicating the structure can be as bad as not having any organization at all.
• Use Descriptive Category Names: Avoid jargon or overly technical terms. Use language that your target audience understands.
• Regularly Review and Update: As your product line evolves, revisit your category structure and make adjustments as needed.
• Don’t Nest Too Deeply: While sub-subcategories are possible, try to avoid nesting more than 2-3 levels deep. Too much nesting can make navigation confusing.

Troubleshooting: What if My Subcategory Doesn’t Appear?

• Check the Parent Category: Double-check that you’ve correctly assigned the subcategory to a parent category. It’s easy to accidentally forget this step.
• Clear Your Cache: Sometimes, your browser or website caching plugin can prevent changes from appearing immediately. Clear your cache and reload the page.
• Theme Compatibility: In rare cases, your WordPress theme might have compatibility issues that prevent subcategories from displaying correctly. Try temporarily switching to a default WordPress theme (like Twenty Twenty-Three) to see if that resolves the issue. If it does, contact your theme developer for support.
• Product Assignment: Make sure you have assigned products *to* the categories you’re using. If you categories are empty they will not be displayed.

Code Snippet: Display Subcategories on Category Page

While most themes handle this automatically, you might need a small code snippet to display subcategories on a main category page. You can add this code to your theme’s `functions.php` file (use a child theme to avoid losing changes during theme updates!) or use a code snippets plugin.

 <?php /** 
Display subcategories on category archive pages.
 */ function woocommerce_maybe_show_product_subcategories( $category ) { $args = array( 'parent' => $category->term_id, 'taxonomy' => 'product_cat', 'hide_empty' => 0, // Show even if empty ); 

$subcategories = get_terms( Read more about How To Add Menu To Woocommerce Shop Page $args );

if ( $subcategories ) {

echo ‘

‘;

foreach ( $subcategories as $subcategory ) {

echo ‘

• ‘ . esc_html( $subcategory->name ) . ‘

‘;

}

echo ‘

‘;

}

}

add_action( ‘woocommerce_archive_description’, ‘woocommerce_maybe_show_product_subcategories’ );

?>

Important: Be very careful when editing your theme’s files directly. Always back up your website before making any code changes. Using a code snippets plugin is generally safer for beginners.

Conclusion: Get Organized and Grow Your WooCommerce Store!

Creating subcategories in WooCommerce is a simple but incredibly powerful way to improve the user experience, boost your SEO, and manage your product catalog effectively. By taking the time to plan and implement a well-structured category system, you’ll be well on your way to building a successful and thriving online store. Happy selling!