Woocommerce How To Show Category And Subcategories

WooCommerce: Mastering Category & Subcategory Display for Enhanced User Experience

Introduction:

One of the most effective ways to organize your WooCommerce store and improve the user experience is by strategically displaying categories and subcategories. A well-organized category structure allows customers to quickly find what they’re looking for, leading to increased sales and customer satisfaction. This article will guide you through various methods for displaying WooCommerce categories and subcategories, providing code examples and tips to enhance your store’s navigation. We’ll cover everything from simple widget displays to more advanced custom coding solutions. Understanding how to effectively showcase your categories is crucial for any WooCommerce store owner aiming to optimize their shop for conversions.

Main Part:

There are several approaches you can take to display WooCommerce categories and subcategories. We’ll explore the most common and effective methods:

1. Using the WooCommerce Product Category Widget

The simplest way to display categories is by using the built-in WooCommerce Product Category widget. This widget is readily available within your WordPress dashboard.

* How to Use:

1. Go to Appearance -> Widgets in your WordPress admin area.

2. Find the “WooCommerce Product Categories” widget.

3. Drag and drop it to your desired sidebar or widget area (e.g., “Shop Sidebar”).

4. Configure the widget options:

• Title: Enter a title for the widget (e.g., “Product Categories”).
• Display as dropdown: Choose whether to display categories as a dropdown menu.
• Show product counts: Choose whether to show the number of products in each category.
• Show hierarchy: Check this box to display subcategories nested under their parent categories. This is essential for a clear visual hierarchy.

5. Click “Save”.

* Pros:

• Easy to implement, no coding required.
• Provides basic category display with hierarchy.

* Cons:

• Limited customization options. You can’t drastically alter the appearance without custom CSS.
• Doesn’t offer advanced filtering or sorting options.

2. Displaying Categories with a Shortcode

WooCommerce provides a shortcode that allows you to display product categories on any page or post.

* Shortcode: `[product_categories]`

* Attributes:

• `number`: (optional) The number of categories to display. Defaults to all. For example: `number=”5″`
• `orderby`: (optional) How to order the categories. Options include ‘name’, ‘slug’, ‘term_group’, ‘term_id’, ‘id’, ‘description’. Defaults to ‘name’. For example: `orderby=”term_id”`
• `order`: (optional) Whether to order in ascending (‘ASC’) or descending (‘DESC’) order. Defaults to ‘ASC’. For example: `order=”DESC”`
• `columns`: (optional) The number of columns to display the categories Discover insights on How To Make Woocommerce My WordPress Homepage in. Defaults to 3. For example: `columns=”4″`
• `hide_empty`: (optional) Whether to hide categories with no products. ‘1’ for true, ‘0’ for false. Defaults to ‘1’. For example: `hide_empty=”0″`
• `parent`: (optional) Only display children of this category ID. If set to “0”, only top-level categories are displayed. For example: `parent=”15″` (Displays subcategories of category ID 15)
• `ids`: (optional) Display only specific categories by providing a comma-separated list of IDs. For example: `ids=”1,5,10″`

* Example: To display the top-level categories in two columns:

[product_categories columns=”2″ parent=”0″]

* Pros:

• More control over placement of categories on pages and posts.
• Flexible options through shortcode attributes.

* Cons:

• Requires some understanding of shortcode attributes.
• Still limited in terms of advanced styling without CSS.

3. Custom Coding for Advanced Category Display (PHP)

For the most control over how your categories and subcategories are displayed, you can use custom PHP code within your theme’s `functions.php` file or a custom plugin. This allows you to create highly tailored solutions. Always backup your site before making changes to `functions.php`!

* Example Code (Displaying Categories with Subcategories):

 function custom_display_product_categories() { $args = array( 'taxonomy' => 'product_cat', 'orderby' => 'name', 'show_count' => 0, // 1 for yes, 0 for no 'pad_counts' => 0, // 1 for yes, 0 for no 'hierarchical' => 1, // 1 for yes, 0 for no 'title_li' => '', 'hide_empty' => 0 // 1 for yes, 0 for no ); 

echo ‘

‘;

wp_list_categories( $args );

echo ‘

‘;

}

// To use this function in a template file:

//

//Alternatively to display within a shortcode

add_shortcode(‘custom_categories’, ‘custom_display_product_categories’);

//Then call with [custom_categories]

* Explanation:

• The `wp_list_categories()` function is a WordPress function that displays categories. We’re customizing its behavior by passing an array of arguments.
• `taxonomy` specifies the taxonomy to display (in this case, `product_cat` for WooCommerce product categories).
• `orderby` determines the order of the categories.
• `show_count` displays the number of products in each category.
• `hierarchical` ensures subcategories are displayed nested under their parents.
• `title_li` removes the default “Categories” title.
• `hide_empty` includes or excludes categories with no products.

* Customizing the Output: You can further customize the HTML output by using filters provided by WordPress. For example, you could use the `wp_list_categories` filter to add custom CSS classes to the category list items.

* Pros:

• Maximum control over the appearance and functionality.
• Allows for advanced filtering, sorting, and display options.

* Cons:

• Requires PHP coding knowledge.
• Can be more time-consuming to implement.
• Careful testing is needed to ensure compatibility and avoid errors.

4. Utilize Plugins

There are numerous plugins available in the WordPress plugin repository specifically designed to enhance WooCommerce category display. These plugins often offer features such as:

* Category image display

* Advanced filtering options

* Grid layouts

* Customizable category pages

* AJAX category loading

Examples include:

* WooCommerce Category Accordion: Displays categories in an accordion style.

* Category Images for WooCommerce: Adds category images to the category archive pages.

* Pros:

• Many plugins offer user-friendly interfaces.
• Quickly add advanced features without coding.

* Cons:

• Can sometimes conflict with other plugins or themes.
• Quality and support can vary.

Conclusion:

Displaying WooCommerce categories and subcategories effectively is vital Learn more about How To Advertise Free Shipping Woocommerce for improving navigation and boosting sales. This article has covered several methods, from the simple WooCommerce widget to custom coding solutions. The best approach depends on your technical skills, desired level of customization, and the specific needs of your online store. Carefully consider the pros and cons of each method and choose the one that best aligns with your goals. Remember to test your changes thoroughly to ensure a seamless and user-friendly shopping experience for your customers. Investing time in optimizing your category display will ultimately pay off in increased conversions and customer satisfaction.