WooCommerce: Mastering Product Sorting on Category Pages (Beginner-Friendly)
Want to make your WooCommerce category pages more user-friendly and boost sales? One of the easiest ways to do this is by customizing the product sorting options. Instead of just relying on the default “Popularity” or “Newness,” you can fine-tune how products are displayed to better guide your customers to what they’re looking for. This article will guide you through how to use a sorted order on your WooCommerce product category pages, even if you’re a complete beginner.
Imagine you have a clothing store. Customers landing on your “T-Shirts” category might want to see the most stylish (top rated), the newest arrivals first, or even the cheapest options if they are budget oriented. Giving them control over sorting makes it easier to find what they want, leading to more sales and happier customers.
Why Sorted Order Matters for SEO and User Experience
* Improved User Experience: Offering relevant sorting options helps customers find what they’re looking for quickly. A good user experience leads to longer time spent on your site and a lower bounce rate – both important SEO signals.
* Boost Conversion Rates: By allowing users to sort by price (low to high or high to low), you cater to different buying behaviors. Someone on a budget will appreciate seeing the cheapest options first.
* SEO Benefits (Indirect): While product sorting itself isn’t a direct ranking factor, the resulting improvements in user experience (mentioned above) *do* indirectly benefit your search engine rankings. Happier users lead to better rankings.
Understanding the Default WooCommerce Sorting Options
Out of the box, WooCommerce provides these sorting options:
* Default Sorting (Custom Ordering + Name): Uses a custom order you set manually for each product (we’ll cover this later) combined with alphabetical order.
* Popularity (Sales): Sorts products based on the number of sales.
* Average Rating: Sorts products based on their average customer rating.
* Newness (Date): Sorts products by their publication date (newest first).
* Price: Low to High: Sorts products by price, from lowest to highest.
* Price: High to Low: Sorts products by price, from highest to lowest.
These options are a good starting point, but you might want more control! Let’s explore how to customize them.
How to Customize the Default Sorting Options
There are two main ways to customize the sorting order:
1. Using the WooCommerce Admin Panel (Easy): This method is best for simple adjustments.
2. Using Code (For More Advanced Customization): This allows you to add entirely new sorting options.
1. Customizing Sorting via the WooCommerce Admin Panel
This is the easiest method and perfect for beginners. Here’s how:
1. Log in to your WordPress Admin Panel.
2. Go to WooCommerce > Settings.
3. Click on the Products tab.
4. Learn more about How Can I Bulk Upload Products To Woocommerce Click on the Display sub-tab.
5. Find the Default product sorting dropdown.
Here, you can choose your preferred default sorting option for *all* product category pages.
Example:
Let’s say you’re launching a new product line and want to prioritize showing these new items. You’d simply select “Newness (Date)” from the dropdown.
Important Note: This setting applies globally to all product category pages. If you need different sorting for specific categories, you’ll need to use the code method described later.
2. Using Code to Add or Learn more about Woocommerce How To Add Variable Product Modify Sorting Options (Advanced)
For greater flexibility, you can use code to add completely new sorting options or change the order of the existing ones. This requires basic PHP knowledge.
Important: Always back up your website before making any code changes! It’s also best practice to use a child theme to avoid losing your changes when the parent theme updates.
#### Adding a Custom Sorting Option (Example: By Title (Z-A))
Let’s say you want to add a sorting option to sort products alphabetically by title, but in reverse order (Z to A). Here’s the code:
add_filter( 'woocommerce_catalog_orderby', 'woo_add_title_z_a_orderby' ); function woo_add_title_z_a_orderby( $sortby ) { $sortby['title_za'] = 'Sort by Title (Z-A)'; return $sortby; }
add_filter( ‘woocommerce_get_catalog_ordering_args’, ‘woo_title_z_a_orderby’ );
function woo_title_z_a_orderby( $args ) {
if ( isset( $_GET[‘orderby’] ) && ‘title_za’ == $_GET[‘orderby’] ) {
$args[‘orderby’] = ‘title’;
$args[‘order’] = ‘DESC’; // Descending order (Z-A)
}
return $args;
}
Explanation:
- `add_filter( ‘woocommerce_catalog_orderby’, … )`: This filter adds the new sorting option “Sort by Title (Z-A)” to the dropdown list on the category page.
- `add_filter( ‘woocommerce_get_catalog_ordering_args’, … )`: This Explore this article on How To Add Additional Checkout Field For A Woocommerce Product filter tells WooCommerce *how* to actually sort the products when the “Sort by Title (Z-A)” option is selected. We set `orderby` to ‘title’ and `order` to ‘DESC’ (descending).
How to Implement the Code:
1. Access your `functions.php` file: You can usually find this file in your child theme’s directory (Appearance > Theme Editor). Again, use a child theme!
2. Paste the code: Copy the PHP code above and paste it at the bottom of your `functions.php` file.
3. Save the file: Click “Update File.”
Now, go to your product category page, and you should see the “Sort by Title (Z-A)” option in the dropdown!
Important Considerations when using code:
* Performance: Complex sorting logic can impact your website’s performance. Optimize your queries and consider caching if necessary.
* Conflicts: Be aware that custom code can sometimes conflict with other plugins or your theme. Test thoroughly!
* Updates: When WooCommerce updates, custom code might require adjustments to remain compatible.
Setting a Custom Product Order Manually
If you choose the “Default Sorting (Custom Ordering + Name)” option in WooCommerce settings (mentioned above), you can manually set the order of products within a category:
1. Go to Products > All Products in your WordPress admin panel.
2. Hover over a product and click “Edit.”
3. Look for the “Product Data” metabox. (If you don’t see it, make sure the “Product Data” option is checked in Screen Options at the top right of the page).
4. Go to the “Advanced” tab inside the “Product Data” metabox.
5. Set the “Menu order”. This is a number that determines the product’s position. Lower numbers appear earlier in the list. You can use negative numbers.
6. Update the product.
7. Repeat for all products you want to reorder.
Products with lower “Menu Order” numbers will Learn more about How To Import Woocommerce Orders To Quickbooks appear higher in the category list when “Default Sorting” is selected. This is great for featured products!
Conclusion
Customizing the product sorting on your WooCommerce category pages is a powerful way to improve user experience, boost sales, and subtly enhance your SEO. Start with the easy admin panel settings. As you become more comfortable, explore custom code to create truly tailored sorting options that meet the specific needs of your store and your customers. Remember to always back up your website before making any changes and test thoroughly! Good luck!
