Introduction

How To Get Product Category in WooCommerce

How to Get Product Category in WooCommerce: A Comprehensive Guide

WooCommerce is a robust eCommerce platform that powers a significant portion of online stores around the globe. In this guide, we’ll explore how to get product categories in WooCommerce an essential feature for organizing and displaying your products effectively. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced developer, this guide will help you navigate the process with ease.

Understanding WooCommerce Categories

Before diving into the technical methods, it’s important to understand what product categories are and why they matter.

In WooCommerce, categories help organize your products into logical groups. This structure makes it easier for customers to navigate your store and enhances your site’s SEO. Well-planned categories improve visibility, browsing experience, and overall store structure.

Why Retrieve Product Categories?

Retrieving categories is essential when you want to:

  • Display categories on the store homepage or sidebar

  • Filter products based on categories

  • Create custom product category pages

  • Improve navigation and user experience

Methods to Get Product Categories in WooCommerce

There are several approaches to retrieve product categories in WooCommerce. Below are the most practical and widely used methods.

1. Using WooCommerce Functions

WooCommerce provides built-in functions that make retrieving categories simple and efficient.

Get All Product Categories

To retrieve all product categories, use the get_terms() function:

$categories = get_terms( array(
'taxonomy' => 'product_cat',
'hide_empty' => false,
) );

foreach ( $categories as $category ) {
echo '<h2>' . $category->name . '</h2>';
}

Key Points:

  • Taxonomy: Use product_cat for WooCommerce product categories.

  • hide_empty: Set to false to show all categories, even if they have no products.

Get Product Categories by Product ID

To get categories for a specific product, use wp_get_post_terms():

$product_id = 123; // Replace with your product ID
$product_categories = wp_get_post_terms( $product_id, 'product_cat' );

foreach ( $product_categories as $category ) {
echo '<h2>' . $category->name . '</h2>';
}

Key Points:

  • Replace 123 with an actual product ID.

  • Useful for showing categories on single product pages.

(Referenced link preserved: How To Customize WooCommerce Login Page)

2. Utilizing WooCommerce Shortcodes

If you prefer not to use PHP, WooCommerce shortcodes offer a simple solution.

Display Product Categories

Use this shortcode on any WordPress page:

[product_categories number="12" columns="4" hide_empty="0"]

Key Points:

  • number: How many categories to show.

  • columns: Number of display columns.

  • hide_empty: Set to 0 to show empty categories.

3. Customizing WooCommerce Templates

For full control over category display, advanced users can customize WooCommerce template files.

Override Template Files

To customize category output:

  1. Copy the needed template from woocommerce/templates/

  2. Paste it inside your theme’s /woocommerce/ folder

  3. Edit the PHP as needed

Example:

$category_id = get_queried_object_id();
$category = get_term_by( 'id', $category_id, 'product_cat' );

if ( $category ) {
echo '<h2>' . $category->name . '</h2>';
echo '<p>' . $category->description . '</p>';
}

This method lets you customize pages such as category archives, layouts, and styling.

(Referenced links preserved:
• How To Disable Shop Page In WooCommerce
• How To Put WooCommerce In Maintenance Mode)

Best Practices for Managing Product Categories

To maximize usability and SEO:

  • Logical Structure: Organize categories intuitively based on how customers search.

  • SEO Optimization: Add relevant keywords to category names and descriptions.

  • Regular Updates: Adjust categories as your product catalog evolves.

  • Consistency: Use clear naming conventions and avoid duplicates.

(Referenced link preserved: How To Skip Cart Page In WooCommerce)

Conclusion

Retrieving product categories in WooCommerce is a powerful capability that enhances navigation, SEO, and user experience. Whether you’re using built-in functions, shortcodes, or template customization, these methods give you flexibility and control in displaying and managing categories.

With this comprehensive guide, you’re now well-equipped to use WooCommerce categories to improve your store’s structure, visibility, and customer experience all while maintaining strong SEO foundations.

Latest Articles

View All
Shopping Cart
Scroll to Top