How to Remove Product-Category Slug in WooCommerce: A Comprehensive Guide
If you’re running a WooCommerce store, you may want to optimize your URLs for better SEO and user experience. One common task is removing the product-category slug from your WooCommerce URLs. This can make your category URLs cleaner and more appealing. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through the process of removing the product-category slug in WooCommerce, ensuring your store remains organized and SEO-friendly.
Why Remove the Product-Category Slug?
Before we dive into the steps, it’s important to understand why you might want to remove the category slug:
- **SEO Optimization**: Cleaner URLs can improve your search engine rankings by making your site more navigable and user-friendly.
- **User Experience**: Shorter, simpler URLs are easier for users to remember and share.
- **Aesthetic Appeal**: A clean URL structure enhances the overall appearance of your website.
- Go to your WordPress dashboard.
- Navigate to **Plugins > Add New**.
- Search for “Remove Category URL”.
- Install and activate the plugin.
- Once activated, the plugin will automatically remove the **product-category** slug from your URLs.
- No further configuration is required.
- Navigate to **Appearance > Theme Editor** in your WordPress dashboard.
- Select the **functions.php** file.
Steps to Remove the Product-Category Slug
Step 1: Backup Your Website
Before making any changes to your website, it’s crucial to backup your files and database. This ensures that you can restore your Explore this article on How To Group Products In Woocommerce site in case anything goes wrong during the process.
Step 2: Choose the Right Approach
There are a few methods to remove the product-category slug. Explore this article on How To Add Payment Method In WordPress Woocommerce You can use a plugin or manually edit your site’s code. We’ll cover both methods:
#### Method 1: Using a Plugin
Several plugins can help you remove the category slug easily. One popular option is the Remove Category URL plugin. Here’s how to use it:
1. Install and Activate the Plugin:
Discover insights on How To Create Shop Page Woocommerce
2. Configure the Plugin:
#### Method 2: Manual Code Editing
If you prefer not to use a plugin, you can manually edit your site’s code. Here’s how:
1. Access Your Theme’s Functions File:
2. Add the Following Code:
add_filter('request', function($vars) { global $wpdb; if(!empty($vars['attachment'])) { $slug = $vars['attachment']; $term = get_term_by('slug', $slug, 'product_cat'); if ($term) { unset($vars['attachment']); switch ($term->taxonomy) { case 'product_cat': $vars['product_cat'] = $slug; break; } } } return $vars; }); 3. Save the Changes:
- Click the **Update File** button to save your changes.
Step Read more about How To Display Product Tags In Woocommerce 3: Test Your URLs
After removing the product-category slug, make sure to test your URLs to ensure they are working correctly. Navigate to your products categories to verify that they load without issues.
Step 4: Update Internal Links and Sitemap
To keep your website organized and ensure search engines can properly crawl your site, update all internal links and regenerate your sitemap:
- **Update Internal Links**: Use a plugin like **Better Search Replace** to update all internal links pointing to old category URLs.
- **Regenerate Sitemap**: If you’re using an SEO plugin like **Yoast SEO**, regenerate your sitemap to reflect the new URL structure.
Conclusion
Removing the product-category slug from your WooCommerce URLs can significantly enhance your site’s SEO and user experience. Whether you choose to use a plugin or manually edit your site’s code, the process is straightforward and manageable. Remember to always back up your site before making any changes, and test thoroughly to ensure everything works smoothly.
By following this guide, you’ve taken an important step in optimizing your WooCommerce store for better performance and aesthetics. Enjoy the benefits of cleaner, more efficient URLs!