WooCommerce is a free e-commerce plugin that integrates easily into WordPress websites. With it, you can open an online shop and sell products, handle transactions, appointments, reservations, and subscriptions.
This article covers everything you need to know about adding, managing, and selling products on your website. We’ll also share 5 top WooCommerce product management plugins that make the process easier.
Product categories
Understanding the basics is important before diving into product management.
- Product categories help you organize products into groups. If you sell clothing, you might create categories like tops, bottoms, and evening dresses. This helps customers find items quickly. You can create unlimited categories and edit them as needed.
- Attributes help filter products based on properties like size, color, and material. This makes it easier for customers to find what they want. You can assign individual attributes to each product or define global attributes for your entire website.
To change the default WooCommerce category order or hide WooCommerce categories, refer to our guides for more information.
Product types
WooCommerce includes several predefined product types to save you time.
- Simple – Products shipped without options, like a physical book.
- Grouped – Related products that can be purchased individually, like a dozen shot glasses.
- Virtual – Products like services that don’t require shipping.
- Downloadable – Products customers can download, such as songs, pictures, videos, and e-books.
- External – Products advertised on your website but sold elsewhere.
- Variable – Products with different characteristics like size or color, such as clothing.
Adding new products
Here’s how to add products to your website. Go to the Products section in the left menu and click Add New.
Enter the product name and description. Include important information about your product in the description.
Move to the Product Data section where you can customize product details. Use the dropdown menu to change the product type. Start with the Simple product type to get familiar with the process.
Configure product data
The Simple product type includes these sections:
General – Set up WooCommerce product prices here. You can also set product prices, discounts, and discount dates.
Inventory – Track your stock levels. Enter your SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) and check if the product is in stock. Select “Sold Individually” if you want to limit purchases to one per customer.
Shipping – Manage transport settings including dimensions, weight, and shipping class.
Linked Products – Recommend related products on the product page. These appear as suggestions and can increase sales through cross-selling. Search for specific products and select them from the dropdown list.
Attributes – Assign details to products. Choose from global attribute sets you’ve created or create custom attributes for individual products. Select an attribute and click Add. Use the “Visible on product page” option to control what customers see.
Advanced – Create purchase notes for customers, control reviews, and set menu orders for special products.
Finalize and publish
After completing the product data, add a brief description that appears under the product title. In the Product Categories section on the right, select the appropriate category. Add tags under Product Tags. Upload a cover image and gallery images for your product.
Click the Publish button when you’re ready. Your product is now live.
Managing products
Product management happens on the main Products page, where you can view and manage all products. Here you can edit, delete, duplicate, and add products. You can also perform bulk operations by selecting multiple products.
Duplicate a product
Creating similar products with different variations saves time. Go to WooCommerce > Products and click Duplicate below the product you want to copy.
Edit a product
Click Edit in the product list to modify any product. This takes you to the editing page where you can change the name, description, photos, and all product properties. Click Update when finished.
You can delete products using the Move to Trash option next to the Update button.
Mark as featured
To feature a product, go to Products > All Products and click the star in the Featured column.
Top 5 WooCommerce product management plugins
These plugins make product management easier and can increase sales.
1. WP Inventory Manager
This plugin helps you manage products and inventory on your WordPress website. It works well for car dealers, art collectors, parts dealers, and similar businesses. You can record unlimited items and set permissions for who can add or edit products.
Pricing – Free plan available. Premium features for up to 2 websites cost $49.99. Full access with unlimited websites costs $149.99.
2. Password Protection for WordPress Pro (PPWP Pro)
PPWP Pro protects your online shop and products with passwords. Customers receive passwords or quick access links after purchase. You control usage limits and expiry times to prevent unauthorized sharing.
Pricing – Three packages ranging from $178.80 to $282.80 per year. The WooCommerce extension costs $69.90 per year.
3. Prevent Direct Access Gold (PDA Gold)
PDA Gold protects product files from unauthorized access and downloads. Set IP restrictions, download limits, and link expiration times. The plugin integrates with membership plugins to grant access to paid members or specific user roles.
Pricing – Three packages starting at $14.90 per year, with lifetime license options available. The WooCommerce addon costs $69.90 per year.
4. MonsterInsights
This eCommerce tracking plugin helps you track data in Google Analytics. It displays important information in your WordPress dashboard, helping you make data-driven decisions. You get quick access to shopping cart activity, successful products, and other key metrics.
Pricing – Three paid plans. Agency plan costs $399.50, Pro plan costs $199.50, and Plus plan costs $99.50.
5. All-in-One SEO
The leading SEO plugin for WooCommerce shops. It creates SEO titles and descriptions for products automatically and makes it easy to add custom SEO data for individual products. The plugin generates XML sitemaps containing product and category information, helping search engines find your products more efficiently.
Pricing – Four plans based on usage. Basic plan supports one website for $49.99. Plus plan includes up to 3 websites for $99.60. Pro plan allows up to 10 websites for $174. Elite plan supports up to 100 websites for $224.
Conclusion
Adding and managing products in WooCommerce is straightforward, especially with the right plugins. Access products from the left toolbar, click Add New to add products, and use All Products to view, edit, and highlight products on one page. Practice these steps a few times and you’ll become comfortable with the process quickly.
