WooCommerce Shortcodes Guide: What Are They and How You Can Use Them

Key Takeaways

• WooCommerce shortcodes are a simple way to add dynamic content and functionality to your online store without needing to code.
• They let you easily display products, categories, cart details, checkout forms, and other store elements on any page or post.
• Using the correct shortcode and its parameters allows for customization of how these elements appear and function on your site.

WooCommerce shortcodes are a handy way to add dynamic content and features to your online store without dealing with complicated code. They make it easy to display products, categories, carts, and checkout forms anywhere on your site.

Want to showcase products on a page? Or customize your checkout layout? WooCommerce shortcodes give you the flexibility to design your store exactly the way you want.

Shortcodes give you the flexibility to design your store exactly the way you want—without relying on extra plugins or complex coding.

Many WooCommerce store owners use shortcodes to redesign pages, test layouts, migrate content, or create backups quickly and efficiently.

Even though the Gutenberg editor offers a visual way to design pages, many WooCommerce store owners still prefer shortcodes for their ease of use, customization options, and ability to simplify migration or backup processes.

In this guide, we’ll explain what WooCommerce shortcodes are, how they work, and how to use them to enhance your store’s functionality.

What Are WooCommerce Shortcodes?

Ever wanted to add things like a product list, shopping cart, custom order status or even an order tracker to your WooCommerce store but didn’t want to mess with code? Shortcodes are here to help.

These are small snippets of code wrapped in square brackets (like [shortcode]) that you can drop into your WordPress pages or posts.

Once you add them, they’ll automatically display whatever content or feature you want—no coding skills needed.

Why Are WooCommerce Shortcodes So Useful?

WooCommerce store owners rely on shortcodes because they simplify adding dynamic features without coding.

Want to showcase best-selling products, let customers track orders, or display a checkout page? Shortcodes make it possible without hiring a developer.

They’re perfect for creating product grids, customer accounts, or specialized layouts with minimal effort.

The best part? You can customize shortcodes to fit your exact needs—show products from a specific category, limit the number of items displayed, or highlight featured products.

Shortcodes also make tasks like migration and backup easier, helping store owners maintain flexibility and control over their content.

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How Do WooCommerce Shortcodes Work?

WooCommerce shortcodes are pre-made code snippets that allow you to add dynamic features and content to your pages and posts without writing custom code. These shortcodes are built into WooCommerce, so you don’t need a separate plugin to use them.

A WooCommerce shortcode typically consists of a main body and optional parameters for customization. For example:

• [woocommerce_cart] – displays the WooCommerce cart shortcode
• [woocommerce_checkout] – displays the WooCommerce checkout shortcode
• [products] – displays the WooCommerce product shortcode

Optional parameters let you tailor the shortcode’s behavior. For instance, with the [products] shortcode, you could use:

products limit="8" columns="4"

Here, limit=”8″ sets the number of products displayed, and columns=”4″ controls the layout. This flexibility allows you to adjust your store’s cart and checkout sections, product grids, or featured items effortlessly.

WooCommerce shortcodes are powered by the WooCommerce Shortcode API, which ensures consistent functionality and compatibility across your store.

WooCommerce Shortcode Attributes

Many shortcodes support attributes (or arguments) to control their display.

For example, the [add_to_cart] shortcode normally creates a button, but you can target a specific product by ID:

[add_to_cart id="25"]

This shows an “Add to Cart” button for the product with ID 25. Different shortcodes support different attributes, letting you adjust product categories, display limits, layouts, and more.

For added functionality, third-party plugins can extend the built-in shortcodes or provide new ones to suit your store’s needs.

How to Use Shortcodes in WooCommerce?

Using shortcodes in WooCommerce is very easy. Simply follow these steps:

With Classic Editor

• Go to the product page or post where you want to add the shortcode.
• In the post editor, place the cursor where you want the shortcode to appear.
• Type the shortcode in square brackets. For example, [shortcode].
• If the shortcode requires any parameters or attributes, you can add them inside the brackets. For example, [shortcode attribute=”value”].
• I’ll use the simple [woocommerce_cart] shortcode.

• Publish or update the page or post. I’ll add the shortcode to my “Refund and Returns Policy” page.
• The page will look like this now:

With Gutenberg Block Editor

If you’re using the Gutenberg editor, click the (+) icon to add a new block. Then, search for the shortcode block in the search bar.

Once it appears, select it and paste your shortcode into the field. Well, use the [woocommerce_cart] shortcode to display the cart page.

If I preview the page, I should see my shortcode. However, since I haven’t added any products to my cart, I’m seeing the “Your cart is currently empty” message.

Keep in mind that if you don’t use third-party plugins that extend or add additional shortcodes, you’ll only have access to the default shortcodes provided by WooCommerce, which cover many essential functions out of the box.

That said, I’ll list all the default shortcodes included with WooCommerce, so you can decide if you need to install third-party plugins to add more advanced shortcodes.

What Shortcodes Are Included With Woocommerce?

Here’s a table with the shortcodes available by default in WooCommerce, along with their descriptions and the corresponding block alternatives, as WooCommerce also supports block-based store editing.

Shortcode	Description	Block Alternative
[woocommerce_cart]	Displays the shopping cart page.	Cart block
[woocommerce_checkout]	Shows the checkout page.	Checkout block
[woocommerce_my_account]	Displays the user’s account page.	No block available at the moment
[woocommerce_order_tracking]	Allows customers to track their orders using a form (with attributes).	Not available as a block
[product_page]	Shows a detailed page for a single product, using either its ID or SKU.	Custom product page templates via the store editor
[products]	Displays products based on specific parameters (supports various attributes).	Product collection block (and other related blocks)
[product_category]	Shows products from a selected category (with various customizable options).	Product collection block
[product_categories]	Lists all product categories (with customizable settings).	No block available currently
[add_to_cart]	Shows an add-to-cart button for a specific product (with attributes).	Available in single product page templates
[add_to_cart_url]	Generates the URL for adding a product to the cart (supports attributes).	Not available as a block
[shop_messages]	Displays shop-related messages on pages outside of WooCommerce content.	Store notices block

What Are the Best WooCommerce Shortcodes for Product Display?

When it comes to showcasing products on your WooCommerce store, certain shortcodes stand out for their flexibility and ease of use.

The [products] shortcode is the most versatile option, allowing you to display multiple products, filter by categories, tags, or product IDs, and control the layout with parameters like limit and columns. This makes it perfect for creating dynamic product grids anywhere on your site.

For displaying a single product in detail, the [product_page] shortcode is ideal. It highlights one product on any page or post, presenting all product details, images, and the “Add to Cart” button in a clean, focused layout.

Together, these two shortcodes cover most product display needs, making them the go-to options for WooCommerce store owners.

WooCommerce Product Search & Filter Shortcodes (Paid Option)

WooCommerce also provides additional WooCommerce product shortcodes for live product search and filtering as part of its premium features, available at $4.92 per month and billed annually at $59.

These shortcodes allow store owners to enhance their online store by providing dynamic, real-time product search and filtering options. Store owners can enable customers to easily search for products as they type, filter by categories, attributes, price range, and more, and view results instantly, improving the overall shopping experience.

Some of the available shortcodes include:

• Live Product Search Field: [woocommerce_product_search] lets customers search for products as they type, showing product titles, descriptions, prices, and an “Add to Cart” button.
• Live Product Filters: Shortcodes such as [woocommerce_product_filter], [woocommerce_product_filter_category], and [woocommerce_product_filter_price] provide real-time filtering options based on various product attributes.
• Dynamic Shop Pages: The shortcode [woocommerce_product_filter_products] displays products that dynamically update as customers apply filters.

Additional WooCommerce Shortcodes Offered by Plugins

If you want to use more shortcodes for advanced features like product add-ons, subscriptions, or booking options, you’ll need to install specific plugins that offer these functionalities. Below, I’ll list some popular plugins and the shortcodes they provide in the table.

Plugin Name	Shortcode	Description
WooCommerce Product Add-Ons	[product_addons]	Displays the product add-ons options for a specific product.
WooCommerce Subscriptions	[woocommerce_subscription]	Displays subscription plans or details related to a subscription.
WooCommerce Memberships	[woocommerce_memberships]	Allows members to view exclusive content based on their membership.
WooCommerce Bookings	[woocommerce_bookings]	Displays the booking options for a product.
WooCommerce Customizer	[woo_customizer]	Customize product pages, categories, etc., based on the settings.
WooCommerce Extra Product Options	[product_options]	Adds extra custom fields or options to products.
WooCommerce Dynamic Pricing	[dynamic_pricing]	Shows dynamically priced products based on user or cart conditions.
WooCommerce Product Vendors	[product_vendors]	Displays vendor-related products and information.
WooCommerce Currency Converter	[currency_converter]	Allows customers to convert prices based on different currencies.
WooCommerce Wishlist	[woocommerce_wishlist]	Allows users to view and manage their wishlist.
WooCommerce Gift Cards	[woo_gift_cards]	Displays the gift card purchase option.
WooCommerce PDF Invoices & Packing Slips	[pdf_invoice]	Displays the PDF invoice for a given order.

29 WooCommerce Shortcodes to Manage Your Online Store

We have divided the WooCommerce shortcodes into four categories:

1. Page Shortcodes
2. Product Display Shortcodes
3. Add to Cart and Cart Display Shortcodes
4. Functionality Shortcodes

Page Shortcodes

1. Cart Page Shortcode

This shortcode is used to display and showcase the contents of the customer’s shopping cart on a WooCommerce-powered website.

[woocommerce_cart]

2. Shop Messages

To display WooCommerce messages (e.g., “Product added to cart”) on non-WooCommerce pages, use the following shortcode:

[shop_messages]

This shortcode is useful for showing notifications like cart updates or order confirmations on regular WordPress pages or posts.

3. Checkout Page Shortcode

The shortcode shows a checkout form with all the needed fields for customers to finish their purchases. You can customize it using parameters like order_review, terms, privacy_policy, and login_form.

[woocommerce_checkout]

4. User Account Page Shortcode

This shortcode simply displays the My Account Page, providing customers an easy way to update their personal details.

[woocommerce_my_account]

5. Order Tracking Shortcode

This shortcode incorporates order tracking functionality, allowing customers to trace and monitor the status of their orders conveniently.

[woocommerce_order_tracking]

Note: You can also combine shortcodes on a single page for enhanced functionality. For example, you can create a page featuring both the account details (the shortcode we looked at earlier) and order tracking forms using:

[woocommerce_my_account]

and

[woocommerce_order_tracking]

Product Display Shortcodes

6. Products

To display products with customizable parameters like limit, columns, category, and more, use the following shortcode:

[products]

The screenshot above is showing products since we didn’t use any attributes.

If I want to display 2 products in 2 columns from the “hoodies” category, I’d add:

[products limit="2" columns="2" category="hoodies"]

 

7. Product Categories

To display product categories with customizable parameters like ids, columns, limit, and more, use the following shortcode:

[product_categories ids="1,2" columns="6" limit="6"]

I’ll update the shortcode like this for my site:

[product_categories ids="27"]

I did this because I wanted to display only the men’s hoodies category on my site, and the ID for it is ID=27.

 

This shortcode is ideal for showcasing product categories in a grid layout. It offers options to hide empty categories or display only top-level categories.

8. Products by SKU

To display products by specific SKUs, use the following shortcode:

[products skus]

This shortcode is useful for showcasing specific products based on their SKUs.

If I want to display products with SKUs “123” and “456”, I’d add:

[products skus="123,456"]

This will show the products with the specified SKUs.

9. Product Tags

To display products with a specific tag, use the following shortcode:

[products tag="your-tag-here"]

This shortcode allows you to display product tags, which can help customers filter products by specific tags like “summer,” “winter, etc.”

If I want to display products that belong to the “summer” tag, I’d use this shortcode:

[products tag="summer"]

Here’s how it’ll appear on my store:

or for multiple tags:

[products tag="summer, winter"]

10. Product Category

This shortcode displays a grid of products from a specified category, and you can customize its appearance with parameters like limit, columns, orderby, and order—similar to the [products] shortcode.

This allows you to highlight specific product categories in a loop on your site.

[product_category]

For the purpose of the categories section, here are seven more attributes you can apply to this shortcode:

• ‘number‘ => ‘null ‘, – This shortcode represents the number of categories.
• ‘orderby‘ => ‘name’, – This shortcode represents the order, “name” and “date” are valid options.
• ‘order‘ => ‘ASC ‘, – This shortcode represents how product categories are ordered, “ASC” or “DESC“.
• ‘columns‘ => ‘4′, – This shortcode defines the number of columns categories are organized into.
• ‘hide_empty‘ => ‘1‘, – This shortcode represents Set to 1 to hide categories with no products or 0 to show them.
• ‘parent‘ => ”, – This shortcode represents Set to 0 to only top-level display categories.
• ‘ids‘ => ” – This shortcode represents that IDs can be set to only output specified results.

Example of how to use this shortcode: [product_category category=”clothing”] <!– Replace “clothing” with your actual category slug or name.

I’ll replace clothing with bags.

This shortcode displays a grid of products from the specified category on your page.

11. Product Category by Slug

This shortcode organizes products within a specified category and allows customization with parameters like per_page, columns, orderby, and order.

Here is the shortcode:

[product_category category="bags" per_page="3" columns="3" orderby="date" order="DESC"]

“DESC” in the shortcode ensures products are shown in descending order (newest to oldest).

12. Product Price/Cart Button Shortcode

This shortcode lets you display the price and an Add to Cart button for a specific product on any page or post.

To use it by Product ID:

[add_to_cart id="product-id"]

In my case, I’ll add “2746” as the product ID.

This will show the price and button for the product with the ID I entered.

To use it by Product SKU:

[add_to_cart sku="your-sku"]

Replace “your-sku” with the actual SKU of your product.

[add_to_cart sku="24-WB03"]

Simply insert this shortcode into the WordPress editor, and the button will be displayed automatically.

13. Add Multiple WooCommerce Products Shortcode

The shortcode allows you to include multiple products to display.

[products ids="1, 2, 3"]

I’ll modify this with actual product IDs from my store like so:

[products ids="2746,2743,2745"]

Here’s what the output would look like:

You can also customize the display by adjusting options such as orderby, columns, and order.

For instance, [products ids=”2746,2743,2745″ orderby=”date” columns=”3″ order=”DESC”] will present six products in 3 columns, ordered by date in descending order.

You can also use “ASC” for ascending order and “title” for an alternative arrangement.

14. Product ID

This shortcode showcases a specific product identified by its unique ID.

[product id="123"]

Add parameters such as ID and SKU for customization. For instance, the example [product id=”2746″] will present the product with ID 2746.

15. Recent Products

The Recent Products shortcode displays items that you’ve added to your store recently. To see the results, just add this shortcode to your page, post, or anywhere else you prefer.

Here is the shortcode:

[recent_products per_page=”6″ columns=”4″ orderby=”date” order=”ASC”]

16. Sale Product

Sale products allow you to add items currently on sale.

Here is the shortcode:

[sale_products per_page=”12″ columns=”4″ orderby=”date” order=”ASC”]

After you have added the shortcode, you can see the results as demonstrated below:

17. Featured Products

Feature products allow you to add your favorite products to your web page. Just go to your admin site dashboard, Products > Products, and you will see an icon like this:

If you want to add featured products, just click on the icon. See the screenshot below:

Here is the shortcode:

[featured_products per_page=”6″ columns=”4″ orderby=”date” order=”ASC”]

Here’s what it will look like now:

18. Specific Categories

If you want to display products from specific categories, use the following shortcode:

[products limit="2" columns="4" category="hoodies-sweatshirts, jackets" cat_operator="AND"]

This will show up to two products that belong to both the “hoodies-sweatshirts” and “jackets” categories. Never mind the image above. That is just to show you that the shortcode will pull products that match the category criteria.

To display products from either of these categories, use the “OR” operator:

[products limit="2" columns="4" category="hoodies-sweatshirts, jackets" cat_operator="OR"]

To exclude products from these categories, use the “NOT IN” operator:

[products limit="2" columns="4" category="hoodies-sweatshirts, jackets" cat_operator="NOT IN"]

Note: The number of displayed products depends on how many match the criteria.

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19. Attribute Display

To display products based on any attribute, use a shortcode like:

[products columns="3" attribute="your_attribute" terms="your_term" orderby="date"]

For exclusive display, you can use the “NOT IN” operator like we used earlier:

[products columns="3" attribute="your_attribute" terms="your_term" terms_operator="NOT IN"]

For example, to showcase products with the attribute “color”, you can use the shortcode below:

[products columns="3" attribute="color" terms="blue" orderby="date"]

This shortcode would display products with the attribute “color” set to “blue.” Adjust “color” and “blue” according to your actual attribute and term values.

20. Best Selling Products

To showcase your best-selling product, utilize the following shortcode:

[best_selling_products per_page="12" columns="4" orderby="date" order="ASC"]

This shortcode will display the top-selling products, allowing you to feature them on your page with customization options like the number of products per page and the order of arrangement.

21. Top Rated Products

Utilize the following shortcode to showcase your best products based on reviews and ratings in WooCommerce:

[top_rated_products per_page="12" columns="4" orderby="date" order="ASC"]

This shortcode enables you to display top-rated products, providing a user-friendly way to highlight products with high reviews and ratings.

22. Related Products

To display a list of similar products as related items, use the following shortcode:

[related_products per_page="12"]

This shortcode is designed to showcase related products, allowing customers to explore similar items.

Add to Cart and Cart Display Shortcodes

23. Add to Cart URL

This shortcode allows you to add the add to cart button of a single product by ID. See the below shortcode.

array(

'id' => '99',

'sku' => 'FOO'

)

[add_to_cart_url sku="24-WB04"]

24. Cart Total Shortcode

Use this shortcode to display the total cost of items in your shopping cart. Customize its appearance by adding a class and text before the total. For instance:

[woocommerce_cart_total class="my-cart-total" before="Total: "]

This example shortcode will present the total cost with a distinctive style and include the text “Total: ” before the amount. Adjust the class and text as needed for your desired look.

25. Cart Coupon Shortcode

To include a coupon code box on your shopping cart page, utilize the following shortcode. Customize its appearance by adding a class and setting a placeholder text. For example:

[woocommerce_cart_coupon class="my-cart-coupon" placeholder="Enter coupon code"]

This shortcode will render the coupon box with a specific appearance and display the placeholder text “Enter coupon code.”

26. Cart Item Quantity Shortcode

[woocommerce_cart_contents_count]

The shortcode above is used to display the total number of items currently in the shopping cart. When you place this shortcode on a page, it will dynamically show the quantity of distinct products in the cart.

For example:

The number of items in your cart: [woocommerce_cart_contents_count]

When this shortcode is rendered on a page, it might display something like:

“The number of items in your cart: 3”

Functionality Shortcodes

27. Product Search Field Shortcode

This shortcode enables the insertion of live search and live filtering functionalities within pages and posts. When added to a page or post, this shortcode integrates a search bar that allows users to perform live searches and apply real-time filters to find products more efficiently.

[woocommerce_product_search]

28. Live Product Filter Shortcode

You can also customize the filtration by using the following WooCommerce shortcodes.

• [woocommerce_product_filter] — This allows you to show a live Product Search Filter.
• [woocommerce_product_filter_attribute] — This allows you to show a live Product Attribute Filter.
• [woocommerce_product_filter_category] — This allows you to show a live Product Category Filter.
• [woocommerce_product_filter_price] — This allows you to show a live Product Price Filter.
• [woocommerce_product_filter_tag] — This allows you to show a live Product Tag Filter.

29. Product Stock Shortcode

To inform customers about product availability, simply utilize the Product Stock shortcode. This shortcode succinctly communicates whether the product is “In stock” or “Out of stock,” aiding customers in their purchasing decisions.

Here’s the shortcode:

[woocommerce_product_stock]

How to Troubleshoot WooCommerce Shortcodes

If you’re having trouble with WooCommerce shortcodes, you can try some simple troubleshooting steps below to figure out what’s causing the issue:

1. Bracket Issues:

Check if your shortcode is enclosed in [square brackets]. For example, use [products limit=”4″ columns=”4″ orderby=”popularity”] instead of <angle brackets>, (parentheses), or {curly brackets} to avoid shortcode errors.

2. Attribute Value Format:

Ensure all attribute values are within “quotation marks.” For instance, use [products limit=”6″ columns=”3″ orderby=”popularity”] to prevent issues caused by incorrect quotes or formatting.

3. <pre> Tag Interference:

Inspect for <pre> tags around your shortcode, as they may disrupt its functionality. Remove any unintended <pre> tags. For example, avoid embedding shortcodes within <pre> tags.

4. WooCommerce and PHP Version Compatibility:

Update to the latest WooCommerce version and PHP version to resolve compatibility issues. For example, ensure you have the latest WooCommerce release to support your shortcodes effectively.

If you’re a Cloudways customer, check out this guide on how to upgrade your PHP version seamlessly.

5. Custom CSS Impact:

Review custom CSS files for rules .woocommerce ul.products { display: none; } that could hide content. Adjust or remove conflicting rules. For instance, consider modifying CSS that affects how shortcodes are displayed.

6. Theme Conflict:

Switch to a default WordPress theme to identify if the issue is theme-related. If it persists, contact the theme developer for assistance. For example, switch to a theme like Twenty Twenty to see if the shortcode works without theme conflicts.

7. Plugin Conflict Resolution:

Deactivate all plugins except WooCommerce to pinpoint potential conflicts. Activate each plugin one by one to find the conflicting one. Seek alternatives or contact plugin developers for support. For instance, deactivate plugins and test your shortcodes individually to identify conflicting ones.

You can learn how to troubleshoot plugin issues in our guide on common WordPress errors.

Summary

WooCommerce shortcodes are a powerful tool that allows you to easily add and display specific content and functionality on your pages and posts.

Whether you want to display products, categories, carts, checkout pages, or other types of content, shortcodes make it simple—especially when you’re managing an online store with managed WooCommerce hosting for optimal performance.

WooCommerce Shortcodes require no coding or technical knowledge, and they can be easily added to any page or post by simply typing them in square brackets.

If you have any questions about WooCommerce shortcodes, please write them in the comments. Also, read our blog on WordPress shortcodes to know more.

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