Efficiency and flexibility are necessary when you have an online store. With WooCommerce shortcodes, you can effortlessly add these dynamic features to your store without the headache of coding, for those who maintain their store using WordPress. Shortcodes are small yet heavy-hitting code snippets that can change everything about how your store looks and operates. You can customize hundreds of pages, display products and options to encourage action, and add unique functions to improve customer experience literally in minutes.
In this guide, we will discuss everything you need to know about WooCommerce shortcodes including what they are, why they are significant and how you can use them to exploit your online store.
What Are WooCommerce Shortcodes?
WordPress shortcodes are little snippets of text (inside square brackets, such as [shortcode]) that perform a specific function when the page is rendered. With WooCommerce shortcodes, you can easily add an e-commerce element (i.e. a product list, shopping cart, checkout form, etc.) wherever you want within the confines of a post, page, or widget.
You don't have to write PHP or modify any theme files; you simply have to insert a shortcode which will allow you to display an element exactly where you would like to have it rendered.
Example:
[products limit="4" columns="4" orderby="date" order="DESC"]
This shortcode displays the latest four products in a four-column layout.
Why Use WooCommerce Shortcodes?
WooCommerce shortcodes save time, add flexibility, and enable customizations without you needing to have any technical skills.
The benefits of WordPress WooCommerce shortcodes include:
- Simple Customization: Add products, categories, or a certain layout in your store without having to edit code.
- Faster Page Design: Build and design store pages in minutes.
- Enhanced User Experience: Allow for the organization of products in a manner that meets consumer's wants and needs.
- Dynamic Content: Allow for the store data to display live, without any manual updating.
Basic WooCommerce Shortcodes You Should Know
Here’s a breakdown of essential WooCommerce shortcodes and what they do:
1. Cart Shortcode
[woocommerce_cart]
Displays the shopping cart page. Use it to place the cart anywhere you want, not just the default cart page.
2. Checkout Shortcode
[woocommerce_checkout]
Displays the checkout form and process on any page. Ideal for creating a dedicated checkout experience.
3. My Account Shortcode
[woocommerce_my_account]
Shows the user’s account dashboard, including orders, addresses, and account details.
4. Order Tracking Shortcode
[woocommerce_order_tracking]
Lets customers track their orders without logging in, improving post-purchase engagement.
Product Display Shortcodes
WooCommerce offers flexible product shortcodes for listing and highlighting products:
- All Products:
[products] – Displays all products in your store.
- By Category:
[product_category category="t-shirts"] – Shows products in a specific category.
- By ID or SKU:
[product id="99"] or [product sku="woo-hoodie"] – Displays a single product.
- Featured Products:
[featured_products] – Highlights products marked as "featured" in WooCommerce.
Customizing Shortcodes with Attributes
WooCommerce shortcodes support attributes to control their output:
Example:
[products limit="6" columns="3" orderby="price" order="ASC"]
- limit: Number of products to show
- columns: Number of columns
- orderby: Sort by date, price, title, etc.
- order: ASC (ascending) or DESC (descending)
This flexibility allows you to fine-tune how products appear, helping customers find what they want faster.
Practical Examples of WooCommerce Shortcode Usage
1. Create a Holiday Sales Page
Use [product_category category="christmas-sale" limit="8" columns="4"] to showcase only holiday items.
2. Build a Custom Landing Page
Insert [featured_products limit="4" columns="2"] in between promotional banners to encourage quick sales.
3. Display Related Products in Blog Posts
If you write blog posts related to your products, embed [products limit="3" columns="3" category="fitness"] at the end to promote relevant items.
Advanced WooCommerce Shortcodes
Beyond the basics, advanced shortcodes let you do more:
1. Product Attributes Filtering
[products attribute="color" filter="blue"] – Displays all products with a specific attribute value.
2. Sale Products
[sale_products] – Show only discounted items to encourage purchases.
3. Best Selling Products
[best_selling_products limit="5" columns="5"] – Display your store’s top-selling items.
4. Top Rated Products
[top_rated_products limit="4"] – Showcase products with the best customer reviews.
Tips for Using WooCommerce Shortcodes Effectively
- Decide On Your Layout: Determine the best way to use shortcodes on your homepage, landing pages or blog posts.
- Combine with Page Builders: Page builders like Elementor or WPBakery work easily with WooCommerce shortcodes for added design possibilities.
- Don't Overload the Page: Make sure that you don't overload with too many shortcodes; it will slow down your site. Stick to relevant content.
- Check Responsiveness: Be sure to check how your shortcode output appears on mobile devices.
- Regularly Update: Be sure that WooCommerce and WordPress is updated so that all shortcodes can be utilized.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Disregarding Attributes: Attributes may take a significant number of products to the website and clutter how it looks.
Disregarding SEO: The product pages using shortcodes must have unique title and meta descriptions.
Using Too Many Product Listings: When you have too many products on a single page, it can overwhelm clients.
WooCommerce Shortcodes and SEO
Shortcodes don't affect SEO, but how you use them can. If you use other products in blog posts or landing pages through shortcodes you're going to improve your internal links and raise the visibility for important products.
For example, if you embed [best_selling_products] in a blog post titled "Top Trending Gadgets of 2025", Google will start to associate your product pages to appropriate keywords.
WooCommerce Shortcodes vs. Widgets
Although widgets are more appropriate for footers and sidebars, shortcodes give you versatility in any area of a page. You should use a shortcode when you need:
- Custom layouts inside blog items
- Product promotions on content heavy pages
- Landing page without sidebars to distract from the content.
Future of WooCommerce Shortcodes
As WooCommerce moves forward, we will see a larger integration of shortcodes within Gutenberg blocks, enhancements to AI-based store builders, customization and page building will improve, in terms of speeds and real-time product display options will improve.
Conclusion
WooCommerce shortcodes are the quickest, easiest, and most code-free way to create dynamic e-commerce pages quickly, market products, and design a unique shopping experience. If you want to set up a flash sale, market seasonal items, or even organize your store layout, shortcodes will save you time and help you optimize your store.
By learning shortcodes and mixing strategic product placements with them, you will increase engagement, customer satisfaction, and increase your sales overall.