Create a WooCommerce Shop Page (Step-by-Step)
Step 1: Prepare Your WordPress Environment for WooCommerce
Install and Activate WooCommerce Plugin
Before you can create a shop page, you need to ensure WooCommerce is installed and active on your WordPress site. Log into your WordPress admin dashboard. Navigate to Plugins > Add New. In the search bar on the right, type “WooCommerce” and press Enter. Locate the “WooCommerce” plugin by Automattic (it typically has millions of active installations). Click the Install Now button. Once installed, the button will change to Activate. Click it to activate the plugin. You’ll likely be redirected to a setup wizard; you can complete this wizard or skip it for now, as we’ll configure essential settings manually.
Configure Basic WooCommerce Settings
After activation, navigate to WooCommerce > Settings in your WordPress dashboard sidebar. This is where you’ll define your store’s foundational details. Under the General tab, set your store’s address, selling location(s), shipping location(s), and default customer location. Choose your currency and currency position. Go to the Products tab. Here, you can define your shop page (which we’ll create in the next step), set measurement units (e.g., kg, lbs) and dimension units (e.g., cm, in) for products, and enable or disable reviews. Explore other tabs like Payments, Shipping, and Accounts & Privacy to set up payment gateways, shipping zones, and customer account options. While you don’t need to finalize everything immediately, having your store’s basic location and currency configured is crucial.
Step 2: Create Your Dedicated Shop Page
Add a New WordPress Page for Your Shop
WooCommerce requires a specific page designated as the “Shop” page. Even though WooCommerce can create a default one during setup, it’s good practice to know how to create or re-create it. In your WordPress dashboard, go to Pages > Add New. Give this new page a clear title, such as “Shop” or “Our Products.” Leave the content area completely blank. WooCommerce will automatically populate this page with your product listings once it’s assigned. Click the Publish button to make the page live.
Assign the New Page as Your WooCommerce Shop Page
Now that you have a blank page titled “Shop,” you need to tell WooCommerce to use it as its main product archive. Navigate to WooCommerce > Settings in your dashboard. Click on the Products tab. Under the “General” sub-tab, you’ll find a dropdown labeled “Shop page.” Select the page you just created (e.g., “Shop”) from this dropdown list. Click the Save changes button at the bottom of the page. This action tells WooCommerce where to display your product catalog, product archives, and product details when a user browses your store.
Step 3: Add and Manage Products for Your Shop
Create Your First Product in WooCommerce
With your shop page set up, it’s time to add products. In your WordPress dashboard, go to Products > Add New. Enter the product title (e.g., “Organic Coffee Beans”). In the main content editor, add a detailed product description. Scroll down to the “Product data” meta box. Select the product type (e.g., “Simple product” for a single item, “Variable product” for items with options like size or color). Enter the “Regular price” and optionally a “Sale price.” Go to the “Inventory” tab to manage stock. Under “Product image” on the right sidebar, upload a high-quality main image for your product. Use the “Product gallery” to add additional images. Click Publish to make your product live.
Organize Products with Categories and Tags
To make your shop navigable, organize your products effectively. On the right sidebar of the “Add New Product” or “Edit Product” screen, you’ll see “Product categories” and “Product tags” meta boxes. For categories, click + Add New Product Category, enter a name (e.g., “Coffee”), and optionally select a parent category. Check the box next to the relevant categories for your product. For tags, type in comma-separated words or phrases (e.g., “ethically sourced, dark roast”) and click Add. Categories help customers browse broad sections of your store, while tags offer more specific filtering options. Good organization improves user experience and search engine visibility.
Step 4: Customize and Display Your WooCommerce Shop Page
Design Your Shop Page Layout with WordPress Editor or Page Builder
While WooCommerce populates the shop page automatically, you can customize its appearance. The layout is heavily influenced by your active WordPress theme. Many themes offer customizer options (Appearance > Customize) for WooCommerce pages, allowing you to adjust column counts, sidebar positions, and product display styles. If your theme supports a page builder (e.g., Elementor, Beaver Builder, Divi), you might be able to create a custom template for your shop page or use theme-specific widgets to display product grids on other pages. For the default WordPress Block Editor, ensure your theme is block-editor friendly, and explore any WooCommerce blocks it provides for displaying specific product categories or recent products on other pages, although the main shop page styling is usually theme-driven.
Ensure Shop Page Visibility in Your Website Navigation
For customers to find your shop, it needs to be easily accessible from your website’s main navigation. In your WordPress dashboard, go to Appearance > Menus. Select the menu you want to edit (usually your “Primary” or “Main” navigation). On the left side, under “Add menu items,” find the “Pages” section. Locate your “Shop” page and check the box next to it. Click the Add to Menu button. Drag and drop the “Shop” menu item to your desired position within the menu structure. Click Save Menu to apply the changes. Now, your shop page will be prominently displayed in your website’s navigation, allowing visitors to easily browse your products.
FAQs
Q: My shop page is blank or showing an error. What should I do?
A: First, ensure you’ve assigned the correct page as your Shop page under WooCommerce > Settings > Products. Second, verify that you actually have products published and set to “Visible” in your product data. If you’re using a caching plugin, clear your website’s cache. Finally, check for theme or plugin conflicts by temporarily switching to a default WordPress theme (like Twenty Twenty-Four) and deactivating other plugins one by one to identify the culprit.
Q: Can I have multiple shop pages for different product types?
A: WooCommerce only allows one “Shop page” to be designated in its settings, which serves as the main product archive. However, you can create separate pages and use WooCommerce shortcodes or blocks (e.g., `[products category=”clothing”]` or the “Product by Category” block) to display specific categories of products on those individual pages. You can then link these custom category pages from your main navigation.
Q: How do I change the number of products displayed per row or page on my shop page?
A: This setting is typically controlled by your WordPress theme. Go to Appearance > Customize. Look for a section related to “WooCommerce,” “Shop,” or “Layout.” Within these options, you’ll often find settings for “Products per row” and “Rows per page” or “Products per page.” If your theme doesn’t offer these options in the Customizer, some advanced settings might be found under WooCommerce > Settings > Products > Display, or you might need to use custom CSS or a plugin for more granular control.
Q: What if I want to use a custom design for my shop page, not just what my theme offers?
A: For extensive custom design, you’ll typically use a page builder plugin like Elementor Pro, Beaver Builder, or Divi. These builders often come with WooCommerce-specific modules or theme builder functionalities that allow you to create entirely custom templates for your shop page, product archive pages, and single product pages. You can drag and drop elements like product grids, filters, and add custom sections to build a unique layout.
