Ultimate Guide to WooCommerce Shortcodes for Store Owners

Running an online store comes with many challenges, from managing products to optimizing the checkout process. But what if you could simplify it all with just a few lines of code?

Yes, we’re talking about WooCommerce shortcodes.

Shortcodes are tiny snippets of code that help you customize your WooCommerce store without writing a single programming line. Whether you want to display featured products, add a shopping cart to any page, or improve your checkout experience, shortcodes make it all possible.

In this guide, we’ll explain everything you need to know about using shortcodes for your WooCommerce store — what they are, how to use them, and which ones can make running your store easier.

What Are WooCommerce Shortcodes?

A WooCommerce shortcode is a simple piece of code inside square brackets ([]) that adds powerful features to your online store. Think of it as a shortcut to adding dynamic content anywhere on your site.

For example, if you want to display the shopping cart on any page, you can use this shortcode:

[woocommerce_cart]

It’s that easy. No coding knowledge is required.

Why Use Shortcodes?

Using shortcodes in a WooCommerce store makes your life easier because they:

Are Easy to Implement: No coding needed. Just copy and paste.
Enhance Product Customization: Display products however you like.
Improve Navigation: Allow your customers to access the cart, checkout, and account pages from anywhere.

Now that you know what shortcodes are, let’s dive into the essential ones you should use.

4 Must-Have WooCommerce Shortcodes for Store Owners

Shortcodes are plenty, but to be honest, you don’t need them all. It’s important to know which ones actually improve your store’s performance. As a WooCommerce development agency, we’ve tested almost all of them, and there are a few your store must have:

[woocommerce_cart]
This WooCommerce shortcode lets your customers view their cart without sending them to a separate page. With this shortcode, you can place the cart summary anywhere, including the homepage, a sidebar, or even in a popup. This keeps shoppers engaged, reduces friction, and helps boost conversions.
[woocommerce_checkout]
Customers are less likely to complete their purchase if the checkout is too complicated. After all, the average cart abandonment rate is nearly 70%. However, with a WooCommerce checkout shortcode, you can make the process as smooth as possible. Be it a one-page checkout on a landing page or a special checkout for a specific product, it lets you optimize the process just as you want.
[woocommerce_my_account]
With this shortcode, your customers get easy access to their accounts from anywhere in your store. Adding this to a page or widget gives users a one-click way to check their past orders, update their addresses, manage payment details, and more.
[woocommerce_order_tracking]
This WooCommerce shortcode allows your customers to track their orders. Instead of customers emailing you “Where’s my order?” they can just enter their order details and check the status themselves. It saves time for both you and your customers, keeping your customers happy through and through.

While these are must-haves, there are a few shortcodes that’ll take your store’s functionality and user experience to a whole new level.

WooCommerce Product Display Shortcodes

Adding these shortcodes to your WooCommerce shop gives you control over how products appear. If you want to highlight your best sellers, show a single product, or create a custom layout, these shortcodes can do it without writing a single piece of code.

[products]
This WooCommerce shortcode lets you list products based on specific filters like category, popularity, post ID, stock-keeping unit (SKU), or price. If you want to display your four most popular products in two columns, just use:[products limit=”4″ columns=”2″ orderby=”popularity”]This keeps your store organized and makes it easier for customers to find what they need!
[product_page]
This WooCommerce shortcode lets you display a single product in full detail, including images, pricing, and descriptions. Simply specify the product’s ID or SKU, and it will render a complete product page layout.[product_page id=”xx”]Or[product_page sku=”xxx”]It’s perfect for highlighting a featured or new arrival, providing customers with all the information they need in one focused view.
[featured_products]
If you have products that deserve extra attention, this WooCommerce featured products shortcode is for you! It displays a grid of your featured products, be it seasonal deals, new launches, or customer favorites.You can showcase them like this:[featured_products per_page=”3″ columns=”3″]This instantly makes your best products more visible, increasing clicks and conversions.

WooCommerce Category Shortcodes

WooCommerce category shortcodes make shopping easier. Instead of scrolling endlessly, these shortcodes allow your customers to organize products into sections so they can quickly find what they need.

[product_categories]
This shortcode creates a neat, organized grid of every category in your store. Whether you sell clothing, electronics, or handmade goods, it helps customers instantly see what’s available.[product_categories]It’s a simple yet powerful way to improve store navigation and encourage shoppers to explore different product collections.
[product_category]
Sometimes, you want to focus on a single category, like “Shoes,” “Accessories,” or “Tech Gadgets.” This shortcode helps you feature only products from a specific category and provides your customers with a refined layout.[product_category category=”shoes” per_page=”6″ columns=”3″]It’s perfect for landing pages, promotions, or highlighting seasonal collections. When used strategically, this WooCommerce category shortcode can increase conversions.

Shortcodes for WooCommerce Shop Layout

Your store’s layout makes or breaks the shopping experience. Adding the right shortcode to your WooCommerce shop can help you optimize your store, display top-selling products, and make discounts stand out.

[products on_sale=”true”]
Customers love a good deal, but they won’t always find them unless you make discounts stand out. This shortcode lets you showcase all on-sale products in one section. It’s a go-to for displaying flash sales, black Friday sales, seasonal discounts, or clearance items.[products on_sale=”true”]Instead of manually updating a sale page, this WooCommerce store shortcode automatically updates whenever a product goes on sale. That means less work for you and more visibility for your deals.
[best_selling_products]
Best sellers are best sellers because people love them! This WooCommerce store shortcode lets you highlight your most popular products, making it easier for new customers to see what others are buying.[best_selling_products]Displaying your top products builds trust and encourages more sales. Whether you add this shortcode to your homepage, sidebar, or landing page, it’s a great way to boost conversions!

Use WooCommerce Shortcodes Effectively

WooCommerce shortcodes are incredibly powerful, but randomly pasting them won’t do much good. Where and how you use them can make all the difference in how customers interact with your store.

Add Shortcodes to Pages & Posts
One of the easiest ways to use shortcodes for a WooCommerce store is to add them directly to pages and blog posts. This helps you create a custom shopping experience without needing to redesign your store.Let’s say you want a dedicated page for customers to review their cart. Instead of relying on the default cart page, you can create your own and add:[woocommerce_cart]This can be a game-changer for customizing landing pages, special product showcases, or even limited-time sales without touching any code.
Use Shortcodes in Widgets
Try placing WooCommerce shortcodes inside widget areas like the sidebar or footer. This way, important sections like the shopping cart, user account, or best-selling products remain within reach.For example, adding:[woocommerce_my_account]to a sidebar widget allows customers to access their order history and account details from anywhere on your site.
Customize Shortcodes with Attributes
It’s easy to create customized shortcodes for your WooCommerce shop. You can use the right attribute to fine-tune what appears on your store. Instead of displaying all products in a generic grid, you can filter them by ratings, popularity, or sale status.Let’s say you want to display only six shoes per page in columns of three, you can add the attribute [category=”shoes” per_page=”6″ columns=”3″] to the category shortcode.So, this becomes:[product_category category=”shoes” per_page=”6″ columns=”3″]Using the right attributes makes your store look more organized and helps customers find the best products quickly, increasing the chances of a sale.
Test and Troubleshoot
Sometimes, a WooCommerce shortcode might not work as expected, and that’s okay! Run through these quick checks:
- Double-check for typos because Even a missing bracket can break a shortcode.
- Ensure WooCommerce is installed and active. If WooCommerce isn’t enabled, the shortcodes won’t work.
- Try placing it somewhere else. Some themes and plugins may block shortcodes in certain areas. Test it on a blank page first.

If a shortcode still isn’t working, consider switching themes temporarily or checking if a conflicting plugin is causing the issue. You can also reach out to professional WooCommerce developers for troubleshooting. Remember, debugging small issues now can save you big headaches later.

WooCommerce Shortcodes for Enhanced Functionality

In addition to optimizing layouts, WooCommerce shortcodes can be used to increase sales and improve user experience. With these codes, you can highlight new arrivals, add quick-buy buttons, or increase upsells.

[add_to_cart]
Sometimes, customers don’t need to visit the product page, they just want to add an item to their cart instantly. This shortcode lets you place an “Add to Cart” button anywhere on your site, from blog posts to landing pages.Just provide the product’s ID or SKU, and the button lets customers quickly add the item to their cart from anywhere on your site. For example, if you want to add a product with ID 99 somewhere outside your shop page, you can use this shortcode:[add_to_cart id=”99″][add_to_cart sku=”SKU123456″]Use this shortcode for special promotions, email campaigns, or highlighting a bestseller directly on your homepage.
[add_to_cart_url]
This handy WooCommerce shortcode returns the direct URL that adds a specific product to the cart. Simply input the product’s ID or SKU, and you can use the URL to create custom links or buttons.Like in the previous example, you can simply add:[add_to_cart_url id=”99″]It’s perfect for special promotions or marketing emails where you want to streamline the purchase process.
[shop_messages]
Use this shortcode to display WooCommerce notifications and messages to your customers. It automatically shows important updates like successful additions to the cart, error alerts, or coupon validations.[shop_messages]This keeps shoppers informed and enhances the overall user experience on your site.
[recent_products]
New products deserve immediate attention. Adding this WooCommerce store shortcode displays the latest products and keeps your catalog updated automatically.[recent_products]If you want your customers to see what’s new, use this on your homepage, category pages, or even inside blog posts when announcing a new collection.
[top_rated_products]
Nothing builds trust like customer reviews. Almost 99% of customers read reviews before buying a product, and 96% specifically look for negative ones. This shortcode automatically displays the top-rated products in your store, which helps new shoppers see what others love the most.[top_rated_products]Adding this shortcode to your WooCommerce shop can help you boost conversions, especially for those who trust customer reviews more than anything else. Place this shortcode in your sidebar, product pages, or even your checkout page to encourage these shoppers.

Shortcodes are an excellent way to optimize your store. However, WooCommerce has moved to block-based store editing. It leverages WordPress’s Full Site Editing (FSE) to provide a more flexible, visual way to build and customize store pages using Gutenberg blocks.

Instead of shortcodes, you can use this method to optimize and customer your store. If you need help with this or want custom WooCommerce support, partner with a team of professional developers at CoSpark.

Optimizing Your Store with WooCommerce Shortcodes

WooCommerce shortcodes are a convenient, fast way to optimize your store, improve navigation, and boost sales. These simple additions can help you display featured products, streamline your checkout, or make it easier for customers to track orders.

When doing this, you can:

Experiment with different shortcodes to find what works best.
Use attributes to customize product displays.
Place shortcodes strategically for a better shopping experience.

And if you need help with any issues, including shortcodes, CoSpark is here to help. Our experienced, skilled WooCommerce developers will help you run your store efficiently.