Tutorial: Creating and Implementing Categories with PHP for WooCommerce

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to create product categories programmatically in WooCommerce using PHP and how to assign products to these categories dynamically. This is especially useful if you’re setting up a store or migrating data without using the WordPress admin panel.

Overview

We’ll cover:

Creating Categories Programmatically.
Assigning Products to Categories.
Displaying Categories in Your Store.

Step 1: Create Categories Programmatically

WooCommerce categories are stored as WordPress taxonomy terms under the taxonomy product_cat. We can create these categories using WordPress’s wp_insert_term() function.

Code Example: Creating Categories

Add the following code to your theme’s functions.php file or a custom plugin:

function create_woocommerce_categories() {
    // Check if the category already exists
    if (!term_exists('Shoes', 'product_cat')) {
        // Create a new category
        wp_insert_term(
            'Shoes', // Name of the category
            'product_cat', // Taxonomy slug
            array(
                'description' => 'Stylish and comfortable shoes for all occasions.',
                'slug' => 'shoes',
                'parent' => 0, // 0 means no parent (top-level category)
            )
        );
    }

    if (!term_exists('Running Shoes', 'product_cat')) {
        // Create a subcategory under "Shoes"
        $parent_term = get_term_by('slug', 'shoes', 'product_cat');
        wp_insert_term(
            'Running Shoes',
            'product_cat',
            array(
                'description' => 'High-performance running shoes.',
                'slug' => 'running-shoes',
                'parent' => $parent_term->term_id,
            )
        );
    }
}
add_action('init', 'create_woocommerce_categories');

How It Works

term_exists() checks if the category already exists.
wp_insert_term() creates the category if it doesn’t exist.
The parent argument allows you to define hierarchical relationships (subcategories).

Step 2: Assign Products to Categories

You can assign categories to products programmatically using the wp_set_object_terms() function.

Code Example: Assigning Products to Categories

function assign_product_to_category($product_id, $category_slug) {
    // Assign the product to a category
    wp_set_object_terms($product_id, $category_slug, 'product_cat');
}

// Example usage: Assign product ID 123 to the "Running Shoes" category
assign_product_to_category(123, 'running-shoes');

How It Works

$product_id is the ID of the product you want to assign to the category.
$category_slug is the slug of the category.

To get the product ID, you can:

Check in WooCommerce > Products > Hover over a product to see its ID.
Programmatically retrieve it (e.g., from a query).

Step 3: Display Categories in Your Store

WooCommerce provides several ways to display categories on your store, including shortcodes, templates, and custom PHP functions.

Method 1: Display Categories Using a Shortcode

Add this shortcode to a page or post:

[product_categories number="12" parent="0"]

number="12": Limits the number of categories displayed.
parent="0": Displays only top-level categories.

Method 2: Display Categories with PHP

Use WooCommerce’s built-in functions to display categories in your theme:

function display_product_categories() {
    $args = array(
        'taxonomy' => 'product_cat',
        'orderby' => 'name',
        'order' => 'ASC',
        'hide_empty' => true, // Show only categories with products
    );

    $categories = get_terms($args);

    if (!empty($categories)) {
        echo '<ul class="product-categories">';
        foreach ($categories as $category) {
            echo '<li>';
            echo '<a href="' . esc_url(get_term_link($category)) . '">' . esc_html($category->name) . '</a>';
            echo '</li>';
        }
        echo '</ul>';
    }
}
add_action('woocommerce_before_shop_loop', 'display_product_categories');

How It Works

get_terms() retrieves the categories based on your criteria.
get_term_link() generates the URL for each category.
The add_action() hook integrates the function into WooCommerce’s shop page.

Step 4: Combine It All

If you want to create categories, assign products, and display them on your store, combine the above steps into one streamlined workflow. For example:

function setup_categories_and_assign_products() {
    // Step 1: Create Categories
    if (!term_exists('Accessories', 'product_cat')) {
        wp_insert_term(
            'Accessories',
            'product_cat',
            array(
                'description' => 'Fashionable accessories for everyone.',
                'slug' => 'accessories',
                'parent' => 0,
            )
        );
    }

    // Step 2: Assign a product to "Accessories"
    $product_id = 456; // Replace with your actual product ID
    wp_set_object_terms($product_id, 'accessories', 'product_cat');
}
add_action('init', 'setup_categories_and_assign_products');

Testing Your Code

Save your changes to the functions.php file or plugin.
Refresh your site.
Check:
- WooCommerce Categories Page: See if the categories were created.
- Product Page: Verify the product is assigned to the correct category.

Advanced Tips

Batch Assign Products: Use loops to assign multiple products at once:

$products = array(123, 124, 125); // Replace with product IDs
foreach ($products as $product_id) {
    assign_product_to_category($product_id, 'shoes');
}

Customize Category Attributes: Add custom fields to categories using hooks and metadata.
Use a Plugin for Complex Tasks: For non-developers, plugins like WP All Import can simplify category creation and product assignments.

Conclusion

By following this tutorial, you’ve learned how to programmatically create and manage WooCommerce categories using PHP. This approach is perfect for bulk setups or automation.

Bonus

Tutorial: Creating Categories with Parent Categories in WooCommerce Using PHP

In this tutorial, we’ll build on the basics of creating categories programmatically in WooCommerce by adding parent categories. This is ideal for creating a hierarchical category structure, such as:

Parent Category: Shoes
- Child Categories: Running Shoes, Formal Shoes, Sneakers

Overview

Create parent categories.
Create child categories and assign them to parents.
Verify the hierarchy.
(Optional) Assign products to child categories.

Step 1: Create Parent Categories

Parent categories are top-level categories with no parent. Use the wp_insert_term() function to create them.

Code Example: Creating Parent Categories

Add this to your functions.php file or a custom plugin:

function create_parent_categories() {
    // Check if the parent category exists
    if (!term_exists('Shoes', 'product_cat')) {
        wp_insert_term(
            'Shoes', // Category Name
            'product_cat', // Taxonomy
            array(
                'description' => 'A wide selection of shoes for all occasions.',
                'slug' => 'shoes', // Custom URL slug
                'parent' => 0, // 0 indicates no parent (top-level category)
            )
        );
    }

    if (!term_exists('Bags', 'product_cat')) {
        wp_insert_term(
            'Bags',
            'product_cat',
            array(
                'description' => 'Stylish and functional bags for everyday use.',
                'slug' => 'bags',
                'parent' => 0,
            )
        );
    }
}
add_action('init', 'create_parent_categories');

What’s Happening Here

term_exists() checks if a category already exists.
parent => 0 means this category is a top-level category.

Step 2: Create Child Categories and Assign Them to Parents

Child categories are created just like parent categories, but with a parent ID specified.

Code Example: Creating Child Categories

function create_child_categories() {
    // Get the parent category ID
    $parent_term = get_term_by('slug', 'shoes', 'product_cat');

    if ($parent_term && !term_exists('Running Shoes', 'product_cat')) {
        wp_insert_term(
            'Running Shoes', // Category Name
            'product_cat', // Taxonomy
            array(
                'description' => 'High-performance running shoes.',
                'slug' => 'running-shoes', // Custom URL slug
                'parent' => $parent_term->term_id, // Assign parent ID
            )
        );
    }

    if ($parent_term && !term_exists('Sneakers', 'product_cat')) {
        wp_insert_term(
            'Sneakers',
            'product_cat',
            array(
                'description' => 'Trendy sneakers for casual wear.',
                'slug' => 'sneakers',
                'parent' => $parent_term->term_id, // Assign parent ID
            )
        );
    }
}
add_action('init', 'create_child_categories');

What’s Happening Here

get_term_by() retrieves the parent category by its slug (shoes).
The parent argument specifies the ID of the parent category.
Subcategories (Running Shoes and Sneakers) are created and assigned to the parent (Shoes).

Step 3: Verify the Hierarchy

Go to Products > Categories in your WordPress dashboard.
You should see the following structure:
- Shoes
  - Running Shoes
  - Sneakers
- Bags

Step 4: Assign Products to Child Categories

Now that the hierarchy is ready, you can assign products to the child categories programmatically.

Code Example: Assign Products to Child Categories

function assign_products_to_child_categories() {
    // Assign product ID 123 to "Running Shoes"
    wp_set_object_terms(123, 'running-shoes', 'product_cat');

    // Assign product ID 124 to "Sneakers"
    wp_set_object_terms(124, 'sneakers', 'product_cat');
}
add_action('init', 'assign_products_to_child_categories');

What’s Happening Here

wp_set_object_terms() assigns the product ID (123, 124) to the specified category slug (running-shoes, sneakers).
Ensure the product IDs are valid and exist in your store.

Optional: Display the Category Hierarchy

You can display the category hierarchy dynamically on the front end using WooCommerce functions.

Code Example: Display Category Hierarchy

function display_category_hierarchy() {
    $args = array(
        'taxonomy' => 'product_cat',
        'orderby' => 'name',
        'order' => 'ASC',
        'hide_empty' => false,
    );

    $categories = get_terms($args);

    if (!empty($categories)) {
        echo '<ul class="product-categories">';
        foreach ($categories as $category) {
            if ($category->parent == 0) {
                // Display top-level categories
                echo '<li>' . esc_html($category->name);

                // Display child categories
                $child_args = array(
                    'taxonomy' => 'product_cat',
                    'parent' => $category->term_id,
                    'hide_empty' => false,
                );
                $child_categories = get_terms($child_args);

                if (!empty($child_categories)) {
                    echo '<ul>';
                    foreach ($child_categories as $child) {
                        echo '<li>' . esc_html($child->name) . '</li>';
                    }
                    echo '</ul>';
                }

                echo '</li>';
            }
        }
        echo '</ul>';
    }
}
add_action('woocommerce_before_shop_loop', 'display_category_hierarchy');

What’s Happening Here

The first get_terms() fetches all categories.
Child categories are filtered by checking parent == $category->term_id.
The structure is displayed as nested <ul> elements.

Testing the Code

Activate the Code: Save the changes to functions.php or your plugin file.
Check WooCommerce Categories:
- Verify the parent-child hierarchy under Products > Categories.
Assign Products:
- Ensure the products appear in the assigned categories.
View the Shop:
- Check the category hierarchy on the shop page (if you’ve added the display code).

Conclusion

Congratulations! You’ve now created a hierarchical category structure in WooCommerce programmatically. With these skills, you can automate category creation, manage large catalogs, and dynamically display categories in your store.

Woo Create Categories PHP

Tutorial: Creating and Implementing Categories with PHP for WooCommerce

Overview

Step 1: Create Categories Programmatically

Code Example: Creating Categories

How It Works

Step 2: Assign Products to Categories

Code Example: Assigning Products to Categories

How It Works

Step 3: Display Categories in Your Store

Method 1: Display Categories Using a Shortcode

Method 2: Display Categories with PHP

How It Works

Step 4: Combine It All

Testing Your Code

Advanced Tips

Conclusion

Bonus

Tutorial: Creating Categories with Parent Categories in WooCommerce Using PHP

Overview

Step 1: Create Parent Categories

Code Example: Creating Parent Categories

What’s Happening Here

Step 2: Create Child Categories and Assign Them to Parents

Code Example: Creating Child Categories

What’s Happening Here

Step 3: Verify the Hierarchy

Step 4: Assign Products to Child Categories

Code Example: Assign Products to Child Categories

What’s Happening Here

Optional: Display the Category Hierarchy

Code Example: Display Category Hierarchy

What’s Happening Here

Testing the Code

Conclusion