How to Adjust WooCommerce Product Variation Order

In WooCommerce, managing product variation is crucial for providing a seamless shopping experience. As your store grows, you might want to customize the order in which product variations appear on the product pages. This guide will walk you through how to adjust WooCommerce product variation order step-by-step. By the end, you’ll have a better understanding of how to organize variations to enhance both user experience and sales conversion.

Why Adjust the WooCommerce Product Variation Order?

Before diving into the process, let’s quickly discuss why you might want to adjust the WooCommerce product variation order. Here are a few reasons:

• Improved User Experience: Well-organized variations help customers find the options they want more quickly, reducing frustration.

• Better Sales Conversion: By placing high-demand or popular variations at the top, you encourage purchases.

• Customization: Tailor product variation display to meet your store’s specific needs.

Now, let’s move forward with how to adjust the WooCommerce product variation order.

How to Adjust WooCommerce Product Variation Order: Step-by-Step

Step 1: Navigate to Product Variations in WooCommerce

To adjust WooCommerce product variation order, the first step is to log into your WordPress dashboard and follow these steps:

1. Go to your WordPress dashboard.
2. Navigate to Products > All Products.
3. Select the product that has variations you want to reorder.
4. Scroll down to the Product Data area and navigate to the Variations section.

You should now see a list of all the product variations for that item.

Step 2: Manual Reordering of Product Variations

Once you are in the Variations section, you can manually adjust the order of the variations:

• You’ll notice each variation has a Drag and Drop icon (three horizontal lines) next to it.
• Simply click and hold the icon, then drag the variation up or down to the desired position.
• Release the mouse button to drop the variation in its new place.

This is the simplest method for adjusting the product variation order. However, if you have a lot of variations, you may want to explore other options.

Step 3: Use a Plugin for More Control

For larger stores or those who want more control over the product variation order, using a plugin might be the best solution. A commonly used tool is the WooCommerce Customizer plugin.

1. Install the plugin by going to your dashboard and selecting Plugins > Add New.
2. Once activated, go to WooCommerce > Settings and look for the Product Variations tab.
3. From here, you can set up custom sorting options, including ordering by attributes, prices, or other custom fields.

This approach allows you to streamline the process of reordering variations based on defined criteria

Step 4: Sorting Product Variations by Attribute or Price

If you prefer to sort WooCommerce product variations by attributes (like size or color) or by price, here’s how you can do it:

1. In the Variations section of the product page, locate the Sorting options.
2. Select Sort by Attribute or Sort by Price.
3. Save changes.

This method is particularly useful if you want to give priority to certain attributes or price ranges.

Additional Methods to Adjust WooCommerce Product Variation Order

Adjust Variation Display Order via Code

For users comfortable with coding, there’s an advanced method of adjusting the variation order via custom code. You can add this to your theme’s functions.php file:

function reorder_product_variations( $args ) {
    $args['orderby'] = 'meta_value_num'; // Order by custom field
    $args['order'] = 'ASC'; // Ascending order
    return $args;
}

add_filter( 'woocommerce_variation_query', 'reorder_product_variations' );

This code snippet will sort product variations based on a custom field (like SKU) in ascending order.

Note: Always create a backup of your site before implementing custom code, and use a child theme to preserve changes during theme updates.

Step 5: Use a Sorting Plugin for Bulk Variations

If you’re working with products that have hundreds of variations, consider using a sorting plugin like WooCommerce Product Table. This tool provides an intuitive interface to manage and sort variations in bulk.

1. Install the plugin and go to the WooCommerce > Product Tables section.
2. Use filters and sorting options to quickly reorder variations.
3. Save and publish the changes.

Plugins like this simplify the process, especially when dealing with many variations across different product types.

Common Issues When Adjusting Variation Order

While adjusting WooCommerce product variation order is generally straightforward, you may encounter a few challenges along the way:

• Changes Not Reflecting on Frontend: Sometimes, changes made in the backend don’t show up on the frontend right away. Clear your browser cache or re-sync the page if this happens.

• Plugin Conflicts: Some third-party plugins can conflict with the variation order settings. If you encounter issues, try disabling all non-essential plugins and see if the problem persists.

• Custom Code Errors: If you’re using custom code to adjust variation order, ensure there are no syntax errors or compatibility issues with your theme or WooCommerce version.

Best Practices for Adjusting WooCommerce Product Variation Order

To make the most of your variation order adjustments, here are a few best practices to keep in mind:

• Prioritize Popular Variations: Place the most popular sizes, colors, or options at the top to increase conversions.

• Group Similar Variations: Group variations by type to make it easier for customers to navigate, like all “small” sizes together.

• Consider Customer Preferences: Adjust variation order based on customer behavior data—what do they click on most often?

Conclusion

Now that you know how to adjust WooCommerce product variation orders, you’re equipped to improve your store’s user experience and potentially increase your sales. Whether you prefer manual adjustments, using a plugin, or adding custom code, the options are flexible and customizable.

By implementing these strategies, you can enhance how your products are displayed and help your customers find the variations they want faster and more efficiently.

If you found this guide useful, explore more WooCommerce tips or get professional assistance to take your store to the next level.