How to Add a Product Category in WordPress

Organizing products into categories makes it easier for customers to browse your store and find what they need. In WooCommerce, product categories help structure your catalog, improve navigation, and support better SEO.

This guide walks you through the exact steps to create a new product category from your WordPress dashboard.

For PC

For Mobile

Step 1: Log in to Your WordPress Dashboard

Start by accessing your WordPress admin area.

1. Open your browser and go to your website’s login page.
   Example: yourwebsite.com/wp-admin
2. Enter your username and password.
3. Click Log In to access the dashboard.

Once logged in, you will see the WordPress admin panel where you can manage products, pages, posts, and settings.

Step 2: Navigate to Product Categories

Next, locate the product category settings.

1. On the left-hand side panel, find Products.
2. Hover over or click Products.
3. Select Categories from the dropdown menu.

This will open the Product Categories page, where you can view existing categories and add new ones.

Step 3: Add a New Product Category

In the Add New Category section, enter the following details:

• Name – The category name (e.g., Electronics, Clothing)

• Slug – URL-friendly version of the name

• Parent Category – Assign if creating a subcategory

• Description – Summary of the category

• Display Type – Controls how products appear

• Thumbnail – Category image

Step 4: Save the Category

After filling in the necessary details:

1. Click the Add New Category button.
2. The new category will immediately appear in the categories list on the right side of the page.

Your product category is now ready to use.

Category Fields Explained

When creating a category, you will see several fields:

1. Name: Enter the name of the category. Example: Electronics, Clothing, or Accessories.
2. Slug: The slug is the URL-friendly version of the category name. It usually contains lowercase letters and hyphens.

Example: electronics, men-clothing.

If left empty, WooCommerce will generate one automatically from the category name.

3. Parent Category: Use this option if you want to create a sub-category.

Example:

• Parent Category: Clothing
• Subcategory: Men, Women, or Kids

If the category is a main category, leave this set to None.

4. Description
   Add a short description explaining what the category contains.
   Some themes display this description on the category archive page.
5. Display Type
   This controls how products appear on the category page.

Available options typically include:

• Default – Uses the theme’s default layout.
• Products – Displays only products in that category.
• Subcategories – Displays only subcategories.
• Both – Shows both products and subcategories.

6. Thumbnail
   Upload an image that represents the category.
   This image may appear on your shop page or category listings, depending on your theme.

Best Practices

To keep your store organized and user-friendly:

• Use clear, simple category names
• Avoid too many top-level categories
• Group similar products under subcategories
• Add good category descriptions
• Use thumbnails for visual browsing

A well-structured category system helps customers navigate your store faster and can improve how search engines understand your product catalog.