Disabling Related Products in WooCommerce: A Step-by-Step Guide

Are unrelated or poorly matched product suggestions cluttering your WooCommerce store? Check out the steps for disabling related products in WooCommerce!

Although related products are designed to boost cross-selling, they can sometimes miss the mark, resulting in a subpar customer experience and lower conversion rates. This guide offers a step-by-step walkthrough on how to disable related products in WooCommerce. By implementing these changes, you can create a streamlined and focused product page that better serves your customers’ needs, ultimately enhancing user experience and driving better sales performance.

Disable related product in woocommerce

Why Disable Related Products in WooCommerce?

Related products can be a double-edged sword. They are intended to enhance the user experience by suggesting items that might interest the shopper. However, these automated suggestions don’t always align with the shopper’s intent or the store’s goals. Here are some common reasons to disable related products:

  1. Irrelevance
    Automatically suggested products may not be closely related, confusing customers and detracting from their shopping experience.
  2. Page Clutter
    Excessive suggestions can overcrowd the product page, making it harder for customers to focus on the main product.
  3. Conversion Impact
    Misleading suggestions can lead to cart abandonment or reduced trust in your product recommendations.
  4. Customization
    You may want more control over what products are shown to optimize for specific marketing strategies.

Step-by-Step Guide to Disabling Related Products

Method 1: Using Code Snippets

For those comfortable with editing code, adding a small snippet to your theme’s functions.php file is a straightforward way to disable related products.

  1. Access the Theme Editor:
    • Navigate to Appearance > Theme Editor in your WordPress dashboard.
    • Open the functions.php file of your active theme.
  2. Add the Code Snippet:
    Insert the following code:

    remove_action( 'woocommerce_after_single_product_summary', 'woocommerce_output_related_products', 20 );
  3. Save Changes:
    • Click the Update File button to save your changes.
    • Check your product pages to ensure related products are no longer displayed.

Note: Editing theme files can be risky. Ensure you have a backup before making changes.

Method 2: Using a Plugin

If you prefer not to touch code, several plugins can disable related products in WooCommerce. One recommended plugin is the ELEX WooCommerce Catalog Mode, Wholesale & Role Based Pricing plugin.

  • Installation:
    • Go to Plugins > Add New in your WordPress dashboard.
    • Search for “ELEX WooCommerce Catalog Mode, Wholesale & Role Based Pricing”.
    • Install and activate the plugin.
  • Configuration:
    • Navigate to WooCommerce > Catalog Mode.
    • Adjust settings to hide or disable related products.
    • Save changes and verify the results on your product pages.Disabling Related Products in WooCommerce settings
  • Additional Features:
    The ELEX plugin also allows for advanced features like hiding prices and adding custom messages for different user roles, providing more flexibility in managing your store’s display options.

Method 3: Customizing WooCommerce Templates

For advanced users, customizing the WooCommerce template files can provide more control over the display of related products.

  1. Create a Child Theme:
    • If you haven’t already, create a child theme to ensure updates to your main theme don’t override your customizations.
  2. Edit the Template File:
    • Copy the single-product.php file from the WooCommerce plugin directory to your child theme directory.
    • Open the file and locate the line that includes woocommerce_output_related_products().
    • Comment out or remove this line.
  3. Test Your Changes:
    • Save the file and upload it to your server if editing locally.
    • Check your product pages to confirm the related products are no longer visible.

Note: This method requires a solid understanding of PHP and WordPress theme structures.

Benefits of Disabling Related Products

Disabling related products can lead to a cleaner, more focused shopping experience, which can improve:

  • Streamlined User Journey
    By removing unrelated suggestions, customers can focus solely on the product they’re interested in, leading to a more straightforward shopping experience.
  • Reduced Cognitive Load
    Minimizing the number of choices on a product page helps prevent decision fatigue, making it easier for customers to proceed with their purchase.
  • Improved Page Aesthetics
    A cleaner, less cluttered product page enhances the visual appeal and professionalism of your store, which can positively impact customer perceptions.
  • Higher Page Speed
    Fewer elements on the page can lead to faster loading times, which improves overall site performance and user satisfaction, particularly on mobile devices.
  • Customizable Shopping Experience
    Disabling related products allows for more tailored product page designs, ensuring each page meets the specific needs of your target audience.

Last Shot

In the fiercely competitive e-commerce landscape, every detail of your WooCommerce store shapes the customer journey and impacts sales. Disabling related products can be a tactical decision to declutter your product pages, ensuring customers focus on key offerings. 

Whether you choose code customization, leverage a plugin like the ELEX WooCommerce Catalog Mode, or customize templates, you have the flexibility to align your store’s presentation with your unique business objectives. By refining your product pages, you eliminate distractions and craft a compelling narrative that aligns with your brand and exceeds customer expectations.

FAQ’S

  1. Will disabling related products affect SEO?
    Disabling related products should not negatively impact SEO directly. However, it’s important to ensure that your product pages are still well-optimized with relevant content and internal links to maintain good SEO practices.
  2. Can I selectively disable related products for specific products only?
    Yes, with custom code or certain plugins, you can disable related products on a per-product basis. This allows for more granular control over which products display related items.
  3. Are there alternatives to disabling related products entirely?
    Instead of disabling related products, you can customize the suggestions to ensure they are more relevant. This can be done through manual selection or by using advanced product recommendation plugins.
  4. What if I want to re-enable related products later?
    Simply reverse the changes you made. If you used a code snippet, remove it from the functions.php file. If you used a plugin, disable the setting or deactivate the plugin.
  5. Can related products be customized without coding?
    Yes, many plugins allow you to customize related products without needing to code. These plugins often provide an interface to manually select or filter related products based on specific criteria.

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