Automatically Add WooCommerce Product Short Description on Creation
As an e-commerce store owner using WooCommerce, you know how important it is to have well-written and informative product descriptions. The short description, in particular, plays a crucial role in enticing customers and providing a quick overview of your products.
However, manually adding a short description for every new product can be a time-consuming task, especially if you have a large catalog. Fortunately, there's a simple code snippet that can automate this process and ensure consistency across your product listings.
In this blog post, we'll walk you through the steps to automatically add a default short description to your WooCommerce products upon creation.
Why Automate the Short Description?
The short description in WooCommerce is a valuable piece of real estate that can significantly impact your product pages. It appears right below the product title and above the main product description, making it one of the first things customers see when they visit your product pages.
A well-crafted short description can:
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Provide a quick overview: The short description allows customers to quickly understand the key features and benefits of your product, helping them decide if it's what they're looking for.
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Improve SEO: Search engines, such as Google, often display the short description as the meta description for your product pages, which can influence click-through rates and search engine rankings.
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Increase conversions: An engaging and informative short description can help persuade customers to add the product to their cart and complete the purchase.
By automating the process of adding a default short description, you can save time, ensure consistency across your product listings, and potentially improve your overall e-commerce performance.
The Code Snippet
The code snippet we'll be using is designed to automatically add a short description to your WooCommerce products when they are created. Here's the code:
add_filter( 'wp_insert_post_data' , 'cdx_add_product_short_desc' , '99', 1 );
function cdx_add_product_short_desc( $data )
{
// Only for product post type
if($data['post_type'] == 'product' ) {
// Only if short description is not present
if( '' == trim($data['post_excerpt']) ):
$short_desc = 'Here goes your short desc.';
$data['post_excerpt'] = $short_desc ;
endif;
}
// Returns the modified data.
return $data;
}
Here's how the code works:
-
The add_filter()
function hooks into the wp_insert_post_data
filter, which is called right before a post (in this case, a product) is saved.
-
The cdx_add_product_short_desc()
function is the callback function that will be executed whenever the wp_insert_post_data
filter is triggered.
-
Inside the function, we first check if the post type is 'product'. This ensures the code only runs for WooCommerce products and not other post types on your site.
-
Next, we check if the post_excerpt
(short description) field is empty. If it is, we set a default short description, in this case, "Here goes your short desc.".
-
Finally, we return the modified $data
array, which now includes the default short description.
Customizing the Short Description
You can easily customize the default short description by modifying the $short_desc
variable in the code snippet. For example, you could set it to a more specific description that reflects your products or brand:
$short_desc = 'High-quality, durable widget for all your needs.';
Alternatively, you could make the short description more dynamic by pulling information from the product title or other custom fields. Here's an example:
$product_title = $data['post_title'];
$short_desc = "Introducing the {$product_title} - a must-have for your business.";
$data['post_excerpt'] = $short_desc ;
This way, the short description will be automatically generated based on the product title, ensuring that each product has a unique and relevant short description.
Testing and Implementing the Code
Before implementing the code snippet on your live site, it's always a good idea to test it on a local development environment or a staging site. This will help you ensure that the code is working as expected and doesn't introduce any conflicts or issues with your existing theme or plugins.
Once you're satisfied with the results, you can add the code to your theme's functions.php
file or in a custom plugin. Be sure to replace the default short description with your own customized text to match your product offerings and brand.
Monitoring and Adjusting
After implementing the automatic short description feature, keep an eye on your product pages and customer feedback. If you notice any issues or areas for improvement, don't hesitate to adjust the code accordingly.
For example, you may want to add additional checks to ensure the short description doesn't exceed a certain character limit or contains inappropriate language. You could also consider adding a filter or action that allows other developers or site owners to modify the default short description without having to edit the core code.
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Conclusion
Automating the addition of a default short description for your WooCommerce products can save you time, ensure consistency, and potentially improve your overall e-commerce performance. By using the code snippet provided in this blog post, you can easily implement this feature on your website and customize the short description to match your specific needs.
Remember, the key to successful e-commerce is providing a seamless and engaging user experience. Automating repetitive tasks, such as adding product descriptions, can free up your time and resources to focus on other important aspects of your online store.
If you're looking for more ways to optimize your WooCommerce site, be sure to check out Flowpoint.ai. Our AI-powered analytics and recommendations can help you identify and fix technical issues, improve user experience, and boost your conversion rates