This is How to Customize WooCommerce Order Columns Using Hooks
As a WooCommerce store owner, being able to customize the order management experience is crucial. One important aspect of this is the ability to control the columns displayed on the orders overview page. This allows you to surface the most relevant information for your business, improving efficiency and decision-making.
Traditionally, customizing the WooCommerce order columns involved directly editing the plugin's files. However, this approach is not recommended as it can lead to compatibility issues and make future updates more challenging. Instead, the preferred method is to utilize WordPress hooks, which provide a safer and more sustainable way to modify the orders overview without touching the core plugin.
In this article, we'll dive into the manage_edit-orders_columns
action hook and demonstrate how you can leverage it to change the order of columns, remove unwanted columns, and even add new custom columns to the WooCommerce orders overview page.
Understanding the manage_edit-orders_columns
Hook
The manage_edit-orders_columns
action hook is a powerful tool provided by WooCommerce that allows you to customize the columns displayed on the orders overview page. By hooking into this action, you can manipulate the array of columns and rearrange them to suit your specific needs.
Here's an example of how you can use this hook to change the order of the columns:
add_filter( 'manage_edit-orders_columns', 'changecolumnorder' );
function changecolumnorder( $columns ) {
// Remove the "Date" column first
unset( $columns['order_date'] );
// Add the "Date" column back in the desired position
return array_slice( $columns, 0, 3, true )
+ array( 'order_date' => __( 'Date', 'woocommerce' ) )
+ array_slice( $columns, 3, NULL, true );
}
In this example, we first remove the "Date" column using the unset()
function. Then, we reorder the columns by using the array_slice()
function to insert the "Date" column back in the desired position.
The $columns
parameter passed to the changecolumnorder()
function is an associative array, where the keys represent the column IDs, and the values are the column labels. By manipulating this array, you can rearrange, remove, and add new columns as needed.
Removing Unwanted Columns
In addition to changing the order of columns, you may also want to remove unwanted columns from the orders overview page. This can be done by simply unsetting the corresponding array elements, as shown in the previous example.
For instance, if you want to remove the "Order" column, you can use the following code:
add_filter( 'manage_edit-orders_columns', 'remove_order_column' );
function remove_order_column( $columns ) {
unset( $columns['order_number'] );
return $columns;
}
In this example, we use the unset()
function to remove the "Order" column from the $columns
array, and then return the modified array.
Adding Custom Columns
Sometimes, the default WooCommerce order columns may not provide all the information you need. In such cases, you can add custom columns to the orders overview page. This can be particularly useful if you need to display additional data or metrics that are specific to your business.
Here's an example of how you can add a new column to display the customer's email address:
add_filter( 'manage_edit-orders_columns', 'add_customer_email_column' );
function add_customer_email_column( $columns ) {
$columns['customer_email'] = __( 'Customer Email', 'woocommerce' );
return $columns;
}
add_action( 'manage_shop_order_posts_custom_column', 'display_customer_email', 10, 2 );
function display_customer_email( $column, $post_id ) {
if ( 'customer_email' === $column ) {
$order = wc_get_order( $post_id );
echo $order->get_billing_email();
}
}
In this example, we first use the manage_edit-orders_columns
hook to add a new column with the key customer_email
and the label "Customer Email". Then, we use the manage_shop_order_posts_custom_column
hook to display the customer's email address in the new column.
The $column
parameter in the display_customer_email()
function represents the current column being rendered, and the $post_id
parameter is the ID of the current order. We check if the current column is the "Customer Email" column, and then use the wc_get_order()
function to retrieve the order object and access the customer's email address.
By combining these two hooks, you can easily add custom columns to the WooCommerce orders overview page and display any relevant information that your business requires.
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Conclusion
Customizing the WooCommerce orders overview page is a crucial task for store owners who want to streamline their order management processes and surface the most relevant information. By using the manage_edit-orders_columns
action hook, you can easily change the order of columns, remove unwanted columns, and even add custom columns to the orders overview page.
Remember, the key to effective customization is to use WordPress hooks instead of directly modifying the WooCommerce plugin files. This approach ensures that your changes are compatible with future updates and minimizes the risk of compatibility issues.
By leveraging tools like Flowpoint.ai, you can take your WooCommerce store optimization to the next level, identifying and addressing technical, UX, and content-related issues that may be impacting your conversion rates. With the right data-driven insights and recommendations, you can unlock the full potential of your online business and drive sustained growth.
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