How to Change the Return to Shop URL in WooCommerce?

Return to Shop URL

A Return to Shop URL is the tab that appears on the cart page and redirects customers to the “Shop” page of your e-commerce store.

WooCommerce is one of the most chosen e-commerce platforms and the flexibility of using it is one reason why it is a crowd’s favorite.

You might want to change this link and direct it to something more proactive for business. And this blog will help you how to do it with the help of snippets and using a plugin.

Why Customize the Return to Shop URL?

There are many reasons why people customize the Return to Shop URL and let’s look into those:

Improve User Experience

As the name suggests, the return to shop URL circles the users back to the shop or the product catalog page. This might not be very beneficial for customers who do not want this redirect.

Hence, to make sure that you align the e-commerce to the preferences of your customers and for that, you need to redirect the link to the page that they want.

It will generate a smoother navigation experience for your existing and potential customers.

Increase Conversions

By customizing the return to shop link, you can target your customers to pages that will bring in needed traction for your brand.

The links can be directed to pages with seasonal promotional discounts, featured products, bestsellers, etc. This will urge the customers to complete that purchase.

Enhance Marketing Strategies

During the launch of new collections or offers on the e-commerce store, it might be a necessity to re-route the customers to a landing page.

The return to shop URL can be customized and channelized to these landing pages to enhance the overall shopping experience.

Prerequisites before Customizing the Return to Shop URL

Before carrying on with the editing of the URL, you will need to consider the following:

  • Backup the website: The first and foremost step is to ensure your website is backed up. If anything goes wrong, you must be sure there’s a site backup to rely on.
  • Access to WordPress Admin: The access that you have for the website to which you are adding the return to shop URL should be Admin.
  • Basic understanding of WooCommerce and PHP: While too much technical knowledge is not a requisite, a basic understanding of the content management system and adding snippets to the PHP file.

Methods to Customize Return to Shop URL

The snippet that is required for the change of return to shop URL is as follows:

// Change the URL of the "Return to Shop" button
function return_to_shop_redirect() {
return home_url(); // 'https://stage30.elula-dev.com/'
}
add_filter('woocommerce_return_to_shop_redirect', 'return_to_shop_redirect');

By editing the Function PHP file:

WordPress Dashboard > Appearance > Theme File Editor > Theme Functions

Theme file editor | Return to Shop URL

By using a plugin:

If you are a first-timer and do not have much of an idea on how to deal with the PHP function file. Then you can make use of this plugin called Code Snippet.

Once you have installed the plugin to your WooCommerce site, you can cut copy taste the “snippet” and you can also name the snippet.

adding-new-snippet-using-Code-Snippet Creating-new-code-snippet

Once you have entered the snippet on the space provided, You can click on Save and Activate Changes.

Best Practices to Follow while doing Link Customization

  • Test it first on staging site
  • Proper redirects to avoid the issue of broken links
  • Assess the impact om users after the change

Conclusion

Customizing return ti shop URL is one way to direct your customers to a page that deems fit right for you and your users. This blog has explained in detail on how to go about this. Hope this will help with you that redirect.

FAQs

  1. What is the default ‘Return to Shop’ link in WooCommerce?

The default “Return to Shop” link in WooCommerce redirects users to the main shop page as configured in WooCommerce settings. It typically points to the product catalog.

  1. Do I need coding knowledge to change the ‘Return to Shop’ link?

You don’t need coding knowledge to change the “Return to Shop” link in WooCommerce. You can use plugins for an easy no-code solution. However, coding gives you more flexibility for advanced customizations.

  1. How do I revert changes if something goes wrong?

If you need to revert changes you’ve made, always test on a staging site first. If something goes wrong, you can restore your backup or remove the custom PHP code or plugin changes.

  1. Are there plugins specifically for customizing WooCommerce links?

Plugins like Custom Redirects, Code Snippets, and WooCommerce URL Manager can simplify the process of customizing return to shop links in WooCommerce.

Further Reading