How to Put Your Store in WooCommerce Catalog Mode (Without Plugins)?

WooCommerce Catalog Mode

In certain situations, an e-commerce store may want to function like a WooCommerce catalog. This means the site is converted to a catalog that doesn’t support product purchases.

This can be done either using plugins or code snippets. In this blog, we will learn more about how to convert your e-commerce site into a WooCommerce catalog mode.

What is WooCommerce Catalog Mode?

A traditional WooCommerce website is used to sell products. However, the flexibility that WooCommerce offers can also make it an excellent platform for building a product catalog.

When the store is converted to a catalog, certain elements, such as add-to-cart, shopping carts, and online purchasing, are limited in functionality.

A product catalog is where you display all the items you have without the prospect of insisting users purchase. These websites may not want to start online or haven’t yet started.

Key Features of having WooCommerce Catalog Mode

No Online Purchase

When the website is in catalog mode, the basic elements that make an online store like add-to-cart will no longer be functional. By enabling this, you can give the customers the showcase of the entire list of products that your business offers.

This is ideal for websites that have products that work on quotation or request pricing methods, thus overriding the need for immediate online purchases.

Displaying Product Details

When the website is converted into WooCommerce catalog mode, it paves the way for users to learn more about the products.

The catalog mode will help customers to infer more deeply into the product descriptions. This will include item description, specification on materials or contents, images, etc.

So basically the catalog mode is for an insightful representation of the products.

Website Maintenance

If you are revamping your website or fixing a bug on your website, you might need to switch the website to catalog mode. The main reason for this is that customers should not bounce off the website.

Also, you can prevent customers from making purchases in the store and dealing with unwanted issues.

Lead Generation

If there’s a request pricing button in the catalog mode, it can help you understand the acceptance of your products.

This will help users to enquire, ask more questions, etc. on the product. It can help nurture better relationships between the business and the customers.

How do you enable WooCommerce Catalog Mode without a Plugin?

Firstly, you need to have an understanding of how to place code snippets on your e-commerce website:

WordPress dashboard > Appearance > Theme File Editor

appearance - theme file editor| woocommerce catalog mode

You can also use Code Snippets Pro to easily integrate the codes into your e-commerce website.

One can use many code snippets to make the WooCommerce website turn into a catalog mode. Let’s look into them:

Hide Prices in your WooCommerce Store

If you want to hide prices from your WooCommerce store, you can use this code snippet:

// Hide product prices on all pages 

add_filter('woocommerce_get_price_html','hide_product_price', 10, 2); function hide_product_price( $price, $product ) { return ''; }
Hide Price | Woocommerce Catalog Mode

Adding Request Price button to the Woocommerce Store

If your products work on custom pricing, you can prompt the users to contact you for further pricing information by adding this snippet.

// Add Request Price button on the shop page and category pages

add_action('woocommerce_after_shop_loop_item', 'add_request_price_button', 10);

function add_request_price_button() {
global $product;
echo 'Request Price';
}
Request-Price| Woocommerce Catalog Mode

Adding a Contact Us button for Better Pricing

The customers can approach you with a customization idea if you are going to place this button on the e-commerce website. Here’s the snippet:

// Add Contact Us button on all pages add_action('woocommerce_after_shop_loop_item', 'woosuite_add_contact_us_button', 10 ); add_action('woocommerce_single_product_summary', 'woosuite_add_contact_us_button', 31 ); function woosuite_add_contact_us_button() { echo '<a href="/contact" class="button alt">Contact Us for Pricing</a>'; }
contact-us| Woocommerce Catalog Mode

Conclusion

The best perk of choosing WooCommerce as your online store platform is the kind of flexibility it gives. Changing your WooCommerce website into WooCommerce catalog mode without plugins is a good choice as it doesn’t require spending on a plugin.

Hope the blog gave ample insights into different ways you can change your website into catalog mode.

FAQs

  1. What is WooCommerce Catalog Mode?

The WooCommerce catalog mode is a setup where the website can be converted into a product catalog when the website is in maintenance mode or when it wants to stop online purchases for a while. Some websites are made in catalog mode as they don’t expect any online sales.

  1. Can I enable WooCommerce catalog mode without a plugin?

Yes, you can use the functions.php file to add code snippets that help with turning your website in WooCommerce catalog mode.

  1. Is it safe to add code directly to themes?

No, if you aren’t a professional it will be good to practice on a child theme or on a staging site. Even after applying a staging site, make sure to back up your original site before implementing the code.

  1. Can I revert the site to the normal way once my need is done?

Yes, you can get it back to an online store easily.

Further Reading