WooCommerce: the complete store guide
Everything you need to manage your WooCommerce online store — from adding products and processing orders to setting up shipping, taxes, and payments.
WooCommerce turns your WordPress website into a fully featured online store. Whether you sell physical goods, digital downloads, or services, these guides walk you through every part of your store in plain English.
If you are brand new to WooCommerce, start with What is WooCommerce? and then take the dashboard tour.
New to online selling?
These guides are written for business owners and their teams — no technical knowledge required. Each article focuses on one task and tells you exactly what to click.
If you only read three things
- A tour of your dashboard — orient yourself before everything else.
- How to process & fulfill an order — the most common task once orders start coming in.
- Setting prices & sale prices — the second-most-common change you'll make.
Getting started
What is WooCommerce?
A plain-English introduction to the platform.
A tour of your dashboard
Find your way around from day one.
Products explained
Understand the different product types before you build.
General store settings
Currency, address, and other core settings.
Products
How to add a simple product
Create your first product step by step.
How to add a variable product
Sell items that come in different sizes or colors.
Product images & galleries
Add and arrange images for each product.
Writing product descriptions that sell
Turn browsers into buyers with better copy.
Organizing products with categories & tags
Keep your catalog tidy and searchable.
Managing stock & inventory
Track stock levels and avoid overselling.
Setting prices & sale prices
Regular prices, sales, and scheduled discounts.
Selling digital & downloadable products
Deliver files automatically after purchase.
Orders
Understanding orders
What an order record contains and what it means.
How to process & fulfill an order
Step-by-step order fulfillment.
Order statuses explained
What Pending, Processing, Completed, and more mean.
How to refund an order
Issue full or partial refunds.
How to cancel an order
Cancel and restore stock safely.
Coupons & discounts
Create discount codes for your customers.
Shipping & taxes
How WooCommerce shipping works
The basics of zones, methods, and rates.
Setting up shipping zones & rates
Configure where you ship and what you charge.
Setting up free shipping
Offer free shipping with or without a minimum order.
How taxes work in WooCommerce
Tax classes, rates, and how to configure them.
Payments
Payment methods explained
An overview of how customers pay.
Accepting credit cards
Set up Stripe and other card processors.
Accepting PayPal
Connect PayPal to your store.
Understanding the checkout experience
What your customers see when they buy.
Cart & checkout pages
The pages WooCommerce uses for shopping.
Store emails to customers
Every automated email your store sends.
Reports & customers
Reading your store reports
Sales, orders, and product performance at a glance.
Managing customers
View customer accounts and purchase history.
Understanding abandoned carts
What they are and what you can do about them.
Managing product reviews
Moderate and respond to customer reviews.
Settings
General store settings
Currency, country, and core store configuration.
Your store's key pages
Cart, checkout, account — the pages WooCommerce needs.
WooCommerce extensions explained
Add functionality to your store with extensions.
Customizing store emails
Update the look and wording of automated emails.
Selling subscriptions (overview)
Recurring billing with WooCommerce Subscriptions.
Selling bookings & appointments
Take time-slot bookings from your store.
Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting order problems
Fix missing, stuck, or incorrect orders.
Troubleshooting payment problems
Diagnose and fix failed or declined payments.
Keeping your store secure
Practical steps to protect your store.
PCI compliance, in plain English
What PCI compliance means for your business.
Backing up your store
Why and how to back up your WooCommerce store.
WooCommerce glossary
Plain-English definitions for every WooCommerce term.
Need a hand?