Cart & checkout pages
What the WooCommerce cart and checkout pages are, why they matter, and how to manage them safely.
Your cart and checkout pages are the two most critical pages in your store. Without them, customers cannot complete a purchase. This guide explains what they are, why they must not be deleted, and what you can safely change.
Quick summary
WooCommerce creates a Cart page and a Checkout page automatically during setup. These pages contain special WooCommerce shortcodes or blocks that power the shopping experience. Never delete them. You can change their names, URLs, and some of their styling — but the WooCommerce content inside must remain.
Your store's special pages
WooCommerce creates several important pages automatically. The most critical are:
| Page | What it does | Where it's set |
|---|---|---|
| Cart | Shows items in the customer's cart, allows coupon entry, and links to checkout | WooCommerce → Settings → Advanced |
| Checkout | The full checkout form for payment | WooCommerce → Settings → Advanced |
| My Account | Customer login, orders, and profile | WooCommerce → Settings → Advanced |
| Shop | The main product listing page | WooCommerce → Settings → Products |
You can see which pages are assigned under WooCommerce → Settings → Advanced → Page setup.
The Cart page
The Cart page shows customers:
- All items they've added with quantities and prices
- A coupon code entry field
- Subtotal, shipping estimate, and total
- A "Proceed to checkout" button
The WooCommerce cart block or shortcode ([woocommerce_cart]) powers this page. If you see a blank cart page or an error, the shortcode may have been accidentally removed.
Do not delete the Cart page
If the Cart page is deleted, customers lose the ability to review their cart and proceed to checkout. WooCommerce will warn you if this page is missing, but it's better to avoid it entirely.
The Checkout page
The Checkout page is where customers:
- Enter their name, email, and addresses
- Choose a shipping method
- Enter payment details
- Place the order
It uses the [woocommerce_checkout] shortcode or WooCommerce's checkout block. Like the Cart page, never delete or remove the WooCommerce content from this page.
Customizing these pages
There are things you can safely change and things you should not touch:
Safe to change
- Page title and URL slug (but update the page assignment in WooCommerce settings if you change the slug)
- Adding text, images, or banners above or below the WooCommerce block
- Styling via your theme or Elementor (around the checkout, not inside it)
- Adding trust badges or security icons near the payment section
Do not change
- The WooCommerce shortcode or block inside the page
- The page's published status (keep it Published)
- Deleting the page
- Restricting access (these pages must be publicly accessible)
If a page is missing or broken
If a customer reports that cart or checkout is not working:
Go to WooCommerce → Settings → Advanced → Page setup. Check that the correct pages are assigned.
Open the Cart or Checkout page in the WordPress editor.
Check that the WooCommerce shortcode or block is present. It should say [woocommerce_cart] or [woocommerce_checkout] (or show the WooCommerce Cart/Checkout block in the block editor).
If the shortcode is missing, add it back. Or re-run the WooCommerce Setup Wizard pages installer if the pages were deleted.
We can recreate these pages
If your cart or checkout pages are badly broken, contact us. We can restore them quickly.
Common questions
Related guides
- Understanding the checkout experience
- Your store's key pages
- Understanding abandoned carts
- Troubleshooting order problems
Need a hand?