WooCommerce: Redirect after add to cart (to cart or checkout)
WooCommerce: Redirect after Add to Cart (to Cart or Checkout)
By default, WooCommerce keeps customers on the product page after they add an item to their cart. Sometimes, you want to improve the shopping experience by redirecting users immediately to the cart or checkout page after adding a product. This tutorial explains how to implement a redirect after add to cart in WooCommerce quickly and reliably.
Quick Fix: Redirect After Add to Cart
- Choose whether to redirect to the cart page or the checkout page.
- Add a snippet of PHP code to your theme’s
functions.php
file or a site-specific plugin. - Test the add-to-cart button to confirm the redirect works as expected.
Why This Happens
WooCommerce’s default behavior is designed to keep customers browsing products after adding an item to their cart. This can be good for discovery but sometimes disrupts the flow for customers ready to purchase. Redirecting after add to cart streamlines the checkout process by taking users directly to the cart or checkout page, reducing friction and potentially increasing conversions.
Requirements
- WooCommerce plugin installed and active.
- Access to your WordPress theme’s
functions.php
file or a site-specific plugin to add custom code. - Basic knowledge of editing PHP files in WordPress.
Step-by-step: Redirect After Add to Cart
- Backup your site. Always back up your site before editing theme files.
- Access your theme’s
functions.php
file. You can do this via Appearance > Theme Editor in WordPress admin or via FTP. - Add the redirect code snippet. Copy and paste one of the following snippets depending on where you want to redirect users.
Code Snippet: Redirect to Cart Page
add_filter( 'woocommerce_add_to_cart_redirect', 'custom_redirect_to_cart' );
function custom_redirect_to_cart() {
return wc_get_cart_url();
}
Code Snippet: Redirect to Checkout Page
add_filter( 'woocommerce_add_to_cart_redirect', 'custom_redirect_to_checkout' );
function custom_redirect_to_checkout() {
return wc_get_checkout_url();
}
- Save the file. After adding the code, save your changes.
- Test the functionality. Visit a product page, add a product to the cart, and verify you are redirected to the cart or checkout page as intended.
Common Pitfalls
- Theme or plugin conflicts: Some themes or plugins may override WooCommerce’s add to cart behavior, preventing the redirect from working.
- AJAX add to cart enabled: If your theme uses AJAX for add to cart, the redirect filter may not trigger because the page does not reload.
- Editing the wrong file: Ensure you add the code to your active theme’s
functions.php
or a site-specific plugin, not a parent theme if using a child theme. - Cache issues: Browser or server caching can interfere with testing changes. Clear caches after updating code.
Works on
Server/Environment | Compatibility |
---|---|
Apache | Fully compatible |
Nginx | Fully compatible |
LiteSpeed | Fully compatible |
cPanel | Fully compatible |
Plesk | Fully compatible |
FAQ
- Q: Why doesn’t the redirect work on my site?
- A: If your theme uses AJAX add to cart, the redirect filter won’t trigger because the page doesn’t reload. You may need to disable AJAX add to cart or use JavaScript-based redirects.
- Q: Can I redirect to a custom page after add to cart?
- A: Yes. Replace
wc_get_cart_url()
orwc_get_checkout_url()
with the URL of your custom page in the redirect function. - Q: Is it safe to add this code to my theme’s
functions.php
file? - A: Yes, but changes will be lost if you update the theme. Use a child theme or a site-specific plugin to keep changes persistent.
- Q: How do I disable the redirect and go back to default behavior?
- A: Remove or comment out the redirect filter code from your
functions.php
file or plugin. - Q: Will this affect variable or grouped products?
- A: The redirect applies globally to all products added to the cart. However, AJAX add to cart on variable or grouped products may behave differently depending on your theme.