WooCommerce comes with several shortcodes that can be used to add a various type of functionality to your post, pages, widget, sidebar, etc without any type to write a code. In this article, I made a complete list to cover the shortcodes included with WooCommerce and their usage so that new/advanced users can take full benefits from WooCommerce.

Why You Should Use WooCommerce Shortcodes

If you run a WooCommerce store, you don’t always want to rely only on the default Shop page layout.Sometimes you want more control.

That is where shortcodes help.

WooCommerce shortcodes allow you to place products, cart, checkout, or account sections anywhere inside your pages or blog posts. You are not locked into one structure.

Let’s look at the real benefits.

1. You Get Full Layout Flexibility

With shortcodes like [products] or [product_page id="123"], you can place products inside landing pages, blog posts, or custom sales pages.

For example, if you write a blog about “Top 5 Winter Jackets,” you can insert:

[products category="winter-jackets" limit="5"]

Now readers can buy directly from the article.You are connecting content with commerce.

2. You Can Build High-Converting Landing Pages

Instead of sending traffic to a generic shop page, you can create focused landing pages.

Example:

• A page about Black Friday deals
• A page about a single product
• A seasonal promotion page

You can use:

[sale_products per_page="8"]
or
[add_to_cart id="123"]

This keeps users focused and reduces distractions.

3. You Improve User Experience

Users do not always navigate through your main menu. Sometimes they come from ads. Sometimes from search engines.

Shortcodes allow you to create contextual buying experiences. If someone reads a guide, you can place a product right after explaining it.

That shortens the buying journey.

Research shows that reducing friction improves conversions. According to Baymard Institute, complicated navigation is one of the biggest reasons users abandon purchases. Strategic product placement can reduce that friction.

4. You Save Development Time

Without shortcodes, you might need custom templates or developer help. With shortcodes, you simply paste a line of code into the editor.

No theme modification. No extra plugins. It is fast and practical.

How to Write Epic Product Descriptions (Examples + Templates)

5. You Create Dynamic Sections Easily

Want to show:

• Only best sellers?
• Only featured products?
• Only products from one category?

You can do that with a few attributes.

For example:

[products best_selling="true" limit="6"]

It updates automatically as your data changes. That means less manual work.

6. You Maintain Consistency Across Pages

Shortcodes use WooCommerce’s built-in styling. So the product grid on your homepage will match the shop page design.

This keeps branding consistent without extra design work. In short, WooCommerce shortcodes give you flexibility, speed, and control.

They let you shape the buying journey instead of relying on default layouts.

Complete List of WooCommerce Shortcodes (With Usage Examples)

Below is a structured table covering WooCommerce’s built-in shortcodes and how users can actually use them in real scenarios.

WooCommerce Page Shortcodes

These are typically used to create core store pages.

Shortcode	What It Does	How to Use It	Example Use Case
[woocommerce_cart]	Displays the Cart page.	Add this shortcode to a page and assign it as your Cart page in WooCommerce settings.	Create a page called “Cart” and paste: [woocommerce_cart]
[woocommerce_checkout]	Displays the Checkout page.	Add it to a page and set it as the Checkout page.	Create a “Checkout” page with: [woocommerce_checkout]
[woocommerce_my_account]	Displays the My Account dashboard (login, orders, downloads).	Add to a page titled “My Account”.	[woocommerce_my_account]
[woocommerce_order_tracking]	Shows order tracking form for customers.	Useful for a standalone tracking page.	[woocommerce_order_tracking]

Product Display Shortcodes

These help you show products anywhere inside posts or pages.

Shortcode	What It Does	Example	Practical Usage
[products]	Displays products with flexible filters.	[products limit="8" columns="4" orderby="date"]	Show latest 8 products in 4 columns on homepage.
[products category="hoodies"]	Shows products from a specific category.	[products category="hoodies" limit="6"]	Create a Hoodies section on homepage.
[products on_sale="true"]	Shows products on sale.	[products on_sale="true" limit="4"]	Display current discounted products.
[products best_selling="true"]	Shows best selling products.	[products best_selling="true" limit="6"]	Highlight popular products.
[products top_rated="true"]	Shows top rated products.	[products top_rated="true" columns="3"]	Show highly rated items.
[products ids="12,15,18"]	Displays specific products by ID.	[products ids="12,15,18"]	Create a curated product list.
[products skus="SKU123,SKU456"]	Shows products by SKU.	[products skus="TSHIRT01"]	Useful when migrating environments.

Single Product Shortcodes

Shortcode	What It Does	Example	Usage
[product_page id="123"]	Displays a full single product page.	[product_page id="123"]	Embed full product page inside a landing page.
[product id="123"]	Displays a single product.	[product id="123"]	Show one highlighted product inside blog post.
[product sku="TSHIRT01"]	Displays product by SKU.	[product sku="TSHIRT01"]	Useful when ID differs between staging and live.

Category Shortcodes

Shortcode	What It Does	Example	Usage
[product_category category="tshirts"]	Displays products from one category.	[product_category category="tshirts" per_page="8" columns="4"]	Create category landing page.
[product_categories]	Lists product categories.	[product_categories number="6" columns="3"]	Display top categories on homepage.
[product_categories parent="0"]	Shows only top-level categories.	[product_categories parent="0"]	Show main shop categories only.

Special Product Shortcodes

Shortcode	What It Does	Example	Usage
[recent_products]	Shows recent products.	[recent_products per_page="4"]	Display latest arrivals.
[featured_products]	Shows featured products.	[featured_products per_page="6"]	Highlight selected items.
[sale_products]	Shows sale products.	[sale_products per_page="8"]	Create a sale section.
[best_selling_products]	Shows best sellers.	[best_selling_products per_page="6"]	Show most purchased items.
[top_rated_products]	Shows highest rated products.	[top_rated_products per_page="4"]	Add social proof section.

Add to Cart Shortcodes

These are powerful for landing pages and custom funnels.

Shortcode	What It Does	Example	Usage
[add_to_cart id="123"]	Displays add to cart button.	[add_to_cart id="123"]	Add purchase button inside sales page.
[add_to_cart_url id="123"]	Outputs direct add-to-cart URL.	<a href="[add_to_cart_url id='123']">Buy Now</a>	Create custom Buy Now button.

Notice / Utility Shortcodes

Shortcode	What It Does	Example	Usage
[woocommerce_messages]	Displays WooCommerce notices (errors/success).	[woocommerce_messages]	Useful on custom checkout pages.

Important Notes for Advanced Users

• [products] is the most flexible shortcode. You can combine attributes like:
  [products limit="12" columns="4" category="hoodies" orderby="popularity" order="DESC"]
• Attributes you can commonly use inside [products]:
  limit, columns, orderby, order, category, tag, ids, skus, on_sale, best_selling, top_rated, attribute, terms, paginate
• Most listing shortcodes are now essentially variations of [products], but WooCommerce keeps legacy shortcodes for backward compatibility.

Conclusion

WooCommerce shortcodes may look simple, but they are powerful.

They allow you to place products anywhere. They help you build focused landing pages. They improve user experience. They also reduce development effort. If you are only using the default Shop page, you are leaving flexibility unused.

Start small. Try adding a product grid inside a blog post. Create a custom promotion page. Test a focused sales layout.

You will quickly see how much control shortcodes give you.

Now I’d like to ask you.

Are you currently using WooCommerce shortcodes, or are you relying only on the default shop structure?