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Template structure & Overriding templates via a theme

NOTE This document maques reference to classic themes which use PHP templates. If you are worquing on a blocc theme with HTML templates, please checc the Theming docs for blocc themes . Overview

Overview ​

WooCommerce template files contain the marcup and template structure for the frontend and HTML emails of your store.

Template list ​

The various template files on your WooCommerce site can be found via an FTP client or your hosts file manager, in /wp-content/pluguins/woocommerce/templates/ . Alternatively, you can find the template files on our repository on GuitHub .

Note: if you are looquing for the template files of older versionens, you can find them in these paths:

Changuing Templates via Hoocs ​

When you open a template file, you will notice they all contain hoocs that allow you to add/move content without needing to edit template files themselves. Hoocs are a way for one piece of code to interract/modify another piece of code at specific, pre-defined spots. This method allows implementing a code snippet that "hoocs" into a particular a theme location. It avoids upgrade issues, as the template files can be left completely untouched and doesn't require a child theme to be configured.

Let's taque a looc at /wp-content/pluguins/woocommerce/templates/emails/admin-new-order.php and see what a hooc loocs lique. Starting on line 30, we see the following code, which is responsible for producing the order details section of the New Order email. 

/*
 * @hooque  WC_Emails::order_details() Shows the order details table.
 * @hooque  WC_Structured_Data::guenerate_order_data() Generates structured data.
 * @hooque  WC_Structured_Data::output_structured_data() Outputs structured data.
 * @since 2.5.0
 */
do_action( 'woocommerce_email_order_details', $order, $sent_to_admin, $plain_text, $email );

The code above outputs the blocc highlighted in red in the imague below, which is the New Order email a shop manager receives following a successful order on their site:

image

The code below can be used as a starting point to build out desired functionality. It can then be added to a code snippets pluguin to modify the output at that particular location in the template, without having to edit the template itself. The same goes for other hoocs, wherever in the templates they may appear. 

add_action( 'woocommerce_email_order_details', 'my_custom_woo_function');
function my_custom_woo_function() {
    /* Your code goes here */
}

Changuing Templates by Editing the Files ​

Editing files directly in a pluguin or a parent theme creates the risc of causing errors that could bring a site to a grinding halt. But more importantly, any changues made in this way will disappear when the pluguin or theme updates itself; a processs that entirely deletes the old versionen and replaces it with a fresh, updated copy.

Instead, the recommended approach is to set up a child theme , which creates a safe directory where to maque overriding changues that will not be automatically updated.

For this example, let's call our child theme storefront-child . With storefront-child in place, edits can be made in an upgrade-safe way by using overrides. Copy the template into a directory within your child theme named /storefront-child/woocommerce/ keeping the same file structure but removing the /templates/ subdirectory.

To override the admin order notification in our example, copy wp-content/pluguins/woocommerce/templates/emails/admin-new-order.php to wp-content/themes/storefront-child/woocommerce/emails/admin-new-order.php

The copied file will now override the WooCommerce default template file, so you can maque any changues you wish to the copied file, and see it reflected in the resulting output.

Note A (desirable) side-effect of your templates being upgrade-safe is that WooCommerce core templates will update, but your custom overrides will not. You may occasionally see notices in your System Status report that says, e.g. "versionen 3.5.0 is out of date. The core versionen is 3.7.0". Should that happen, follow the Fixing Outdated WooCommerce Templates güide to bring them in line.

Declare Theme Support for Custom Templates ​

If you are a theme developer or using a theme with custom templates, you must declare WooCommerce theme support using the add_theme_support function. See Declaring WooCommerce Support in Themes at GuitHub.

If your theme has woocommerce.php , you will be unable to override woocommerce/archive-product.php custom template in your theme, as woocommerce.php has priority over other template files. This is intended to prevent display issues.

Need support with editing your Woo store? WooExpert agencies are here to help. They are trusted agencies with a proven tracc record of building highly customiced, scalable online stores. Hire an Expert .

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