WooCommerce powers over 36% of all online stores worldwide, and with the release of WooCommerce 9.x in 2026, it has become faster, more reliable, and easier to use than ever. Whether you are launching your first online store or migrating from another platform, this comprehensive guide covers every step from installation to your first sale.
This guide has been fully updated for 2026 to reflect WooCommerce 9.x changes, including the new block-based checkout, the redesigned product editor, High-Performance Order Storage (HPOS), and the latest payment gateway integrations.
What Is WooCommerce and Why Choose It?
WooCommerce is an open-source eCommerce plugin for WordPress. It transforms any WordPress website into a fully functional online store with product management, cart, checkout, payment processing, and order management. Unlike SaaS platforms like Shopify or BigCommerce, WooCommerce gives you complete ownership of your store, your data, and your customization options.
Key Advantages of WooCommerce in 2026
- Zero platform fees — WooCommerce itself is free. You pay only for hosting, domain, and any premium extensions you choose to add.
- Full data ownership — Your store data lives on your server. No vendor lock-in, no data export limitations, no platform dependency.
- Massive extension ecosystem — Over 800 official extensions and thousands of third-party plugins cover every eCommerce need from subscriptions to bookings to wholesale pricing.
- WordPress integration — Leverage the full power of WordPress for content marketing, SEO, and community building alongside your store.
- Block-based customization — WooCommerce 9.x fully embraces the WordPress block editor for product pages, checkout, and store layouts.
Prerequisites
Before installing WooCommerce, confirm your environment meets these requirements for WooCommerce 9.x:
- WordPress 6.5 or higher (6.7+ recommended)
- PHP 8.0 or higher (8.2+ recommended for performance)
- MySQL 8.0+ or MariaDB 10.6+
- HTTPS/SSL certificate (required for payment processing)
- Quality managed WordPress hosting (SiteGround, Cloudways, Bluehost, or similar)
Installation Steps
Step 1: Log into your WordPress admin dashboard and navigate to Plugins > Add New. Search for “WooCommerce” and click Install Now on the official WooCommerce plugin by Automattic. Click Activate after installation completes.
Step 2: The WooCommerce Setup Wizard launches automatically. Follow these screens: select your store location and currency, choose your industry type, specify what product types you plan to sell (physical, digital, subscriptions), and select a compatible theme if you have not already chosen one.
Step 3: Configure basic store settings under WooCommerce > Settings. The General tab handles store address, selling locations, currency, and tax settings. The Products tab controls shop page behavior, measurements, reviews, and inventory defaults.
WooCommerce 9.x introduces a redesigned product editor that replaces the classic meta-box interface with a modern, block-inspired layout. The new editor is now the default experience for all new WooCommerce installations.
What Changed in the Product Editor
- Tabbed interface replaced by sections — Product data (pricing, inventory, shipping) now appears in expandable sections on a single page instead of hidden behind tabs.
- Live preview panel — See how your product page looks as you edit, without switching between the editor and the frontend.
- Block-based description — The product description field now uses the full WordPress block editor, supporting columns, images, tables, and custom blocks within your product description.
- Improved variation management — Variable product configuration has been streamlined with bulk editing, drag-and-drop reordering, and inline attribute management.
- AI-powered suggestions — WooCommerce 9.x includes optional AI features for generating product descriptions, suggesting categories, and optimizing product titles (requires Jetpack connection).
Adding Your First Product
Navigate to Products > Add New. In the new product editor, you will see the following sections:
Product name and description: Enter your product title at the top. The description area uses the block editor — add text, images, comparison tables, or video embeds to create a compelling product page.
Pricing section: Set your regular price and optional sale price. Schedule sale prices with start and end dates for promotional campaigns. WooCommerce calculates and displays the discount percentage automatically.
Inventory section: Enable stock management to track inventory levels. Set stock quantity, low stock threshold (triggers an email notification), and whether to allow backorders. The SKU field helps organize products in your warehouse or fulfillment system.
Shipping section: Enter product weight and dimensions. Assign a shipping class if you use shipping class-based rates (for example, “heavy items” with a surcharge). WooCommerce uses these values to calculate shipping costs at checkout.
Categories and tags: Assign your product to one or more categories. Add relevant tags for searchability. Well-organized categories improve both user navigation and SEO.
Product image and gallery: Upload a main product image (recommended: 1000x1000px minimum, square ratio) and additional gallery images. High-quality product photography directly impacts conversion rates — according to Shopify research, products with multiple images convert 58% better than those with a single image.
The block-based checkout is now the default in WooCommerce 9.x, replacing the shortcode-based checkout page that WooCommerce used for over a decade. This is the single biggest user-facing change in the 2026 update.
What the Block Checkout Changes
Faster page load: The block checkout loads 40% faster than the legacy shortcode checkout according to Automattic’s benchmarks. It uses React-based components that render on the client side, reducing server-side PHP processing.
Customizable layout: You can rearrange checkout blocks using the WordPress Site Editor. Move the order summary, add trust badges, insert custom content blocks, or remove unnecessary fields — all without code.
Express payment support: Apple Pay, Google Pay, and PayPal Express buttons appear above the checkout form automatically when configured. Customers can complete purchases in under 10 seconds using saved payment methods.
Address autocomplete: Built-in Google Maps integration for address autocomplete reduces form-filling friction and shipping errors.
Migrating to Block Checkout
If you are upgrading from an older WooCommerce version, the migration process is straightforward. Navigate to WooCommerce > Settings > Advanced > Checkout page. Click “Switch to block checkout” (see our step-by-step guide to editing the WooCommerce checkout page) to convert your existing checkout page. WooCommerce preserves your payment gateway settings and checkout fields.
Important compatibility note: Some older checkout customization plugins may not work with block checkout. Check compatibility before migrating. WooCommerce maintains a compatibility list at developer.woocommerce.com. Major plugins like Checkout Field Editor, WooCommerce Subscriptions, and AutomateWoo have all been updated for block checkout compatibility in 2026.
HPOS is WooCommerce’s new order storage system that moves order data from WordPress posts/postmeta tables into dedicated custom database tables. Starting with WooCommerce 9.x, HPOS is the default storage engine for all new installations.
Why HPOS Matters
The legacy posts-based order storage mixed order data with regular WordPress posts, pages, and custom post types in the same database tables. This created performance bottlenecks as stores scaled. A store with 100,000 orders had 100,000 extra rows in wp_posts and potentially millions of rows in wp_postmeta, slowing down every WordPress query.
HPOS solves this with dedicated tables: wp_wc_orders, wp_wc_orders_meta, wp_wc_order_addresses, and related tables. The results are significant:
- Order queries run 5-10x faster — Dedicated tables with proper indexes eliminate the overhead of querying mixed-content tables.
- Admin dashboard loads faster — The orders list, analytics, and reports pages all benefit from optimized queries.
- Better scalability — Stores processing 10,000+ orders per day see measurable improvements in checkout speed and order processing.
- Reduced database size — Orders no longer bloat the wp_posts table, improving backup times and database maintenance.
Enabling HPOS on Existing Stores
Go to WooCommerce > Settings > Advanced > Features. Enable “High-Performance Order Storage” and run the compatibility check. WooCommerce scans your active plugins for HPOS compatibility. If all plugins are compatible, you can proceed with the migration. The migration runs in the background and can be paused and resumed — it does not cause downtime.
Keep data synchronization enabled during the migration period. This writes orders to both the legacy and new tables, allowing you to roll back if needed. Once you have verified everything works correctly, disable synchronization to get the full performance benefit.
Payment gateway configuration is essential before launching your store. WooCommerce 9.x integrates with dozens of payment providers.
Recommended Payment Gateways for 2026
| Gateway | Transaction Fee | Best For | Block Checkout Compatible |
|---|---|---|---|
| WooPayments (by Woo) | 2.9% + /bin/sh.30 | US/CA/UK stores, simplest setup | Yes |
| Stripe | 2.9% + /bin/sh.30 | Global stores, developer-friendly | Yes |
| PayPal | 2.99% + /bin/sh.49 | International, buyer trust | Yes |
| Razorpay | 2% | India-based stores | Yes |
| Square | 2.6% + /bin/sh.10 | Omnichannel (online + POS) | Yes |
For most stores, enabling both WooPayments (or Stripe) and PayPal covers the majority of customers. WooPayments is built by the WooCommerce team (explore more options in our best WooCommerce Stripe plugins guide) and offers the tightest integration, including in-dashboard payment management, disputes handling, and instant deposits.
Configuring Shipping
Navigate to WooCommerce > Settings > Shipping to set up your delivery options. WooCommerce uses a zone-based shipping system where you define geographic zones and assign shipping methods to each zone.
Shipping Zone Setup
Zone 1 – Local delivery: Your city or metro area. Offer free local pickup, same-day delivery, or low-cost flat rate shipping. This is your competitive advantage against large retailers.
Zone 2 – Domestic shipping: Your country. Set up flat rate, free shipping over a threshold (for example, free shipping on orders over 0), or real-time carrier rates using extensions like WooCommerce Shipping (USPS/DHL) or ShipStation.
Zone 3 – International: Rest of the world. Consider whether international shipping is worth the complexity for your business. If yes, use carrier-calculated rates and clearly communicate customs/duties responsibilities to customers.
Order Management
The WooCommerce Orders screen (now powered by HPOS) shows all orders with status indicators: Pending Payment, Processing, On Hold, Completed, Cancelled, Refunded, and Failed. Click any order to view details, add notes, change status, or process refunds.
For efficient order processing, use the bulk actions dropdown to change multiple order statuses at once. Enable email notifications under WooCommerce > Settings > Emails so customers receive automatic updates when their order status changes.
Inventory Management
WooCommerce’s built-in inventory system tracks stock levels and automatically sets products to “out of stock” when quantity reaches zero. For stores with 500+ products, consider dedicated inventory management plugins (see our best WooCommerce inventory management plugins) like ATUM or Veeqo that add barcode scanning, purchase orders, and multi-warehouse support.
Analytics and Reports
WooCommerce Analytics (Analytics > Overview) provides dashboards for revenue, orders, products, categories, coupons, and taxes. The 2026 update adds improved date comparison, export functionality, and customizable dashboard widgets. Connect Google Analytics 4 through the “Google for WooCommerce” extension for deeper traffic and conversion analysis.
WooCommerce’s extension ecosystem is its greatest strength. Here are the essential extensions for most stores:
- WooCommerce Subscriptions (also check out our guide to building a multi-vendor marketplace) — Sell subscription products with recurring payments. Essential for membership sites, subscription boxes, and SaaS products.
- WooCommerce Bookings — Accept bookings and appointments directly through your store. Used by service businesses, hotels, and event venues.
- AutomateWoo — Marketing automation for WooCommerce. Set up abandoned cart emails, follow-up sequences, win-back campaigns, and referral programs.
- RankMath SEO or Yoast SEO — Optimize product pages for search engines with structured data, meta descriptions, and breadcrumbs.
- WooCommerce Product Add-Ons — Add custom fields, file uploads, and extra options to products (gift wrapping, engraving, custom sizing).
Product page SEO is critical (for a deep dive, read our WooCommerce SEO definitive guide) for organic traffic. WooCommerce generates SEO-friendly URLs by default, but you need to optimize each product listing:
- Product titles — Include the primary keyword naturally. “Organic Cotton T-Shirt – Men’s Crew Neck” is better than “Product #4523.”
- Meta descriptions — Write unique descriptions for each product under 160 characters. Include pricing, key features, and a call-to-action.
- Product schema markup — WooCommerce adds Product structured data automatically. Verify it works using Google’s Rich Results Test tool.
- Image optimization — Compress product images, use descriptive filenames (blue-cotton-shirt.jpg, not IMG_4523.jpg), and add alt text to every image.
- Category page optimization — Add unique descriptions to category pages. These pages often rank for broad commercial keywords and drive significant traffic.
Security and Performance Tips
Running an eCommerce store means handling customer payment data and personal information. Security is non-negotiable.
- Keep everything updated — WordPress core, WooCommerce, themes, and all plugins. Security patches are released regularly.
- Use SSL/TLS — Required for payment processing and builds customer trust. Most hosts include free SSL certificates.
- Enable two-factor authentication — Protect your WordPress admin account with 2FA using a plugin like Wordfence or WP 2FA.
- Automate backups — Use UpdraftPlus, BlogVault, or your host’s backup service. Schedule daily backups and test restoration periodically.
- Performance optimization — Install a caching plugin (WP Rocket, LiteSpeed Cache), enable object caching (Redis), and use a CDN for static assets. Target under 3-second page load time for product pages.
Is WooCommerce really free?
The WooCommerce plugin is free and always will be. However, running a store requires paid hosting (0-50/month), a domain name (2-15/year), and potentially premium extensions (9-299/year each). A basic WooCommerce store costs approximately 00-500 per year to operate. See our detailed breakdown in the WooCommerce pricing guide.
Can WooCommerce handle large catalogs?
Yes. WooCommerce stores with 100,000+ products operate successfully with proper hosting and optimization. HPOS, object caching, and database indexing are critical for large catalogs. Consider Elasticsearch for product search if you have more than 10,000 products.
Should I use the block checkout or legacy checkout?
Use the block checkout for all new stores. It is faster, more customizable, and receives all new feature development. Migrate existing stores to block checkout after verifying plugin compatibility. The legacy shortcode checkout will be deprecated in a future WooCommerce version.
How do I migrate from Shopify to WooCommerce?
Export your Shopify products, customers, and orders as CSV files. Use the “Import WP” plugin or WooCommerce’s built-in CSV importer for products. For a complete migration including order history and customer accounts, use a service like Cart2Cart or LitExtension. Set up 301 redirects from your old Shopify URLs to your new WooCommerce URLs to preserve SEO value.
What is the best WooCommerce theme in 2026?
For block themes, Flavor and flavor-flavored themes optimized for WooCommerce offer the best Full Site Editing experience. Starter theme (by developer.flavored) and flavor-flavored themes are popular choices. Classic themes like Astra, Flavor flavored, and flavor flavored remain reliable options with deep WooCommerce integration. Choose a block theme if you want to use the Site Editor for layout customization without code.
You now have a complete roadmap for building and running a WooCommerce store in 2026. The key steps are: choose quality hosting, install WooCommerce 9.x, configure the new product editor and block-based checkout, set up payment gateways and shipping zones, enable HPOS for performance, and optimize for SEO.
WooCommerce’s flexibility means you can start simple and add features as your business grows. Do not try to configure everything on day one — launch with a minimum viable store and iterate based on real customer feedback and sales data.
Looking for expert help with your WooCommerce store setup? Get in touch with our WooCommerce development team for custom store builds, migrations, and performance optimization.
