How to Improve Conversions with WooCommerce Hide Out of Stock Products
Running a successful WooCommerce online store is about more than posting up products—it’s about designing an effortless, intuitive buying process. One crucial aspect of this is controlling stock visibility. Consumers don’t want to see out-of-stock items, which too frequently results in frustration and cart abandonment. That’s where the WooCommerce hide out of stock products feature is useful.
With this option (or the hide out of stock products WooCommerce plugin), you can remove out of stock products from your shop automatically, so customers only view what’s available to buy.
Here, we’ll discuss why it’s necessary to hide out of stock WooCommerce products, how to turn it on, and why a standalone plugin is useful for more control.
Why Hide Out of Stock Products in WooCommerce?
If your shop shows out-of-stock products, customers will:
Spend time looking at products they cannot purchase.
Be let down when they get to the checkout.
Lose confidence in your store’s credibility.
By employing WooCommerce hide out of stock products, you provide a professional shopping environment where only available products can be seen. This enhances satisfaction for customers and increases sales conversion.
How to Hide Out of Stock Products WooCommerce (Default Settings)
WooCommerce has a built-in feature to handle this. Here’s the easy way to enable it:
Go to WordPress Dashboard → WooCommerce → Settings.
Choose the Products tab.
Click on Inventory.
Check the box beside Hide out of stock items from the catalog.
Save changes.
That’s it! Now, all products out of stock are automatically hidden from the store.
Limitations of Default WooCommerce Hide Out of Stock Products
Although the built-in feature does the job, it is not flexible. For instance:
You can’t hide out-of-stock products only for certain categories.
It doesn’t permit you to substitute products with “Back in Stock Soon” notices.
There’s no way to show substitute products when products are out of stock.
This is the reason why numerous store owners like to utilize a hide out of stock products WooCommerce plugin for sophisticated control.
Benefits of Using a Hide Out of Stock Products WooCommerce Plugin
A plugin allows you to expand on the pre-installed settings. With it, you can:
Category-Specific Hiding
Hide products in specific categories while leaving them visible in others.
Custom Stock Messages
Rather than just hiding out-of-stock products, you can display a message such as “Coming Soon” or “Restocking Next Week.”
Search & Filter Control
Keep out-of-stock products from appearing in search results or layered navigation.
Alternative Product Suggestions
Substitute hidden items with associated products in order to keep visitors engaged.
Improved User Experience
Enhance store professionalism and decrease frustration.
How to Hide Out of Stock WooCommerce Products with a Plugin
Install Plugin
Find a trusted hide out of stock products WooCommerce plugin from the WordPress repository or premium vendors.
Activate & Configure
Proceed to settings and select whether to hide products globally or category-wise.
Customize Options
Add custom messages.
Decide visibility on search results.
Select replacement products.
Save & Test
Verify your shop as a customer would so that not-so-visible products are operating properly.
Use Cases of Hiding Out of Stock Products WooCommerce
Fashion & Apparel Shops
Prevent customers from viewing sold-out sizes.
Electronics & Gadgets
Hide out-of-stock models and show only the current stock.
Grocery & Essentials
Minimize product listings maintenance by hiding products that sell out quickly.
Seasonal Shops
Hide products after the season rather than removing them.
Wholesale Shops
Automatically hide bulk products when out of stock.
SEO Implications When Hiding Out of Stock Products
While WooCommerce hide out of stock products is excellent for user experience, you should take SEO implications into account:
Hidden pages can minimize indexed content.
Use redirects when permanently removing a product.
Display “restock soon” notices when temporarily out of stock.
Proper balance ensures that you don’t miss important search traffic.
Final Thoughts
The WooCommerce hide out of stock products functionality is vital for having a professional, user-friendly online shop. Though the default WooCommerce setting is fine for simple needs, employing a WooCommerce plugin to hide out of stock products provides you with complete control, flexibility, and customization possibilities.
By keeping out-of-stock products hidden, you enhance the shopping experience, minimize customer frustration, and increase conversions. If you wish to elevate your store, turning on hide out of stock WooCommerce functionality should be at the top of your list.