If your store doesn’t offer clear sorting options, visitors can feel stuck or overwhelmed. This is because nobody enjoys scrolling through dozens of products just to find the right one. And, when shopping feels confusing or time-consuming, most people simply leave and look elsewhere. That’s why, when customers visit a WooCommerce store, they usually already know how they want to browse products:
- Cheapest first
- Highest-rated items
- Newest arrivals
In this guide, we will walk you through how to sort WooCommerce products by price or rating using the SearchFilterSort for WordPress and WooCommerce.
Why Product Sorting Matters in WooCommerce?
Product sorting plays a crucial role in creating a smooth shopping experience. For stores with large catalogs, sorting helps customers quickly compare similar products. Sorting WooCommerce products by price or rating can do the following:
- Improve user experience
- Enhance product discovery
- Reduce friction in large product catalogs
- Increase conversion rates
- Makes browsing easier on mobile devices
- Increase engagement
- Improve navigation
- Helps shoppers make faster decisions
Thus, when shoppers can control how products are displayed, they’re far more likely to find the right product and complete a purchase.
Default WooCommerce Sorting Options
WooCommerce includes a few built-in sorting options, such as:
- Sort by popularity
- Sort by average rating
- Sort by latest
- Sort by price: low to high
- Sort by price: high to low
While these options are useful, they are limited in flexibility and customization. Especially if you want more control over layout, placement, or advanced sorting logic.
Limitations of Default WooCommerce Sorting
Out of the box, WooCommerce sorting:
- Offers limited control over placement and design.
- Is difficult to customize without coding.
- Lacks advanced sorting rules.
- Doesn’t always work well with custom product data.
To unlock more powerful and flexible sorting options, using a dedicated plugin like SearchFilterSort is the best approach.
How to Sort WooCommerce Products Using SearchFilterSort?
Step 1: Install & Activate SearchFilterSort plugin
- Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
- Navigate to Plugins > Add New.
- Search for SearchFilterSort.
- Click Install Now and Activate it.
Once activated, a new SearchFilterSort menu will appear in your WordPress admin.
Step 2: Create a New Product Filter
- From the WordPress dashboard, go to SearchFilterSort > Settings.
- Under General Settings, configure the following:
- Post Type: Select Product.
- Taxonomy: Choose relevant product taxonomies, such as:
- Product Category
- Product Tag
- Product Brand (if available)
- Shipping Class (for variations)
- Specify the number of products to be displayed on a single page.
Step 3: Add Sorting Options
Under Display Options, add sorting and filter elements such as:
- Sort by Price
- Sort by Rating
- Sort by Popularity
- Sort by Newest Products
- Sort by Custom Fields
Next, in Layout Settings, you can:
- Select the number of columns.
- Choose the pagination type.
- Specify where the sorting controls appear.
Finally, under Action Button Settings:
- Select the button type.
- Choose the button label.
- Set alignment.
- Click on Save Changes.
Step 4: Add Sorting to Your Store Page
To display sorting on your WooCommerce store:
- Copy the generated shortcode from SearchFilterSort settings.
- Paste it into:
- A shop page
- A category page
- A sidebar widget
- Any post or page
The sorting controls will automatically adapt to your WooCommerce theme.
Best Practices for Sorting Products by Price or Rating
- Place sorting controls above the product grid for visibility.
- Use clear labels like “Price: Low to High”.
- Combine sorting with product filters for better browsing.
- Avoid too many sorting options to keep the interface clean.
- Ensure sorting works well on mobile devices.
With SearchFilterSort, you can easily update layouts and sorting logic as your store grows, no coding required.
Advanced Product Sorting Options
SearchFilterSort also allows you to sort products using:
- Stock status
- Sales count
- Featured products
- Custom meta fields
- Any numeric or text-based product data
This makes it ideal for large WooCommerce stores and complex catalogs.
Conclusion
While WooCommerce offers basic sorting options, SearchFilterSort for WordPress and WooCommerce unlocks both advanced and customizable sorting that works seamlessly with any theme. Sorting WooCommerce products by price or rating:
- Gives customers control
- Improves usability
- Drives more sales
Thus, if you want to create a smoother shopping experience and help customers find the right products faster, smart sorting is essential.
Try SearchFilterSort today!
FAQs
1. Can I sort WooCommerce products by price without coding?
Yes, SearchFilterSort lets you add price-based sorting using a visual interface. No coding required.
2. Does SearchFilterSort support AJAX sorting?
Yes, product sorting updates instantly without page reloads.
3. Can I sort products by rating and popularity together?
Yes, you can offer multiple sorting options and let customers choose how products are displayed.
4. Will sorting work with my WooCommerce theme?
Yes, SearchFilterSort is fully compatible with all WooCommerce themes.
5. Is product sorting mobile-friendly?
Yes, sorting controls are fully responsive and optimized for all devices.
