So, you’ve installed WooCommerce and configured your settings. The foundation is laid, but your store is empty. The most exciting part of building an online store is finally here: adding your very first product! It’s the moment your idea becomes something you can actually sell.
If the thought of filling out all those product fields feels overwhelming, don’t worry. This guide is designed for absolute beginners. We will walk through the entire process together, from navigating the WordPress dashboard to publishing a product that’s ready for customers. By the end of this post, you’ll have the confidence to add any product to your WooCommerce store.
Navigating to the Products Area
The journey begins in your WordPress dashboard. After installing WooCommerce, you’ll notice a new menu in the sidebar. This is your command center for everything store-related.
- Look for the “WooCommerce” menu item.
- Hover over it, and a sub-menu will appear.
- Click on “Products”.
This is where you’ll manage everything related to your offerings. You’ll see options like “All Products,” “Add New,” “Categories,” and “Tags.” Since we’re starting fresh, you’ll likely see a welcome message prompting you to create a product. You can click that button, or simply go to Products > Add New.
[Screenshot: The WordPress admin sidebar highlighting the WooCommerce > Products menu.]
Step-by-Step: Filling Out Your First Product Form
Think of this like filling out a digital recipe card. You’re providing all the information a customer needs to understand and purchase your item. Let’s break down each section.
Adding the Basic Product Information
The product form might look long, but we’ll tackle it one section at a time.
- Product Name: This is your product’s title. Be clear and descriptive. For our example, let’s use “First Physical Product.”
- Product Description: This is the large text box where you sell your product! Describe its features, benefits, and uses. You can format text, add images, and even embed videos here to make it engaging. A rich, detailed description helps convert visitors into customers.
- Product Short Description: This is a brief summary, often displayed near the price on the product page. It should be a concise, compelling snapshot of what the product is. A good rule of thumb is to keep it under 120 characters, like a tweet.
[Screenshot: The top part of the product edit screen, showing the Title, Description, and Short Description fields.]
Understanding the Crucial Product Data Box
This is the heart of your WooCommerce product. This meta-box is where you define what your product is and how it’s sold. Let’s explore the key tabs: General, Inventory, and Shipping.
The General Tab: Pricing and Product Type
First, you need to select your Product Type. The video outlined four main types:
- Simple Product: A standard, single item (e.g., a single television).
- Grouped Product: A collection of related products (e.g., a TV and a soundbar sold as a bundle).
- External/Affiliate Product: A product you list on your site but is sold elsewhere (like on Amazon).
- Variable Product: A product with variations (e.g., a t-shirt available in different sizes and colors).
For your first product, we’ll stick with a Simple Product.
Below the type, you have:
- Virtual: Check this if you are selling a non-physical item (e.g., an ebook, service, or software license). This disables shipping options.
- Downloadable: Check this if you are selling a digital file that customers can download after purchase.
Since we’re creating a “First Physical Product,” we will leave both of these boxes unchecked.
Now, let’s set the price:
- Regular Price: This is the standard price of your product. Let’s enter
500. - Sale Price: This is the discounted price. Entering a sale price will automatically show a discount on your storefront. Let’s enter
450.
[Screenshot: The Product Data box with the General tab open, showing the Simple Product type selected and the prices filled in.]
The Inventory Tab: Managing Your Stock
This tab gives you powerful control over your stock levels.
- SKU: A Stock Keeping Unit is a unique identifier for your product.
- Manage Stock?: Check this box to enable stock management for this specific product.
- Stock Quantity: Once you check “Manage stock,” this field appears. Enter the number of items you have, e.g.,
50. - Allow Backorders?: This determines what happens when the product is out of stock. You can choose to allow backorders, only allow them but notify the customer, or disallow them completely.
- Low Stock Threshold: Set a number here (e.g.,
10) to receive notifications when stock is running low. - Sold Individually: Check this box if you want to limit customers to purchasing only one of this item per order (useful for one-of-a-kind items).
[Screenshot: The Inventory tab with fields filled in, showing Stock Quantity = 50 and Sold Individually checked.]
The Shipping Tab: Weight and Dimensions
For physical products, this is essential for calculating accurate shipping costs.
- Weight: Enter the product’s weight (e.g.,
0.05 kg). - Dimensions: Enter the length, width, and height of the product’s package (e.g.,
10 x 10 x 10 cm).
This information will be displayed to customers under “Additional Information” on the product page and is used by shipping plugins to generate quotes.
Adding Visuals and Organization
A product is nothing without a good image and logical organization.
- Product Image: This is the main image for your product. Click “Set product image” to upload a clear, high-quality photo. This is crucial for sales!
- Product Gallery: You can add multiple additional images here to show different angles or features.
- Product Categories: Categories help you and your customers organize your products. Since you likely don’t have any yet, click “Add new category” and create one, like “Electronics.” This makes it easy for customers to browse your store.
- Product Tags: Tags are more specific keywords related to your product (e.g., “gadget,” “portable”). They are less critical for a first product but can be useful later for search and filtering.
[Screenshot: The Product Image and Product Categories sections, showing a new "Electronics" category being added.]
Publishing and Previewing Your Product
You’ve done it! Once all the information is filled in, click the Publish button. Your product is now live… or is it?
After publishing, you can view your product. However, you might see a “Coming Soon” page instead of your beautiful new product. This is because your store might not be officially launched yet.
To launch your store:
- Go to WooCommerce > Home in your dashboard.
- If you see a “Launch your store” button, click it.
- If that option is gone, go to Settings > Reading in your WordPress dashboard.
- Under “Site Visibility,” ensure that “Discourage search engines from indexing this site” is NOT checked. Your site should be set to be visible to everyone.
Now, when you visit your store’s URL, you should see your product, complete with its title, description, price, and an “Add to Cart” button!
[Screenshot: The front-end view of the completed product, showing the title, price, image, and Add to Cart button.]
Want to Put This Lesson into Practice?
Reading about a setting is one thing, but the best way to learn WooCommerce is by doing. If you’re nervous about breaking your live store, or don’t have a safe place to experiment, a ‘sandbox’ is the perfect solution.
We offer a WooScribe Practice Account that gives you a pre-built WooCommerce store to test, tweak, and practice on, completely risk-free.
[Link to your Practice Account Service Page]
Ready to Go from Practice to Pro?
Once you’re comfortable with the basics, you might wonder, “What’s next?” A practice account is great for testing, but a structured course gives you the complete roadmap from beginner to confident store owner.
Our comprehensive course guides you through every aspect of WooCommerce, from setup and product creation to advanced shipping, payments, and marketing, all with expert guidance.
If you’re serious about mastering WooCommerce, check out our WooCommerce 101 – Recorded Video Course.
Conclusion
Congratulations! You’ve just successfully created and published your first WooCommerce product. You’ve learned how to navigate the product editor, understand different product types, set prices and inventory, configure shipping details, and organize your products with categories. This is a huge milestone in your e-commerce journey. Remember, every successful online store starts with a single product. Keep practicing, keep adding to your catalog, and don’t be afraid to experiment.
Common Questions About Your First WooCommerce Product
Why can’t customers see my product after I publish it?
This is usually because your site’s visibility is set to “Coming Soon” mode. To fix this, go to Settings > Reading in your WordPress dashboard and ensure your site is visible to everyone. You can also check under WooCommerce > Home for a “Launch Store” button.
What’s the difference between a Simple and a Variable product?
A Simple Product is a single item with no variations, like a specific book. A Variable Product is one item that comes in different options, like a t-shirt that has variations for Size (S, M, L) and Color (Red, Blue, Green). Start with Simple products and graduate to Variable ones.
Should I always enable stock management?
It’s highly recommended. Enabling stock management for your products helps you keep track of your inventory automatically, preventing you from overselling and giving you warnings when stock is low.
