So, you’ve set up your products, configured taxes, and sorted out shipping. Your WooCommerce store is almost ready for launch! But have you thought about what happens when a customer actually goes to buy something? The final piece of the puzzle—and a crucial one for a smooth customer experience—is configuring your Accounts & Privacy settings. Misconfiguring these can lead to abandoned carts and frustrated customers.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the essential WooCommerce Accounts & Privacy settings. You’ll learn how to manage guest checkouts, control user registration, and create a seamless buying journey that converts visitors into loyal customers.
Understanding the WooCommerce Accounts & Privacy Tab
Once you’ve navigated through the general, products, tax, and shipping settings in your WooCommerce dashboard, you’ll find the Accounts & Privacy tab. This is the control center for how customers interact with your store during and after the purchase process.
The settings here directly impact two things:
- The buying experience: Is it a quick, one-step process, or does it require creating an account?
- Customer retention: How easily can customers return to track orders or make repeat purchases?
Let’s break down the key options you need to configure.
Configuring the “Add to Cart” Behavior
The first setting you’ll encounter is ‘Add to cart’ behaviour. This controls what happens immediately after a customer clicks the “Add to Cart” button on your product page.
You have two options:
- Redirect to the cart page after successful addition: When this is checked, customers are automatically taken to the cart page after adding an item.
- Leave it unchecked: A small success message (e.g., “Product added to cart!”) appears, but the customer stays on the same product or shop page.
[Screenshot placeholder: A comparison view showing the "Add to cart" behavior settings in WooCommerce, with one screen showing the redirect option checked and another showing it unchecked.]
Which one should you choose?
- Leave it unchecked for stores with multiple items: If you run a grocery, clothing, or electronics store where customers often buy more than one item, keeping this unchecked is better. It allows them to continue browsing and adding items without being interrupted by constant redirects.
- Check it for single-item stores: If you sell things like online courses, machinery, or high-ticket items where a customer typically only buys one item at a time, redirecting them to the cart is a great idea. It streamlines the process, immediately showing them the checkout options and any available coupons.
Mastering Guest Checkout and Account Creation
This is arguably the most important part of the Accounts & Privacy settings. It determines whether people can buy from you without creating an account.
What is Guest Checkout?
Guest Checkout allows customers to complete their purchase by only providing essential information like their shipping address and email—no password required. It’s designed to reduce friction and minimize cart abandonment.
The setting Enable guest checkout is recommended by WooCommerce and is enabled by default.
[Screenshot placeholder: The "Checkout process" section in Accounts & Privacy, highlighting the "Enable guest checkout" checkbox.]
When is Guest Checkout a Good Idea?
It’s perfect for stores selling physical products. You get all the information you need (address, email, phone number) to fulfill the order without forcing the customer to create yet another online account.
The Problem with Guest Checkout for Digital Products:
Imagine you sell an online course or a downloadable PDF. If a customer checks out as a guest, how do you grant them access? They have no account on your site to log into and view their purchase. This creates a major support headache.
The Solution:
For stores selling virtual or downloadable products, it’s often better to disable guest checkout. This ensures every customer creates an account, which automatically gives them a place to access their digital purchases.
[Screenshot placeholder: A visual showing the difference between a checkout page with guest checkout enabled vs. disabled, where disabled forces a login/registration form.]
Allowing Customer Account Creation
If you disable guest checkout, or even if you leave it enabled, you need to give customers a way to create an account. Otherwise, they’ll be stuck!
Under Account creation, you have two options for where to display registration forms:
- During checkout: This adds a “Create an account?” option with password fields directly on the checkout page. It’s highly effective as it captures customers right when they are ready to buy.
- On the “My account” page: This ensures the registration form is available on your store’s dedicated login page.
[Screenshot placeholder: The "Account creation" options, showing both "During checkout" and "On the "My account" page" checked.]
Pro Tip: For the best results, check both options. This ensures customers can create an account no matter how they enter the buying process.
Password Creation: Two Methods
Finally, you can choose how new customers set their passwords.
- Allow customers to create an account during checkout: The customer sets their own password during registration. This is convenient for them as they can choose something memorable.
- Send a link to set a password via email (More Secure): The customer only provides their email address. Your site then emails them a link to set their password. This is the more secure option because it verifies the email address is valid before account activation, preventing typos and fake registrations.
[Screenshot placeholder: The "Password creation" options, showing the two different methods available.]
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
Configuring your WooCommerce Accounts & Privacy settings is a critical step in launching a successful online store. By understanding the trade-offs between guest checkout and mandatory registration, and by strategically placing your account creation options, you can create a buying experience that maximizes conversions and builds your customer base. Remember, the goal is to remove friction for buyers while ensuring you have the system in place to support them after the sale. Now, dive into your dashboard and configure these settings with confidence!
Common Questions About WooCommerce Accounts Settings
Should I enable guest checkout for my digital product store?
It is generally not recommended. Disabling guest checkout ensures that every customer who purchases your digital product (like a course or eBook) automatically creates an account. This account is then used to grant them secure access to their download, creating a much smoother experience and reducing support requests.
What’s the best “Add to Cart” setting for a high-volume store?
For stores where customers frequently buy multiple items (e.g., fashion, accessories, groceries), it’s best to leave the “Redirect to the cart page” option unchecked. This allows shoppers to continue browsing and adding items without interruption, mimicking the experience of a physical shopping cart.
Why should I use the “Send password setup link via email” option?
This method is more secure and reliable. It prevents customers from accidentally typing the wrong email address when creating an account because if the email is invalid, they will never receive the password setup link and won’t be able to log in. This reduces failed login attempts and customer frustration.
