Add products and launch your shop
Your store's foundation is ready. Now you will add what you sell, organise it so customers can find it, and complete the few remaining steps before opening to the public.
This guide assumes WooCommerce is installed — see Install and set up WooCommerce if not.
Step 1 — Add your first real product
- Go to Products → Add New.
- Enter the product name at the top (this is what customers see).
- Write a long description in the main editor — explain what it is, who it is for, and why it is good. Good descriptions help both customers and search engines.
- In the Product data box, set the Regular price (and a Sale price if it is discounted).
- Add a short description lower down — this appears next to the price on the product page.
Product images
- Set a Product image (the main photo) on the right.
- Add more photos to the Product gallery below it.
- Use clear, well-lit photos. Large image files slow your site down — our Image Optimizer plugin compresses them automatically so you do not have to.
Product types
In the Product data dropdown you can choose:
- Simple product — one fixed item (a book, a lamp).
- Variable product — one product with options, such as a shirt in several sizes and colours. Each combination can have its own price and stock.
- Grouped or External/Affiliate — for bundles or products sold elsewhere.
Click Publish when you are done.
Step 2 — Organise with categories and attributes
As your catalogue grows, structure becomes essential.
- Categories group products by type (for example Lamps, Cables, Panels). Add them in the Product categories box, or under Products → Categories.
- Attributes describe properties such as Colour, Size, Wattage or Socket. Set them up under Products → Attributes, then assign values per product.
Why attributes matter: our Product Filter plugin uses categories and attributes to let shoppers narrow your catalogue instantly — for example "show me only E27, 9W, warm-white bulbs". The better your attributes, the more powerful your filters.
Step 3 — Build your essential pages and menu
Customers and payment providers expect a few standard pages:
- Home — your shop's front page (set under Settings → Reading).
- Shop — created by WooCommerce automatically.
- About and Contact — build them under Pages → Add New.
- Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy — legally required in most countries and needed before you can accept payments.
Then create a navigation menu under Appearance → Menus (or the site editor on block themes) and add these pages plus your shop and key categories.
Step 4 — Finalise payments and shipping
Before going live, double-check the two things that make money move:
- Payments — under WooCommerce → Settings → Payments, confirm at least one method is enabled and connected to a live account (not in test mode). Place a small real test order to confirm money arrives.
- Shipping — under WooCommerce → Settings → Shipping, confirm each zone you ship to has a method and a sensible price. If different payment or delivery options should appear only in certain situations, our Woo Conditions plugin gives you fine-grained control.
Step 5 — Pre-launch checklist
Run through this list before you announce your store:
- At least a handful of real products are published with prices and images.
- Categories and attributes are set up.
- Home, Shop, About, Contact, Terms and Privacy pages exist and are in the menu.
- A live payment method is connected and tested.
- Shipping zones and prices are correct.
- Your site loads over https:// with a padlock.
- You placed a complete test order and received the confirmation email.
- Settings → Reading — make sure "Discourage search engines" is unchecked so Google can find you.
Step 6 — Make your store faster and easier to find
A live store is just the beginning. These Rotozoom plugins help it perform and convert:
- Image Optimizer — faster pages and better search rankings.
- Product Filter — helps shoppers find products quickly.
- Sales Assistant — an AI guide that recommends the right product.
- B2B Manager — if you also sell to trade or wholesale customers.
To add any of them, continue to the next guide.