How to add a product in WooCommerce: what goes where in your first product
How to add a product in WooCommerce? Go to Products → Add New, enter the name and description, choose Simple product in the Product data box, give the regular price and SKU, fill in the short description, tick a category and add a product image. Finally click Publish or save a draft. The first product takes a while, the next ones go faster.
Author: The TellMyShop team. A guide for WordPress site and WooCommerce store owners: the cause, the manual fix and the same work in a chat conversation.
Last updated: · 6 min read
Your first simple product, step by step
A simple product is one without variations: one price, one stock level, one SKU. It is the best place to start. The WooCommerce documentation on products describes the add product screen. If your store has the new product editor turned on, the fields are similar but laid out differently.
- Products → Add New. Enter the product name in the top field. The name goes into the URL, so make it specific, for example “Len ceramic mug 350 ml”.
- Description. In the main editor, write the full description: use, material, dimensions, care.
- Product data. Choose “Simple product” from the list. Tick “Virtual” if you don't ship anything, or “Downloadable” for files.
- General tab. Enter the regular price. Leave the sale price empty if there is no sale.
- Inventory tab. Enter the SKU. If you want WooCommerce to count units, turn on stock management and enter the quantity.
- Shipping tab. Enter the weight and dimensions if the shipping cost depends on them, and choose a shipping class if you use them.
- Product short description. The field below Product data. Two or three sentences the customer will see next to the price.
- Categories and tags. Tick a category in the side column. Without one, the product goes into the default category.
- Product image and gallery. Add the main image and further images. Give each one alt text.
- Publish. Or “Save Draft” if you want to come back to it. Then open the product in the store and check it on a phone.
What is where on the product screen
Most mistakes with a first product come from entering something in the wrong field. This table helps you find your way.
| Field | Where it is | What it's for |
|---|---|---|
| Name | at the very top | the product page heading and the basis of the URL |
| Description | the main editor below the name | full information, usually in the Description tab on the product page |
| Product data | the box below the description | product type, price, inventory, shipping, attributes |
| Product short description | below Product data | the text next to the price on the product page |
| Product categories | side column | place in the store menu and in filters |
| Product tags | side column | extra grouping, doesn't replace categories |
| Product image | side column | the main image in lists and on the product page |
| Product gallery | side column | further images on the product page |
| Publish | top right box | status, catalogue visibility, publication date |
The Publish box also holds the catalogue visibility setting. When a product is “hidden”, it won't appear in the list even though it exists. That is a common reason people ask why a product isn't showing in the store, which we cover in the guide product not showing in WooCommerce.
Simple or variable product: which to choose
If the customer chooses a size, colour or capacity before adding to the basket, you need a variable product. First you add attributes, for example Size, tick that they are used for variations, and then create the variations and give each a price and stock. The WooCommerce documentation on categories and attributes explains how attributes connect with categories and filters.
The most common mistake with variable products is a variation without a price. The customer sees it but can't buy it. You'll find a checklist in the post on WooCommerce product variations. When you're just starting, add a few simple products first and leave variable ones for another day.
It is also worth taking care straight away of the data Google may show in results: price, availability and image. WooCommerce and SEO plugins add them as structured data, which Google's guide to product data in results describes. Whether Google shows them is up to Google.
Ten new products from a supplier email
Thursday, 21:30. An email from the supplier in your inbox: ten new mugs, a table with names, capacities and prices, a link to a folder of photos. Each product means the same ten steps all over again.
The TellMyShop plugin for WordPress and WooCommerce lets you do it with one request. You paste the email into the conversation, and your chat (Claude or ChatGPT) creates the products with a description, short description, category, attributes and images from public addresses. Up to 10 products in one batch, always as drafts not visible in the store. It doesn't guess missing data, it asks for it. A sample conversation, with example names, numbers and prices:
You: Add these mugs from the supplier's email. Category Mugs, attribute Capacity, description in the style of the rest of the store.
Your chat: The email lists 10 mugs. For 8 I have the name, capacity, material and image address. For 2 it doesn't say whether they're dishwasher-safe, so I'll mark that [TO BE FILLED IN]. Preview of the first:
You: Good, add them all.
Your chat: The preview of 10 drafts is ready. I'll save it after your ‘yes’. I'll enter the prices from the email once the Sales switch is on in the plugin panel, or you can enter them in the drafts.
Card status: waiting for your “yes”Len ceramic mug 350 ml
new version: status: draft
new version: category: Mugs
new version: Capacity: 350 ml
new version: short description: A ceramic mug for your morning coffee, with a thick wall that keeps it warm for longer. Capacity 350 ml.
new version: image: mug-len-350.jpg from the supplier's folder
In the morning you open the conversation, paste the email, read the preview and approve the drafts. Then you check them in the admin and publish them. Prices and stock belong to the Sales area, which you switch on in the plugin panel, and it stays on until you switch it off. The chat saves descriptions, categories, attributes and images as soon as the licence is activated. Every change goes into the change history and you can undo most changes.
When there are more than a dozen products
A conversation works well for a handful of products. For hundreds of items from a wholesaler file, a CSV import is more convenient, and the WooCommerce import schema on GitHub describes the file rules. What to do when it throws errors or won't load images, we cover in the post on WooCommerce CSV product import. After an import, the chat helps you find products without images, a description or a category.
The free TellMyShop Free version reads the store's products, categories and attributes, so the chat can suggest how to set up a new product so it fits the rest, and point out gaps in ones you've already added. It saves nothing. You can try it from the free version page. Creating products with a preview works in TellMyShop Pro. Details are on the TellMyShop for WordPress and WooCommerce page, prices on the pricing page, and we've written a guide on the WooCommerce product short description.
Questions and answers
Where do I add a new product in WooCommerce?
In the WordPress admin, in the Products menu, the Add New option. A screen opens with the name and description at the top, the Product data box below, and categories and images in the side column.
What is the difference between a simple and a variable product?
A simple product has one price, one stock level and one SKU. A variable product has variations, for example sizes or colours, and each variation can have its own price and stock. If the customer chooses an option before buying, you need a variable product.
Do I have to enter an SKU?
WooCommerce doesn't require an SKU, but it is worth having. It makes searching in the admin easier, as well as importing from a file and connecting to a wholesaler or stock system. Every product and variation should have a different SKU.
Why doesn't the new product appear in the store?
Most often it was saved as a draft, its catalogue visibility is set to hidden, it has no price, or its stock is zero while out-of-stock products are hidden. Check the status in the Publish box and the settings on the Inventory tab.
Will the chat add products for me?
Yes, in TellMyShop Pro. The chat creates up to 10 products in one batch, as drafts not visible in the store, with a description, category, attributes and images from public addresses. You publish them once you've checked the drafts.
WordPress is a trademark of the WordPress Foundation. WooCommerce is a trademark of Automattic Inc. Claude is a trademark of Anthropic PBC. ChatGPT and OpenAI are trademarks of OpenAI. TellMyShop is not affiliated with these companies.