Creating a smooth and hassle-free shopping experience is a top priority for e-commerce businesses. One way to achieve this is by automatically adding products to a customer’s cart as soon as they visit your online store. In this tutorial, we’ll guide you through the process of implementing the ability to automatically add products to the cart on a customer’s visit using code. By streamlining the purchasing process, you can potentially increase conversions and enhance user satisfaction.

Understanding the Value of Auto-Adding Products

Imagine a scenario where a customer discovers a product they love on your website and wants to buy it immediately. By eliminating the step of manually adding items to the cart, you make the shopping process quicker and more convenient. This feature can be especially beneficial for promoting a specific product, offering limited-time deals, or simplifying the checkout process for returning customers.

Automatically Adding Products to Cart with Code

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to automatically add products to a customer’s cart using code:

Step 1: Identify the Product

Before you proceed with the code implementation, determine the product that you want to automatically add to the cart. Make a note of the product’s ID, which you will need in the following steps.

Step 2: Modify Your Theme’s Functions.php File

1. Open your WordPress admin panel and navigate to “Appearance” > “Theme Editor.”
2. Find and select the “functions.php” file from the list of theme files.
3. Add the following code snippet to the end of the “functions.php” file:

/**
 * Automatically add product to cart on visit
 */
add_action( 'template_redirect', 'add_product_to_cart' );
function add_product_to_cart() {
	if ( ! is_admin() ) {
		$product_id = 64; //replace with your own product id
		$found = false;
		//check if product already in cart
		if ( sizeof( WC()->cart->get_cart() ) > 0 ) {
			foreach ( WC()->cart->get_cart() as $cart_item_key => $values ) {
				$_product = $values['data'];
				if ( $_product->get_id() == $product_id )
					$found = true;
			}
			// if product not found, add it
			if ( ! $found )
				WC()->cart->add_to_cart( $product_id );
		} else {
			// if no products in cart, add it
			WC()->cart->add_to_cart( $product_id );
		}
	}
}

Replace YOUR_PRODUCT_ID with the actual product ID of the product you want to automatically add to the cart. You can also adjust the quantity if needed.

Step 3: Save and Test

After adding the code snippet, click the “Update File” button to save your changes. Now, it’s time to test the functionality. Open a new incognito window or use a different browser to simulate a new visitor to your website. When you visit the website, the specified product should be automatically added to the cart.

Step 4: Customization (Optional)

You can further customize the code to tailor the behavior to your specific needs. For instance, you can add conditional statements to control when the auto-add functionality is triggered, such as limiting it to first-time visitors or targeting specific pages.

Important Considerations

• User Experience: While auto-adding products can enhance convenience, ensure that it doesn’t disrupt the user experience. Users should still have the option to remove the product from the cart if they change their mind.
• Transparency: Communicate to users that a product has been added to their cart automatically. You can display a subtle notification or message to avoid confusion.
• Testing: Always test the code thoroughly in a staging environment before deploying it to your live website. This helps you identify and resolve any potential issues before customers encounter them.