Customizing your main shop page layout
Your shop page is the digital storefront of your business. How you arrange your products—whether in a tight grid or a spacious list—changes how customers browse your inventory and how quickly they find what they need.
How to customize your shop layout
You can make most layout changes directly through the WordPress Customizer. This allows you to see your changes in real-time before you make them live.
- Log in to your WooShop dashboard and go to Appearance > Customize.
- Select WooCommerce from the sidebar menu, then click on Product Catalog.
- Under Shop Layout, choose your sidebar preference: no sidebar, left sidebar, or right sidebar.
- Scroll down to Product Columns. Use the slider to choose how many products appear in a single row (usually 3 or 4 for desktop).
- Adjust the Products per Page to decide how many items a customer sees before needing to click "next."
- In the Product Elements section, use the "eye" icons to show or hide details like the price, star ratings, or the "Add to Cart" button.
- Click Publish at the top of the menu to save your changes.
Practical layout scenarios
For a restaurant or bakery:
If you have a small menu with high-quality food photography, use a 2-column or 3-column layout. Large images help customers see the detail in your dishes. Hide the "Add to Cart" button on the main page if you want customers to click into the product to select options like toppings or spice levels.
For a boutique with a large inventory:
Use a 4-column grid with a left sidebar. Adding a sidebar allows you to include "Filter by Price" or "Category" widgets, making it easier for customers to narrow down a large collection of items like clothing or home decor.
Troubleshooting common issues
The layout looks different on mobile
The Customizer has small icons at the bottom of the screen for desktop, tablet, and mobile views. If your shop looks cluttered on phones, click the mobile icon and set your "Product Columns" to 1 or 2 specifically for mobile users.
Images look blurry or cropped awkwardly
If your product photos don’t look right, go to Customize > WooCommerce > Product Images. Here you can change the aspect ratio (like 1:1 for square or 4:3 for landscape). If you change these settings, you may need to wait a few minutes for the system to resize your existing images.
The sidebar is empty
Choosing a sidebar layout only creates the space for it. If the area is blank, go to Appearance > Widgets in your dashboard. Drag and drop blocks like "Product Search" or "Filter Products by Attribute" into the Shop Sidebar area.
Recap
Customizing your layout ensures your products are easy to browse and look professional on every device. Once your main grid is set, you might want to look into:
- Managing product categories
- Setting up product filters
- Customizing individual product pages
