For some businesses, showcasing products without immediately selling them online is a strategic choice. Whether it’s due to seasonality, business model transitions, or simply to serve as a digital catalog, turning your WooCommerce store into a catalog mode can be quite beneficial. This guide will show you how to implement catalog mode in WooCommerce without using a plugin.
Why Implement Catalog Mode?
- Product Showcasing: Display products when they are out of stock or when sales are offline.
- B2B Interactions: Use catalog mode for business-to-business interactions where direct online sales are not applicable.
- Market Testing: Test market response to new products without immediately putting them up for sale.
Implementing Catalog Mode in WooCommerce
Step 1: Disable the Add to Cart Button
The first step in creating a catalog mode is to remove the ability to purchase the products by disabling the ‘Add to Cart’ button.
/*
* Snippet: How to Create WooCommerce Catalog Mode Without a Plugin – 2026
* Author: John Cook
* URL: https://wcsuccessacademy.com/?p=1232
* Tested with WooCommerce 10.7.0
* "Disable the Add to Cart button"
*/
function wcsuccess_remove_add_to_cart_buttons() {
if (is_product_category() || is_shop() || is_product()) {
remove_action('woocommerce_after_shop_loop_item', 'woocommerce_template_loop_add_to_cart', 10);
remove_action('woocommerce_single_product_summary', 'woocommerce_template_single_add_to_cart', 30);
}
}
add_action('wp', 'wcsuccess_remove_add_to_cart_buttons');
This snippet checks if the user is on a product page, shop page, or product category page, and removes the ‘Add to Cart’ button accordingly.
Step 2: Hide Price Information
Optionally, you may also want to hide the pricing information to fully convert the shop into a catalog mode.
/*
* Snippet: How to Create WooCommerce Catalog Mode Without a Plugin – 2026
* Author: John Cook
* URL: https://wcsuccessacademy.com/?p=1232
* Tested with WooCommerce 10.7.0
* "Hide pricing information"
*/
function wcsuccess_remove_price() {
remove_action('woocommerce_after_shop_loop_item_title', 'woocommerce_template_loop_price', 10);
remove_action('woocommerce_single_product_summary', 'woocommerce_template_single_price', 10);
}
add_action('wp', 'wcsuccess_remove_price');
This code removes the price display from all product listings and single product pages.
Step 3: Customize the Product Pages
Enhance the product pages to focus more on product information rather than sales. Encourage users to contact you for more information or to make a purchase outside the online platform.
/*
* Snippet: How to Create WooCommerce Catalog Mode Without a Plugin – 2026
* Author: John Cook
* URL: https://wcsuccessacademy.com/?p=1232
* Tested with WooCommerce 10.7.0
* "Customize product page for catalog mode"
*/
function wcsuccess_customize_product_page() {
add_action('woocommerce_single_product_summary', 'wcsuccess_product_inquiry_button', 31);
}
function wcsuccess_product_inquiry_button() {
echo '<a href="mailto:info@yourdomain.com?subject=Product Inquiry" class="button">Inquire About This Product</a>';
}
add_action('wp', 'wcsuccess_customize_product_page');
This snippet adds an inquiry button on each product page, allowing potential customers to contact you directly about products they are interested in.
Testing Your Catalog Mode
- Functional Testing: Navigate through the site to ensure that all commerce-related functionalities are disabled, and the site operates purely as a catalog.
- User Feedback: Gather feedback from users to see if the catalog layout meets their needs and how it could be improved.
- Compliance and Performance: Check that all changes comply with your theme and perform adequately without affecting site speed or SEO.
Conclusion
Converting your WooCommerce store into a catalog mode without a plugin gives you complete control over the customization and functionality of your site. This setup is ideal for businesses that need to showcase products without selling them directly online.
Further Steps
Consider enhancing your catalog mode with features like download PDF catalogs, advanced contact forms for bulk inquiries, or integration with external sales platforms.
I have been working with WordPress and WooCommerce since 2012 and have developed a deep knowledge of the content management system. Since 2012, I have developed several plugins and designed dozens of websites utilising different frameworks, CMS’s and programming languages. I am proficient in PHP, Python, Java, C, C++, R and JavaScript with limited experience in Go, Kotlin and Swift.
Educationally, I have a Master’s degree in cyber security a Bachelor’s (Hons, First Class) in Applied Research and a Graduate Certificate in Data Science. I’m currently undertaking PhD studies investigating IoT cybersecurity. I recently graduated with First Class Honours and Masters of Information Technology, receiving the Executive Dean’s Award for studies undertaken in the 2021 and 2022 academic years. I have worked in the information technology industry for the past 11 years primarily as a software/web developer specific to design, optimisation, network management and security. My research interests are in the areas of Internet of Things (IoT), 5G and Beyond Networks, information security for wireless networks and software development.
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