WooCommerce API Products

The WooCommerce API allows you to manage products in your store, including creating, updating, retrieving, and deleting products. This guide covers the essential operations and properties for working with products effectively.

What can you do with Products in the WooCommerce API?

The most common operations people perform on products using the WooCommerce API.

Action	HTTP Method	Endpoint
Create a Product	`POST`	`/products`
List All Products	`GET`	`/products`
Retrieve a Product	`GET`	`/products/{productId}`
Update a Product	`PUT`	`/products/{productId}`
Delete a Product	`DELETE`	`/products/{productId}`

Products are the core of your WooCommerce store, representing the items you sell. This API allows you to manage all aspects of your products, from creation to deletion.

Products are identified by a unique integer ID, which is used in API requests to specify the product.

To create a product, you need to provide at least the product name. Other fields such as price, description, and categories are optional but recommended.

You can search for products using various query parameters such as search for text matching, sku for specific SKU, and category for filtering by category ID.

Properties of a Product

The properties section provides detailed information about the fields available for products. These properties are crucial for understanding how to manage products effectively. Show all properties Only show essential properties

Field Name	Type	Short Description
id	integer	Unique identifier for the product.
name	string	Product name.
price	string	Current product price. read-only
regular_price	string	Regular product price.
sale_price	string	Product sale price.
sku	string	Unique identifier for the product.
stock_quantity	integer	Stock quantity.
status	string	Product status (post status). Options: draft, pending, private and publish.
categories	array	List of categories.
tags	array	List of tags.
images	array	List of product images.
date_created	datetime	The date the product was created, in the site's timezone. read-only
slug	string	Product slug.
permalink	string	Product URL. read-only
date_created_gmt	datetime	The date the product was created, as GMT. read-only
date_modified	datetime	The date the product was last modified, in the site's timezone. read-only
date_modified_gmt	datetime	The date the product was last modified, as GMT. read-only
type	string	Product type. Options: simple, grouped, external and variable.
featured	boolean	Featured product. Default is false.
catalog_visibility	string	Catalog visibility. Options: visible, catalog, search and hidden.
description	string	Product description.
short_description	string	Product short description.
date_on_sale_from	datetime	Start date of sale price, in the site's timezone.
date_on_sale_from_gmt	datetime	Start date of sale price, as GMT.
date_on_sale_to	datetime	End date of sale price, in the site's timezone.
date_on_sale_to_gmt	datetime	End date of sale price, as GMT.
price_html	string	Price formatted in HTML. read-only
on_sale	boolean	Shows if the product is on sale. read-only
purchasable	boolean	Shows if the product can be bought. read-only
total_sales	integer	Amount of sales. read-only
virtual	boolean	If the product is virtual. Default is false.
downloadable	boolean	If the product is downloadable. Default is false.
downloads	array	List of downloadable files.
download_limit	integer	Number of times downloadable files can be downloaded after purchase.
download_expiry	integer	Number of days until access to downloadable files expires.
external_url	string	Product external URL. Only for external products.
button_text	string	Product external button text. Only for external products.
tax_status	string	Tax status. Options: taxable, shipping and none.
tax_class	string	Tax class.
manage_stock	boolean	Stock management at product level.
stock_status	string	Controls the stock status of the product. Options: instock, outofstock, onbackorder.
backorders	string	If managing stock, this controls if backorders are allowed.
backorders_allowed	boolean	Shows if backorders are allowed. read-only
backordered	boolean	Shows if the product is on backordered. read-only
sold_individually	boolean	Allow one item to be bought in a single order.
weight	string	Product weight.
dimensions	object	Product dimensions.
shipping_required	boolean	Shows if the product need to be shipped. read-only
shipping_taxable	boolean	Shows whether or not the product shipping is taxable. read-only
shipping_class	string	Shipping class slug.
shipping_class_id	integer	Shipping class ID.
reviews_allowed	boolean	Allow reviews.
average_rating	string	Reviews average rating. read-only
rating_count	integer	Amount of reviews that the product have. read-only
related_ids	array	List of related products IDs. read-only
upsell_ids	array	List of up-sell products IDs.
cross_sell_ids	array	List of cross-sell products IDs.
parent_id	integer	Product parent ID.
purchase_note	string	Optional note to send the customer after purchase.
default_attributes	array	List of default attributes.
variations	array	List of variations IDs. read-only
grouped_products	array	List of grouped products ID.
menu_order	integer	Menu order, used to custom sort products.
meta_data	array	Meta data properties.

Show all properties

Filtering and Query Parameters

The WooCommerce API provides extensive filtering options to help you retrieve the exact products you need.

Parameter	Type	Description	Example
`search`	string	Limit results to those matching a string.	`search=shirt`
`after`	string	Limit response to resources published after a given date.	`after=2023-01-01T00:00:00`
`before`	string	Limit response to resources published before a given date.	`before=2023-12-31T23:59:59`
`sku`	string	Limit result set to products with a specific SKU.	`sku=12345`
`category`	string	Limit result set to products assigned a specific category ID.	`category=10`
`tag`	string	Limit result set to products assigned a specific tag ID.	`tag=5`
`min_price`	string	Limit result set to products based on a minimum price.	`min_price=20`
`max_price`	string	Limit result set to products based on a maximum price.	`max_price=100`

What to watch out for

When working with the WooCommerce Products API, there are a few common pitfalls to be aware of to ensure smooth integration.

Immutable Fields

Certain fields like id and date_created are read-only and cannot be modified once set.

Stock Management

Ensure manage_stock is set correctly when updating stock-related fields to avoid inconsistencies.

Product Variations

Product variations have their own set of properties and must be managed separately from the main product.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are some frequently asked questions about the WooCommerce Products API and how to manage products effectively.

How do I find a product by SKU in the WooCommerce API?

To find a product by SKU, use the sku query parameter in the GET /products endpoint. For example, /products?sku=12345 will return the product with the specified SKU.

What happens when I update a product in WooCommerce?

When you update a product using the PUT /products/{productId} endpoint, the specified fields in the request body will be updated. Fields not included in the request will remain unchanged.

Can I delete a product that has variations in WooCommerce?

Yes, you can delete a product with variations using the DELETE /products/{productId} endpoint. However, this will also delete all associated variations.

What's the difference between regular price and sale price in WooCommerce?

The regular_price is the standard price of the product, while the sale_price is a discounted price that can be set for promotional periods. The sale price is only active during the specified sale dates.

How do I handle downloadable products in WooCommerce?

For downloadable products, set downloadable to true and provide a list of downloadable files in the downloads field. You can also specify download_limit and download_expiry for additional control.