How to Add Long and Short Product Descriptions in WooCommerce

Product descriptions are essential to showcasing your products effectively in any eCommerce store, especially in WooCommerce. In WooCommerce, you can add both long and short woocommerce product description, each serving a unique purpose in enhancing your product listings and improving the customer shopping experience.

In this guide, we will walk you through how to add and display product description woocommerce in WooCommerce, as well as best practices to optimize them for better engagement, sales, and SEO.

What are Long and Short Product Descriptions?

1. Long Product Description

The long product description provides detailed information about the product. It typically includes comprehensive details about its features, specifications, benefits, and uses. This section is displayed on the individual product page and helps potential customers make informed purchase decisions.

2. Short Product Description

The short product description is a brief summary that appears near the product title or above the Add-to-Cart button. It highlights the most important aspects of the product in a concise format, helping customers quickly understand what the product offers. Short descriptions are generally aimed at capturing the attention of shoppers with a quick overview.

How to Add Long and Short Product Descriptions in WooCommerce

Adding product descriptions in WooCommerce is a simple process, but understanding where to input long and short descriptions correctly is key to making the most of your product pages.

Step 1: Adding Long Product Descriptions

The long description is usually placed in the “Product Description” field when you’re creating or editing a product in WooCommerce. Here’s how to add it:

1. Navigate to the Product Edit Page: From your WordPress dashboard, go to Products > All Products and either add a new product or edit an existing one.
2. Enter the Long Description:
   • Scroll down to the Product Data section.
   • You will find a large text box labeled Description under the Product Data tab. Here, you can add detailed information about the product.
   • You can use HTML or the visual editor to format the text, add bullet points, images, videos, and other multimedia elements.
3. Publish the Product: After adding your detailed description, make sure to update or publish the product for the changes to take effect.

Step 2: Adding Short Product Descriptions

The short description typically appears right below the product title or above the Add-to-Cart button. It provides a quick summary of the product and often includes key features or highlights. Here’s how you can add it:

1. Go to the Product Edit Page: Like the long description, navigate to Products > All Products and select the product you want to edit.
2. Enter the Short Description:
   • Below the Product Data section, you will find a text box labeled Short Description.
   • This is where you enter a brief overview of the product. It should be concise but compelling, emphasizing key selling points such as size, color, material, or unique features.
3. Publish the Product: Once the short description is added, click Publish or Update to save your changes.

Displaying Product Descriptions in WooCommerce

Once the long and short product descriptions are added, WooCommerce automatically displays them on the product page. However, the placement of these descriptions can vary depending on your theme and customizations.

How to Customize Product Description Placement

In some cases, you may want to customize where the long and short descriptions appear. For example, you may want the long description to appear further down the page or for the short description to show up above the Add-to-Cart button. This can be done by editing your theme files or using a plugin. Here’s how:

1. Short Description Placement

By default, the short description appears right below the product title. To customize the placement:

• Using a Plugin: You can use a WooCommerce plugin like WooCommerce Customizer or WooCommerce Product Description Tab Manager to rearrange the descriptions.
• Custom Code: If you’re familiar with code, you can use a child theme and customize the single-product.php file to modify the short description’s placement. You would typically find the short description using the following WooCommerce hook:phpCopy codedo_action( 'woocommerce_single_product_summary' );

2. Long Description Placement

The long description is usually displayed under the product details and can be customized similarly to the short description:

• Use a Plugin: Plugins like WooCommerce Custom Product Tabs allow you to add or rearrange the tabs where the long description appears.
• Custom Code: You can add custom code in your theme’s single-product.php file or create a custom WooCommerce template to move the long description.

Tips for Optimizing Product Descriptions for Display

• SEO: Make sure both descriptions are optimized for SEO by including relevant keywords naturally. For example, if your product is a “blue cotton t-shirt,” include that phrase in both descriptions.
• Formatting: Use headings, lists, and bullet points in the long description to make the content easily scannable.
• Brand Voice: Make sure both descriptions align with your brand’s voice and tone. If your brand is casual, keep the descriptions friendly and approachable.

Troubleshooting Product Descriptions Not Displaying Correctly

If you find that your product descriptions are not showing up as expected, here are some common issues to check:

1. Theme Issues

Some themes may not display the product descriptions as expected. To check if this is the case:

• Switch to a Default Theme: Temporarily switch to a default WordPress theme like Storefront or Twenty Twenty-Three and check if the descriptions appear.
• Check Theme Customizations: If you’re using a custom theme, it may have modified how product descriptions are displayed. Contact your theme developer for assistance or check the theme’s settings for description layout options.

2. Plugin Conflicts

Sometimes, plugins can cause conflicts that prevent product descriptions from appearing or displaying properly. To check:

• Deactivate Plugins: Temporarily deactivate all plugins except WooCommerce and check if the issue persists. If the descriptions display correctly after deactivating plugins, reactivate them one by one to find the conflict.
• Use a Staging Site: If you’re unsure, consider testing changes on a staging site to avoid disrupting your live store.

3. Content Formatting

Ensure that your descriptions are correctly formatted. If you’re using HTML in the long description, make sure there are no broken tags or syntax errors that could cause the content to display incorrectly.

FAQs

1. Can I use HTML in WooCommerce product descriptions?

Yes, you can use HTML to format your product descriptions in both the short and long descriptions. This can include adding links, images, and creating headings or bullet points.

2. What’s the difference between short and long product descriptions?

The short description is a brief summary of the product, typically displayed above the Add-to-Cart button. The long description provides detailed product information and is usually displayed further down the product page.

3. How can I add product specifications to the description?

You can include product specifications in both the short and long descriptions. For the long description, create a section for specifications using a bullet-point list or a table to make the details easier to read.

4. Why is my product description not showing on the product page?

This issue could be caused by a theme or plugin conflict, or it may be due to custom code that affects how descriptions are displayed. Check your theme settings, deactivate plugins, or try switching to a default theme to troubleshoot the issue.

Conclusion

Adding long and short product descriptions in WooCommerce is a straightforward process, but the way you present these descriptions can have a significant impact on your sales and customer engagement. By understanding the purpose of each description type and optimizing them for SEO, readability, and user experience, you can provide your customers with the information they need to make informed purchase decisions.

Whether you are adding a simple description or customizing the layout for better display, WooCommerce gives you the flexibility to enhance your product pages. Make sure to regularly update your descriptions, especially when you have new features, stock updates, or promotions, to keep your customers informed and engaged.

By following the steps outlined in this guide, you’ll be able to display your product descriptions effectively and provide a better shopping experience for your WooCommerce customers.