WooCommerce: Redirect if Cart is Empty to Specific Page

Prerequisites

Before proceeding, ensure you have administrative access to your WordPress site and are comfortable editing PHP code. It’s recommended to perform this change on a child theme to prevent updates from overwriting your customizations.

Step 1: Access Your Theme’s functions.php File

The functions.php file in your WordPress theme allows you to add custom functions that extend the functionality of your WooCommerce store. Access this file via FTP or your hosting provider’s file manager, typically located at wp-content/themes/your-child-theme/functions.php.

Step 2: Add the Redirection Code

Once you have the functions.php file open for editing, append the following PHP snippet at the end:

add_action('template_redirect', 'wc_redirect_empty_cart_to_shop');
function wc_redirect_empty_cart_to_shop() {
    if (is_cart() && WC()->cart->is_empty()) {
        wp_safe_redirect(wc_get_page_permalink('shop'));
        exit;
    }
}

This code hooks into the template_redirect action, which occurs before WordPress determines which template or file to use. It checks if the current page is the cart page and if the cart is empty. If both conditions are true, it redirects the user to the /shop/ page.

Step 3: Customize the Redirection URL

The example provided redirects users to the shop page (/shop/), which is a common destination. However, you can modify this URL to any page on your site. For instance, redirecting to a special offers page or the homepage could be more suitable depending on your sales strategy. Replace '/shop/' with your desired path:

wp_safe_redirect( home_url( '/your-desired-page/' ) );

Step 4: Test the Redirection

After implementing the changes, clear any site caching and test the redirection in various scenarios to ensure it works as expected. Try accessing the cart page directly with different items and quantities to confirm it only redirects when empty.

Conclusion

By redirecting customers from an empty cart to a specific page, you create a smoother, more intuitive shopping experience that can help maintain site engagement and potentially boost sales. Always remember to backup your site before making any changes and test your customizations thoroughly to ensure they work correctly across different devices and browsers.

With these steps, you should now have a functional redirection in place, enhancing your WooCommerce store’s user experience.