--- title: "How to Create a WooCommerce Product Category List in WordPress?" url: https://nexterwp.com/docs/create-a-woocommerce-product-category-list-in-wordpress/ date: 2024-11-29 modified: 2026-09-27 lang: en author: "Aditya Sharma" description: "Shoppers who do not know exactly what they want browse by category. A shop page that opens with a clear set of category cards converts better than one that opens..." image: https://nexterwp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/create-a-woocommerce-product-category-list-in-wordpress-1024x519.jpg word_count: 585 --- # How to Create a WooCommerce Product Category List in WordPress? ## Key Takeaways - Nexter Blocks Taxonomy Listing block creates a WooCommerce product category list in WordPress. - Taxonomy Listing block requires Nexter Blocks to be installed and activated before use. - Select Product categories from the Select Taxonomy dropdown after adding the block and choosing a style and layout. Shoppers who do not know exactly what they want browse by category. A shop page that opens with a clear set of category cards converts better than one that opens with 40 products. Product categories are an ordinary taxonomy to this block, so the setup is the same as for blog categories — with one WooCommerce-specific catch about images. *For every Taxonomy Listing setting in one place, see the [Taxonomy Listing guide](https://nexterwp.com/docs/add-taxonomy-listing-in-wordpress/).* [LIVE BLOCK LINK](https://nexterwp.com/nexter-blocks/builder/wordpress-taxonomy-listing/) ## Before You Start - **Edition:** **Pro** — the Taxonomy Listing block needs Nexter Blocks Pro.- **Block to enable:** Taxonomy Listing, switched on under **Nexter > Blocks** in your WordPress dashboard.- **WooCommerce active, with product categories.** Product categories are an ordinary taxonomy to this block, but they only exist once WooCommerce does.- **Products assigned to categories.** An empty category is hidden by default. ## Steps - Add the **Taxonomy Listing** block and choose **product categories** as the taxonomy. ![Choosing the product category taxonomy](https://nexterwp.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/tx-select-taxonomy-woocat.webp) - Pick your layout and column count, then publish. ![Product category list settings](https://nexterwp.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/tx-fe-woocat.webp) > *Set the card image on the product category itself, in Nexter's image field. A category image set through WooCommerce is stored separately and this block does not read it.* ## How It Behaves - **Product categories behave like any other taxonomy here.** Measured on a seeded store: 4 categories rendered with their real product counts of 2, 6, 3 and 1.- **Each card links to that product category's archive** — measured, the first linked to `/product-category/accessories/`.- **The count is the product count**, and it is shown by default.- **Empty categories are hidden by default**, so a category you have not stocked yet will not appear.- **The category image comes from Nexter's own term image field**, set on the term itself when you edit it. It is not WordPress's featured image and, on a product category, it is not WooCommerce's category image either — those are stored separately and this block does not read them.- **A term with no image still renders one.** Measured: removing a term's image produced a card showing a generic placeholder shipped with the plugin, not a blank or broken image. That is why missing category images are easy to miss.- **Type a number into the item count; do not leave it blank.** Measured on 5.0.6: a blank field renders **one** term rather than all of them, and so does `0`. Reported to the developers.- **Measured with Nexter Blocks Pro deactivated:** the block renders nothing at all — not a wrapper, not a message, zero output. This is a Pro-only block. ## Limitations - **Pro only** — nothing renders with Pro deactivated.- **WooCommerce's own category image is not used.** This is the most common surprise with this block on a store: the image is set in a separate field and has to be set again here.- **The count includes every published product** in the category, including out-of-stock ones.- **Sub-categories appear as their own cards** unless you limit the listing to top-level terms.- **It lists categories, not products.** For the products themselves, use [Product Listing](https://nexterwp.com/docs/add-product-listing-in-wordpress/). ## Troubleshooting ### My product category images are not showing They are read from Nexter's term image field, not WooCommerce's. Edit the product category and set the image there. This is the single most common issue with this block. ### A category is missing It has no products, and empty terms are hidden by default. Switch that off if you want it shown. ### Sub-categories are cluttering the list Limit the listing to top-level terms. ### Only one category is showing The item count is blank or zero. Enter a number. ## Related Docs - [Create a WooCommerce product carousel list](https://nexterwp.com/docs/create-a-woocommerce-product-carousel-list-in-wordpress/)- [Add taxonomy listing in WordPress](https://nexterwp.com/docs/add-taxonomy-listing-in-wordpress/)- [Create a category grid](https://nexterwp.com/docs/create-category-grid-in-wordpress/)- [Add product listing in WordPress](https://nexterwp.com/docs/add-product-listing-in-wordpress/)- [Exclude a category by ID](https://nexterwp.com/docs/exclude-category-by-id-from-category-list-in-wordpress/) ## Frequently Asked Questions **Q: Why is my WooCommerce product category list not showing up in WordPress?** A: The usual blocker is missing setup, not the block itself. Nexter Blocks provides the Taxonomy Listing block, but the page says you need to have product categories already created in WooCommerce before building the list. It also needs Nexter Blocks installed and activated. If either piece is missing, there is nothing for the listing to display. **Q: What do I need before creating a WooCommerce product category list?** A: Two things matter here: existing product categories in WooCommerce and an installed, activated Nexter Blocks plugin. The Taxonomy Listing block from Nexter Blocks is what creates the list, so the categories have to exist first or the output will be empty. That setup order saves time because you are listing taxonomy terms, not creating them inside the block. **Q: Can I use the Taxonomy Listing block to show product tags instead of categories?** A: The same Taxonomy Listing block can show product tags too. The page notes that you just select the Product tags option instead of Product categories in the Select Taxonomy dropdown. That makes it a practical choice when you want a tag list for browsing or filtering without building a separate layout from scratch. **Q: What is the difference between a product category list and a product tag list in this setup?** A: The difference is which taxonomy you choose in the Taxonomy Listing block. Product categories are selected from the Select Taxonomy dropdown for grouped shopping navigation, while Product tags are available as an alternate option for a tag list. In practice, categories are better for broad organization, while tags are useful when you want a more specific content grouping. **Q: Is there another way to create a WooCommerce product category list with Nexter?** A: [click here](https://nexterwp.com/docs/add-taxonomy-listing-in-wordpress/) for the feature overview of the Taxonomy Listing block, or use the [LIVE BLOCK LINK](https://nexterwp.com/nexter-blocks/builder/wordpress-taxonomy-listing/) to see it in action. Nexter Blocks provides this taxonomy-based approach inside WordPress, so it is built around selecting Product categories from the dropdown rather than hand-coding a list.