The best WooCommerce disable product page plugin & how to use it

WooCommerce automatically creates an individual page for each product when you set up your store. Not all store owners need this, so this guide shows you how to disable the single product page in WooCommerce.

Most ecommerce websites follow a standard purchase flow. Have you considered whether this suits your specific products and customers?

1. Customers view products in a grid layout with 3-4 products per row.
2. Customers click through to a separate page containing all product information.
3. Customers select quantity and options, then add the product to cart.
4. Customers navigate back to view more products or proceed to checkout.

Have you stopped to think about whether this is the best flow for your customers? Does it actually suit the types of specific products you're selling?

In this tutorial, I will reveal two important reasons to disable the WooCommerce product page. I will also introduce two WordPress plugins that disable the single product page while providing faster alternatives. These plugins replace the standard page with user-friendly methods to view products and add to cart. No coding or PHP snippets required.

Let's get started!

Why disable the single product page in WooCommerce?

Benefit #1 - Speed up the browsing and buying process for customers

A WooCommerce disable product page plugin requires alternative methods for customers to choose options and buy products. Customers should be able to purchase without leaving the product list. The plugins recommended later in this article provide these alternatives.

Standard WooCommerce stores require customers to visit the single product page to purchase variable products or select quantities. Simple products can be purchased from shop pages. However, variations and extra quantities require the single product page.

This workflow creates problems for average order value. Customers visiting the single product page may struggle to return to the product list. They might checkout immediately without viewing other products. Alternatively, they might abandon their cart entirely.

The solution

You can solve this problem by installing a plugin that enables direct purchasing from product list pages. Customers can choose variations and quantities on shop pages and category pages. The plugin should display essential product information including:

• Larger product images
• Short descriptions
• Stock information
• SKU codes
• Product specifications

This approach keeps customers on the same page while shopping. Customers add products to cart and immediately see other products. This encourages additional purchases and increases order value.

Customers see essential product information and complete purchases without page navigation. They remain engaged with your product catalog throughout the shopping process.

I'd like to show a quick view box of the product instead of leading to the product detail page. That way, users are shown the basic product info without having the leave the list of products.

- Premium chocolate seller

Benefit #2 - Prevent customers from losing their place on the product list

Having to navigate between multiple pages adds friction to the shopping experience. Customers scroll through product lists, visit a product page, then click back. The browser returns them to the top of the list. They must scroll again to find their previous position. This frustration causes high bounce rates on WordPress ecommerce websites.

The solution

Disabling the single product page eliminates this navigation problem. Customers choose options and add products to cart directly from lists. They maintain their exact position in the product catalog. Shopping continues without interruption or lost context.

A customer described this exact problem:

Since a large number of items is being displayed per page, opening a single product page leads to the point where the customer has to scroll all the way down again once he got back to the product list. A quick view feature would prevent them from having to do that and would therefore make it even more comfortable to use.

2 plugins to hide or disable the WooCommerce product page

The WooCommerce single product page may reduce conversions depending on your product type. Disabling it can increase sales and improve user experience. Alternative viewing methods often work better for specific product categories.

These 2 plugins remove links to the single product page effectively. Each plugin provides different alternative methods for product viewing and purchasing. Review both options to select the best fit for your products.

WooCommerce Quick View Pro - Replace the single product page with a quick view lightbox

WooCommerce Quick View Pro displays product information and purchase options in a lightbox. The plugin adds quick view buttons to shop and category pages. Customers complete purchases without accessing the single product page.

The plugin can open lightboxes when customers click product images or names. This configuration disables the single product page links. Quick view links replace standard product links throughout your store. Remember to save your configuration changes.

The plugin offers complete customization of lightbox content. You select which product information appears in the quick view. Display only essential information to streamline buying decisions.

Further reading: The complete guide to WooCommerce quick view plugins.

Can I use quick view AND the single product page?

WooCommerce Quick View Pro can work alongside the single product page. Enable quick view buttons without replacing image and title links.

This configuration provides two options. Customers click quick view buttons to open lightboxes. Alternatively, they click product images or titles for the full product page.

This approach accommodates different shopping preferences. Quick shoppers use the lightbox feature. Detail-oriented customers access complete product pages.

WooCommerce Product Table - List products in a table view with extra information and full purchase options

The WooCommerce Product Table plugin replaces grid layouts with tabular displays. Tables include all product information in organized columns. Customers no longer need separate product pages.

WooCommerce Product Table provides complete control over table columns. Display standard WooCommerce data, custom fields, and taxonomies. Tables show all necessary information in one view.

The Add to Cart column includes comprehensive purchase options. Features include:
- Quantity selectors
- Variation dropdowns
- Product add-ons (with WooCommerce Product Options)
- Stock indicators
- Price displays

Can I disable links to the single product page?

WooCommerce Product Table links product titles to single pages by default. The 'Links' option removes these product title links. Customers cannot access single product pages when links are disabled.

Comparing the two plugin options

Choosing the right plugin - decision guide

Follow this decision process to select the best plugin for your store:

• Start here: Do your products require visual inspection before purchase?
  • Yes → Do customers typically buy one product at a time?
    • Yes → Choose WooCommerce Quick View Pro
    • No → Do you need bulk ordering capabilities?
      • Yes → Choose WooCommerce Product Table
      • No → Consider using both plugins together
  • No → Do you sell products with multiple specifications or variations?
    • Yes → Choose WooCommerce Product Table
    • No → Do customers compare multiple products before buying?
      • Yes → Choose WooCommerce Product Table
      • No → Choose WooCommerce Quick View Pro

But I like the look of both plugins!

WooCommerce Product Table and WooCommerce Quick View Pro are fully compatible. Tables can include quick view buttons for additional functionality.

Real-world use cases for disabling product pages

Example 1: Pizza restaurant with product tables and quick view

Pizza restaurants are an excellent example of when it's a good idea to use both plugins together. They can benefit from creating streamlined ordering without single product pages.

For example, if you're creating a takeaway food order system then you can display pizzas appear in product tables creating one-page order forms. You need to disable the single product page links because takeaway customers expect streamlined ordering.

Lots of pizza restaurants offer customization options such as:

• Size selection
• Crust type
• Base options
• Cheese varieties
• Sauce choices
• Extra toppings

Displaying all these options in a table creates visual clutter. Using WooCommerce Product Table with Quick View Pro combines both plugins effectively, allowing customers to view a table listing all the pizzas and then select options from a lightbox.

Tip: You can use standard WooCommerce product variations to offer basic pizza options. The WooCommerce Product Options plugin provides advanced features like multiple topping selections, which aren't possible with variations.

Example 2: B2B wholesale ordering

Wholesale businesses can benefit from using WooCommerce Product Table to list their inventory without single product pages. That's because B2B buyers need efficient bulk ordering processes. Single product pages would slow down professional buyers who already know what they want to buy.

Wholesale stores can display products in tables with:

• SKU codes for quick reference
• Minimum order quantities
• Tiered pricing columns
• Stock availability indicators
• Quick reorder buttons
• Variations and quantity fields directly in the order form

Example 3: Event ticket sales

Lots of event organizers use WooCommerce Quick View Pro for ticket sales. Use WooCommerce Product Table to display multiple events in a grid layout; and Quick View to show event details without separate pages.

The lightbox displays:

• Event date and time
• Venue information
• Seating options
• Ticket types and pricing
• Remaining availability

This allows customers to easily compare events. They can purchase tickets without losing their place in the event calendar. This reduces cart abandonment during event selection.

Example 4: Spare parts catalog

A huge number of auto parts retailers use WooCommerce Product Table for parts catalogs. That's because it's perfect for products like car parts that don't require large images. Instead of browsing by image, customers search by part number or vehicle compatibility.

The table structure shows:

• Part numbers and specifications
• Compatible vehicle models
• Pricing and availability
• Technical diagrams in quick view
• Cross-reference numbers

Example 5: Digital downloads marketplace

Digital product stores benefit from quick view functionality. This lets customers preview multimedia products before purchasing downloads, including:

• File formats and sizes
• License information
• Preview images, or embedded audio or video samples
• System requirements

Mobile optimization considerations

Both WooCommerce Product Table and WooCommerce Quick View Pro provide responsive mobile experiences. This is essential given that mobile shoppers represent over 60% of global web traffic.

WooCommerce Quick View Pro mobile features:

• Touch-optimized lightbox controls
• Swipeable image galleries
• Automatic close button positioning

WooCommerce Product Table mobile features:

• Responsive column hiding
• Priority column display
• Touch-friendly quantity and variation selectors

There are also performance benefits for mobile users. For example, quick view lightboxes load faster than full pages. Similarly, tables eliminate back-navigation issues on mobile browsers.

Frequently asked questions

Will disabling product pages hurt my SEO?
Disabling product pages can impact SEO if not handled properly.

One option is to keep product pages accessible to search engines while hiding them from users. This happens automatically with WooCommerce Product Table because it doesn't actually disable the WooCommerce product page. Instead, the table simply doesn't link to the product page - but they still exist and are crawlable by search engines behind the scenes. Similarly, WooCommerce Quick View Pro doesn't remove them and simply removes links to them.

Can I disable product pages for specific products only?
Yes, both plugins offer selective implementation. WooCommerce Product Table can display specific product categories in each table, so some of these can have product page links while others don't. You can also enable Quick View Pro per product or category.

What happens to existing product page URLs?
Product URLs remain functional unless you explicitly redirect them. This means that search engines can continue indexing these pages.

Consider setting up 301 redirects to category pages if you plan to permanently disable product pages.

Can customers still leave product reviews?
Quick View Pro can display reviews in lightboxes, so customers can still leave a review. WooCommerce Product Table provides a ratings column but customers can't leave a review from directly in the table.

How do product images work without single pages?
Quick View Pro displays full image galleries in lightboxes.

Product Table shows thumbnail images with hover zoom options. You can control the size of the images, or remove the image column altogether.

What about complex product variations?
Complex variations work in both plugins. Quick View handles unlimited variations in the lightbox. Product Table displays variation dropdowns inline. Consider using WooCommerce Product Options for advanced configurations and other types of product add-on.

Do these solutions work with WooCommerce subscriptions?
Both plugins support WooCommerce Subscriptions. Your subscription options will appear in both the quick view lightbox and the 'Buy' column of the table.

Disabling the single product page in WooCommerce

Disabling the WooCommerce product page can streamline your customers' shopping journey and significantly improve conversions. Which plugin to use for this depends on your specific needs:

• Choose WooCommerce Quick View Pro if you sell visual products like clothing, jewelry, or artwork where customers need to see product details in an elegant lightbox without leaving the shop page.
• Choose WooCommerce Product Table if you need bulk ordering capabilities, sell products with multiple specifications, or run a B2B store where customers compare products side-by-side.

Use both plugins together for maximum flexibility, displaying products in an organized table with quick view buttons for detailed inspection 💡