WooCommerce Product Types Explained: Simple, Variable, Grouped, and More

Understanding WooCommerce Product Types

WooCommerce supports multiple product types to accommodate different selling scenarios. Choosing the correct product type affects how your product appears to customers, how pricing works, how inventory is tracked, and what purchase options are available. This guide covers each product type, explains when to use it, and walks through the setup process. For more detailed information, refer to the WooCommerce Documentation.

Whether you sell physical goods, digital downloads, services, or subscriptions, WooCommerce has a product type designed for your needs. If you're setting up WooCommerce for the first time, our WooCommerce setup guide covers the initial configuration steps.

Product Types at a Glance

Simple Products

A simple product is the most straightforward product type in WooCommerce. It represents a single item with one price, no variations, and a single SKU. Most WooCommerce stores start with simple products.

When to Use Simple Products

• Items sold in a single configuration (no size/color options)
• Products with a fixed price
• Items where you don't need to offer choices at the point of purchase
• Examples: a book, a specific tool, a fixed-quantity consumable

Setting Up a Simple Product

1. Go to Products > Add New in your WordPress dashboard.
2. Enter the product name and description.
3. In the Product Data section, select Simple product from the dropdown.
4. General tab: Set the regular price and (optionally) a sale price with scheduled dates.
5. Inventory tab: Enter SKU, enable stock management, set stock quantity.
6. Shipping tab: Enter weight and dimensions for shipping calculations.
7. Linked Products tab: Set up upsells and cross-sells.
8. Add product images (one featured image + gallery images).
9. Assign product categories and tags.
10. Click Publish.

Pricing Strategies for Simple Products

WooCommerce supports several pricing approaches for simple products:

• Regular price: The standard selling price
• Sale price: A discounted price that can be scheduled (start/end dates)
• Tax settings: Configure whether prices include or exclude tax
• Wholesale pricing: Available through plugins like WooCommerce Wholesale Prices

Variable Products

Variable products are among the most commonly used product types. They allow a single product listing to offer multiple options (variations) such as size, color, material, or any custom attribute.

When to Use Variable Products

• Clothing with size and color options
• Electronics with storage capacity or color choices
• Any product where the customer selects from predefined options
• Products where different variations have different prices or stock levels

Understanding Attributes and Variations

Variable products use a two-layer system:

1. Attributes define the option categories (e.g., Size, Color).
2. Variations are specific combinations of attributes (e.g., Size: Large + Color: Blue).

Setting Up a Variable Product

1. Create a new product and select Variable product from the Product Data dropdown.
2. Go to the Attributes tab:
   • Add a new attribute (e.g., "Size") or select from existing global attributes.
   • Enter values separated by | (e.g., Small | Medium | Large | X-Large).
   • Check "Used for variations".
   • Repeat for additional attributes (e.g., Color: Red | Blue | Black).
3. Go to the Variations tab:
   • Click "Generate variations" to create all combinations automatically.
   • Or manually add specific variations using "Add variation."
4. Configure each variation:
   • Set individual prices (variations can have different prices).
   • Upload variation-specific images.
   • Set stock quantities per variation.
   • Add variation descriptions.
5. Save and publish.

Managing Variable Product Performance

Products with many variations (50+) can slow down your product page. If you have complex products with numerous attribute combinations, consider:

• Using AJAX-powered variation selectors (enabled by default in WooCommerce)
• Limiting the number of variations per product
• Using a variation swatches plugin for visual selection instead of dropdowns

Grouped Products

A grouped product is a collection of related simple products displayed together on a single product page. Each child product maintains its own price, stock, and configuration. Customers can select quantities for individual items and add them to the cart together.

When to Use Grouped Products

• Product bundles where items are also sold individually
• Equipment sets (e.g., a photography kit showing camera body + lenses separately)
• Collections of complementary items
• Situations where you want to cross-promote related products on one page

Setting Up a Grouped Product

1. First, create each child product as a Simple product with its own price and settings.
2. Create a new product and select Grouped product from the Product Data dropdown.
3. Note: Grouped products don't have their own price. Pricing comes from child products.
4. Go to Linked Products tab and search for the child products under "Grouped products."
5. Add product images and descriptions for the group page.
6. Publish.

Grouped vs. Product Bundles

Grouped products show child products with individual add-to-cart controls. If you need forced bundles (all items added together), consider the WooCommerce Product Bundles extension, which offers bundle-specific pricing and discount rules.

External/Affiliate Products

External or affiliate products represent items sold on another website. Instead of an "Add to Cart" button, WooCommerce displays a customizable button that links to the external vendor's site. For developers, you can find more information in the WooCommerce Developer Resources.

When to Use External Products

• Affiliate marketing: promoting products from other retailers for a commission
• Dropshipping arrangements where orders are fulfilled by the supplier
• Marketplace-style sites that aggregate products from multiple vendors
• Showcasing products that are only available elsewhere

Setting Up an External Product

1. Create a new product and select External/Affiliate product.
2. In the General tab, enter:
   • Product URL: The external page where customers can purchase the item.
   • Button text: Customize the call-to-action (e.g., "Buy on Amazon" or "Shop Now").
   • Price: Display the product's price for reference (customers pay on the external site).
3. Add images, descriptions, and categories as usual.
4. Publish.

Tracking Affiliate Performance

WooCommerce doesn't track clicks to external products by default. Use Google Analytics event tracking or a dedicated affiliate management plugin to monitor which products generate the most outbound clicks.

Virtual Products

Virtual products are non-physical items that don't require shipping. Marking a product as "Virtual" removes shipping fields and calculations from the checkout process for that item.

When to Use Virtual Products

• Services (consulting, coaching, design work)
• Appointments and bookings
• Online course access
• Warranties and extended service plans
• Any intangible product that doesn't require physical delivery

Setting Up a Virtual Product

1. Create a Simple product.
2. Check the "Virtual" checkbox next to the Product Data dropdown.
3. The Shipping tab disappears since no shipping is needed.
4. Set pricing as usual.
5. Consider adding purchase instructions in the product description explaining how customers will receive or access the service.

Downloadable Products

Downloadable products are digital files that customers receive access to after purchase. WooCommerce handles file delivery, download limits, and access control.

When to Use Downloadable Products

• Software and plugins
• Ebooks and PDFs
• Music and audio files
• Design templates, fonts, and stock images
• Video courses and training materials

Setting Up a Downloadable Product

1. Create a Simple product.
2. Check both "Virtual" and "Downloadable" checkboxes.
3. In the General tab, a Downloadable Files section appears:
   • Click "Add File" and either upload the file or enter a URL.
   • Set a Download Limit (blank = unlimited).
   • Set a Download Expiry (days after purchase before the link expires).
4. Configure email settings to deliver download links in the order confirmation email.

File Protection

WooCommerce stores downloadable files in a protected directory and uses unique, expiring download URLs. For additional security:

• Enable "force downloads" in WooCommerce > Settings > Products > Downloadable Products
• Set download limits to prevent link sharing
• Use a license key system for software products

Subscription Products

Subscription products enable recurring payments for ongoing access or deliveries. This product type requires the WooCommerce Subscriptions extension (paid) or a third-party alternative.

When to Use Subscription Products

• SaaS products with monthly/annual billing
• Membership sites with premium content
• Subscription boxes (curated physical products shipped periodically)
• Maintenance and support contracts
• Magazine or newsletter subscriptions

Setting Up a Subscription Product

1. Install and activate the WooCommerce Subscriptions extension.
2. Create a new product and select Simple Subscription or Variable Subscription.
3. Configure subscription-specific settings:
   • Subscription price: The recurring amount.
   • Billing interval: Weekly, monthly, yearly, or custom.
   • Subscription length: Ongoing or fixed duration.
   • Sign-up fee: Optional one-time fee at the start.
   • Free trial: Optional trial period before billing begins.

Subscription Pricing Strategies

Choosing the Right Product Type

Selecting the appropriate product type is an important decision. Here's a quick decision framework:

Product Type Best Practices

• Keep variations manageable: Products with 100+ variations can impact page performance and confuse customers. Consider splitting into separate products if variations are too numerous.
• Use descriptive attribute names: "Size" and "Color" are clear. "Option 1" and "Option 2" are not helpful to customers or search engines.
• Set appropriate stock management: Enable stock tracking for physical products. Consider disabling it for digital/virtual products where inventory is unlimited.
• Optimize product images: Each product type benefits from high-quality images. Variable products should have variation-specific images so customers see the exact item they're selecting.
• Write unique descriptions: Each product, even variations within a type, benefits from unique content for SEO purposes. For SEO strategies specific to WooCommerce, see our WooCommerce SEO guide.

Extending Product Types with Plugins

WooCommerce's extension ecosystem adds additional product types and capabilities beyond the defaults:

• WooCommerce Bookings: Adds a bookable product type for appointments, rentals, and reservations with calendar-based availability.
• WooCommerce Product Bundles: Creates forced bundles with bundle-specific pricing (different from grouped products).
• WooCommerce Composite Products: Multi-step product configuration (e.g., build-your-own computer).
• WooCommerce Memberships: Ties product access to membership levels with