How to Search Products by Categories in WooCommerce

When visitors use your WooCommerce store’s search feature, they’re not always looking for a specific product. Often, they’re searching for a type of product—something broader, like “shoes,” “furniture,” or “accessories.”

In WooCommerce, these groupings are typically handled through product categories.

However, WooCommerce’s default search system doesn’t include product categories, so customers searching by category terms may not see the desired results.

Why Category Search Plays a Key Role

Product categories are the backbone of most WooCommerce stores. They define how your catalog is structured and how users navigate through it.

But categories aren’t just for menus—they’re equally valuable in search.

Category-based search is especially useful for:

• Shoppers who want to browse a type of product rather than a specific item
• First-time visitors still exploring your catalog
• Stores with clearly defined product groupings
• Situations where product names vary but categories remain consistent

Unlike tags, categories are hierarchical. This makes them ideal for guiding users from broad searches to more refined product selections.

If category data isn’t included in search, you lose an important way to help customers discover products.

Two Ways to Add Category Search in WooCommerce

To include product categories in your store’s search, you’ll need to extend WooCommerce’s default functionality. This can be done either through custom development or by installing a search plugin.

Modifying Product Search with Custom Code

WooCommerce search queries can be adjusted to account for product categories. This typically involves working with WordPress query hooks like pre_get_posts or filtering taxonomy queries.

With a custom solution, you can:

• Include category names in search matching
• Combine category data with titles, descriptions, and other fields
• Control how category results are displayed

That said, this approach requires sufficient technical knowledge in such areas as:

• WordPress and WooCommerce query logic
• Compatibility with themes and existing plugins
• Ongoing updates as your site changes

For many store owners, this quickly becomes too much.

Using a Product Search Plugin

A simpler and more scalable approach is to use a plugin designed to enhance WooCommerce product search.

Rather than modifying the default system, a plugin replaces it with a more advanced search engine that can treat categories as searchable data.

For example, the Elevated Product Search for WooCommerce plugin lets you include product categories in search simply by enabling that option:

A search for a category will then return any products in that category:

The plugin also handles typos, spelling mistakes, singular and plural forms, and synonyms or variations.

Best of all, it gives you complete control over the appearance of the search results and product previews, along with a live preview of your latest design:

Bringing It All Together

WooCommerce categories are essential for organizing products, but they’re not fully utilized in search by default.

That limitation can make it harder for customers to explore your store, especially when they’re searching broadly rather than looking for a specific item.

While it’s possible to extend the search process manually, most store owners prefer a plugin-based solution. It simplifies setup, reduces maintenance, and ensures categories are properly integrated into the search experience.

There are multiple plugins that support category search, but the most effective ones treat categories as a natural part of how users find products—not just a structural feature behind the scenes. Elevated Product Search for WooCommerce is one example of this approach.

For other plugins, see Best WooCommerce Product Search Plugins.