[Resolved] Product Specification table for WooCommerce products

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[hamidM]

Dear Toolset team,

I am setting up an eCommerce website. For its products I need *Spec Tables*. These specification tables must be category-based. Because each product category has its own specific details. For example, Spec details for a mobile phone is completely different from a TV. So their custom fields will be different.
Just like many famous eCommerce websites, I need to provide some of the product informations in tables (and then provide comparison option for customers to compare products side-by-side of each other) . As I understood in this video: hidden link I can't have CPTs as products for WooCommerce. WooCommerce only understands its own Products CPT, and no other post types. (If I could create custom post type for each product category there would be no problem. I would create custom fields for each product category and then recall them on front-end with Views.) Since we can't create custom post types for WooCommerce, we need to find another workaround.

Please keep in mind:

1. I can't create custom post type for each product category (because I am already doing this on other parallel website with my eCommerce website) and provide a shop button on each CPT product to transfer to checkout. In other words, I can't bypass WooCommerce default Products CPT.

2. As we have many product categories, and as each product category needs its own set of custom fields, I don't want to make a mess of the Admin Product edit page. So we need to find a way to conditionally show/hide these custom fields.

Best Regards,
Hamid.

[Beda]

I think there are several questions to answer here.

1. Toolset can create side-by-side comparisons:
https://toolset.com/learn/create-an-ecommerce-wordpress-site/product-comparison/
This tutorial is even made with WooCommerce's products so it'll help you greatly achieving that part of the project.

2. Related to having different Fields on Products depending on the Product Category, this should be possible by creating several Fields Groups. Each Field Group must apply an "Appears on" rule where you choose Taxonomies, and then the specific Product Category you want this Field Group to appear on. (See also screenshot taken when editing Field Group). Assign these Field Groups to the Post Type Products, so they appear only on Products, and then each Field Group must have a rule for its specific Product Category.
That will ensure when editing the posts (products), after setting the correct Product Category and reloading the page, the fields you determined to appear will appear to be filled out.

3. It is correct to assume, WooCommerce does accept only their Post Type (Product) as a product. You can, of course, rebuild that wheel, but you cannot use several types as a product.
What you could do, is cover money (thru selling a product) when users submit any post of any type (this would be done with Forms Commerce)
https://toolset.com/documentation/user-guides/using-cred-commerce-to-add-payments-to-forms/

Please let me know if you need more details.

[hamidM]

Dear Beda,
Thank you for your detailed reply. I knew I can make field groups to be taxonomy-related. But my problem is in showing these details. Please allow your customers to choose Page Builders like Elementor for customizing their web pages. Unfortunately I don't want to use Layouts (also I tried it couple of hours but I didn't satisfy with the design) because it is so simple and does not offer most of the options available with Elementor and Addons (like Element Pack, Essential Addons,...). So please tell me how can I show these informations without adding hundreds of shortcodes to Product page?
Kindly note that we use Single Product Page, where we design product page only once.

[Beda]

I am not sure how Elementor relates to this. Elementor can be used with Toolset, please find the related DOC here:
https://toolset.com/documentation/user-guides/using-toolset-with-elementor-page-builder/
hidden link

Other page builders can also be used, however, Toolset's main focus is now on Gutenberg.
There are great new improvements with Toolset Blocks Plugin.
https://toolset.com/documentation/user-guides/how-toolset-plugins-work-with-gutenberg/

I am not sure what you refer to with "So please tell me how can I show these information without adding hundreds of shortcodes to the Product page?
Kindly note that we use Single Product Page, where we design product page only once."

Yes, the Types Custom fields can either be shown with ShortCodes (for example in Content Templates which applied to Posts, will allow you inserting them only once, and display many dynamic sets with it).
Or, you can insert them as a dynamic source in Elementor PRO when you use their Widgets.

Unfortunately, if you store data in a Field you also must display it and all the plugins do that with ShortCodes (even builders, under the hood) or PHP functions rendering the fields over some methods, which is the same.
Only the input interface changes (Elementor has a GUI where you click and point, while Toolset has a GUI where you click and point and have full control over the HTML, which classic builders hide and "make for you").

In any case, you can (and should) show the Fields data in either builder of your preference (Content Templates, or template builders like Elementor) to have that data on the Front end.

Showing the related data depending on what product you view, or what product is in the loop, is simple. It will be possible for example with HTML conditionals, elaborated here:
https://toolset.com/documentation/user-guides/conditional-html-output-in-views/
You can with this decide what to show depending on the Products Category, for example, on the front end too.

I think your best approach is that - as it will allow you to create a Content Template for all products and in it, hide/show content depending on the Product Category.
Or you an create many Elementor Templates - as I recall they allow to be assigned both to posts and also terms of posts, so you can create several templates with Elementor and in each style the post for the specific Product Category.

If you have suggestions for Toolset that are above what is currently possible, such as more integration with your preferred site builder, you would have to submit such requests and ideas here https://toolset.com/home/contact-us/suggest-a-new-feature-for-toolset/

Thank you!