Headless WooCommerce from setting up to deployment on - (r)

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Introduction to headless WooCommerce

The APIs define the interactions between intermediaries that allow firms to modify the presentation layers with no impact on the functions of the layers. They can also change, modify or include products in multiple layers of application.

Furthermore, using a headless version of WooCommerce, you can ensure that your ecommerce platform is future-proof through helping you adjust to the changing needs of customers as well as technological advances. It's easy to upgrade front-end components, while also ensuring durability and reliability that the WooCommerce backend platform provides.

This new approach has many benefits compared to traditional WordPress E-commerce configurations.

Prerequisites

Before beginning, ensure you have the following:

• A functioning WordPress website
• An active account

Benefits of headless WooCommerce

If you go with the headless option in your WooCommerce apps, you unlock a range of advantages, including the possibility in having one backend that can that can support multiple frontends of your application.

These are just a few of the benefits of the headless WooCommerce system:

• Better web performance It is possible to leverage fast web frameworks like React or Vue to greatly improve your site's performance.
• SEO advantages It gives you more control and greater flexibility with regards to SEO strategies that will help you achieve the objectives of your business.
• Better capacity -- Your site is able to scale up more effectively, ensuring smooth performance even during periods of high traffic.
• The ability to design distinctive customer experience It is liberated from the limitations of standard templates. It is possible to create unique and customized customer experiences that are unique to your clients.

Set up a headless WooCommerce website

This is a step-by-step procedure for setting up the WooCommerce site:

1. Log into your My dashboard
2. Navigate through the Add Service on the WordPress website.
3. Select the option to install WordPress choice.
4. In the Add new WordPress website page, complete the fields required to install WordPress.
5. Be sure to check the box to install WooCommerce box prior to clicking to continue.

Active the WooCommerce plugin

1. On your My dashboard Click Domains on the left-hand sidebar.
2. In the Domains page, choose to open WordPress Admin.
3. Log in to Your WordPress Admin dashboard, navigate to plugins, select the WooCommerce plugin, then enable it.

Configure WooCommerce for headless operation

For setting up WooCommerce for headless operation:

1. Log in to your WordPress Admin dashboard. In the left-hand sidebar, select "WooCommerce" > Options.
2. On the Settings page, click to open the Advanced tab. Then, click Rest API.
3. Click now to confirm.     Add key    .

1. Click     Create an API key    . Give your new REST API an explanation, and make the     Permissions    field from     Read/Write    , and click     Generate API key    .

1. Copy the key of the user and secret and store the keys in a safe place for use with React. React application.
2. Lastly, modify the Permalink structure so that JSON data is returned whenever requesting the API. On the WordPress Admin dashboard, click Settings > Permalinks, and select Post name.

Before proceeding, add some products in the WooCommerce store. Visit the WooCommerce section in your WordPress dashboard. Select Products and then follow the prompts to create products. It is also possible to add these sample products for your online store.

Once you have WordPress and WooCommerce set up and WooCommerce installed, it's time to concentrate on the front end of your headless ecommerce application.

Set up React project React project

This is how you can set up a React project:

1. If you are in a preferred directory follow the commands below to create a React project:

Make sure to substitute app-name> for your preferred nameUse npx to create-react app app-name> and Cd app name> By using yarn yarn you can create react-app with app-name> and the cd will be app-name>.

1. Once your project is created then you can create an     .env    The file should be located in the root directory of your project and add this:

REACT_APP_CONSUMER_KEY=your_Woocommerce_consumer_key
 REACT_APP_CONSUMER_SECRET=your_Woocommerce_consumer_secret

Replace this key with the WooCommerce customer key and secret generated earlier.

1. Next, use the command below to install a package to manage routes:

## With npm
 npm i react-router-dom
 
 ## With yarn
 yarn add react-router-dom

1. In the end, start React. Launch the React project using the following command:

## With npm
 npm start
 
 ## With yarn
 yarn start

Create the frontend of your headless WooCommerce site

An e-commerce store that is successful showcases items and makes it easier to purchase. Start by showing the items available in the WooCommerce store on the frontend. This involves making requests for WooCommerce API. WooCommerce API.

The endpoint to list all products is wp-json/wc/v3/products. This must be added to the host URL. Include this variable in your .env file for your base URL, which is the host's URL that has been appended with the product endpoint. Update http://example.com with your WooCommerce site domain.

REACT_APP_BASE_URL=http://example.com/wp-json/wc/v3/products

If you are you make API requests, you must add your key to the consumer and secret information in the URL. If they are combined with your consumer key and secret, the URL will look as follows:

 https://woocommerce..cloud/wp-json/wc/v3/products?consumer_key=your_consumer_key&consumer_secret=your_consumer_secret

1. Within your React application, open the application.     App.js    The file is in     src    directory, and then replace the directory with this code:

import Link from 'react-router-dom';
 import useEffect, useState from 'react';
 
 function App()  ( ;
Export default App

This code fetches a list of products from WooCommerce API endpoint. WooCommerce API endpoint using the Fetch API after the component is mounted ( useEffect hook). The endpoint URL is built by using the environment variables that were set previously

Once the data is fetched, it updates the component state (products) using setProducts(response) and sets loading to false using setLoading(false).

The product's name, price, description (rendered using dangerouslySetInnerHTML to inject HTML content), stock status, and a button are displayed for each product.

1. In the     SRC    directory, open the     index.js    File and replace the code with the snippet below:

import React from "react";
 import ReactDOM from "react-dom";
 import  BrowserRouter, Route, Routes  from "react-router-dom";
 import "./index.css";
 import App from "./App";
 
 
 ReactDOM.render(
 
 
 
  Store
 
 
 
  />
 
 
 
 
 ,
 document.getElementById("root")
 );

It renders the App component whenever it is called in the browser. the route is called in the browser.

1. Run your app to view the modifications.

## With npm
 npm start
 
 ## With yarn
 yarn start

The React application is now showing the products available that are available from the WooCommerce store.

Create dynamic product pages

Now, to enhance the customer experience, you can create dynamic pages for your products using the WooCommerce API. This API provides an endpoint to fetch data about a single product: wp-json/wc/v3/products/. For this endpoint to display and retrieve data on a particular product's information in your store, you must follow the steps:

1. Create an element     ProductDetail.js    within the     SRC    directory that fetches and displays data about a single item. The component retrieves and displays detailed information about a single product.It operates in a similar manner to the code in the     App.js    File, however it is only able to retrieve details for a single product.

import useState, useEffect from 'react';
 import useParams from 'react-router-dom';
 
 function ProductDetail()  (
export default ProductDetail;

1. Create a new route in     index.js    and assign it to the     ProductDetail    A component of it. This code snippet creates a new route in     index.js    and assigns and assigns     ProductDetail     component. This makes sure that when customers click on a link to a particular product, they are directed to the appropriate product's page.

// index.js
 ...
 import ProductDetail from "./ProductDetail";
 
 ReactDOM.render(
 
 ...
 
 
  />
 /* the new route */
  />
 
 
 

, document.getElementById("root") );

With these modifications, clicking any of the products in the application redirects users to a page providing more details about the specific item.

You can access the complete code in the GitHub repository.

Integrate key WooCommerce features into a headless setup

It is possible to build upon the basis of listing your products within the headless WooCommerce application, by integrating important attributes like:

• Carts for shopping manage cart data on the client side or use local storage for users to be able to add, remove, and update items seamlessly.
• User authentication Use security-grade authentication with JSON Web Token (JWT) or Open Authorization 2.0 (OAuth2) to provide a better user experience by allowing the registration, login, and password reset options.
• Management of orders manage orders and statuses efficiently with WooCommerce API. Manage orders and statuses efficiently with WooCommerce API. Offer user-friendly options for ordering history, tracking, returns, and refunds, and automate processes using webhooks or an event-driven structure.

Install your headless WooCommerce website on

Once you've pushed your code, follow these steps for deploying your website:

1. Log in to the dashboard you have created on My dashboard.
2. Click on Add Service Click Add service, and click the static site.
3. Choose a Git service provider, then select Connect the git provider.
4. Select the repository and the branch you wish to use. The build parameters will be automatically identified.
5. Include any necessary environment variables from your     .env     file.

1. Finally you can click "Create Site" to deploy you React application.

Your WooCommerce headless application!

Summary

This article explained the numerous advantages and new possibilities for creating dynamic and high-performing online shops by setting up headless WooCommerce sites.

In separating the frontend and the backend of your site, you can personalize your website in order to offer enhanced and customized customer experiences that benefit from high performance as well as robust security. scaling.

   Are you excited about the infinite possibilities offered by headless WooCommerce for your store online? Share your insights or questions in the comment section below.

Jeremy Holcombe

Content and Marketing Editor at , WordPress Web Developer, and Content writer. In addition to everything related to WordPress, I enjoy the ocean, golf as well as movies. I also have tall people problems ;).

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