How to Skip Cart Page in WooCommerce: A Complete Guide

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In the world of eCommerce, every click matters. The more steps customers have to take, the higher the chance they’ll abandon their purchase. If you run a WooCommerce store, you may have noticed that the default checkout flow sends customers to the cart page before they can complete their order. While this works for some stores, for others it creates unnecessary friction. Skipping the cart page and sending customers directly to checkout can significantly streamline the buying process and increase conversions.

TLDR: Skipping the cart page in WooCommerce shortens the buyer journey and can boost conversions. You can redirect users straight to checkout using WooCommerce settings, custom code, or plugins. The best approach depends on your store’s needs, product types, and checkout strategy. Always test your changes to ensure a smooth user experience.

Why Skip the Cart Page in WooCommerce?

The default WooCommerce flow looks like this:

  • Add to Cart
  • View Cart
  • Proceed to Checkout

Each additional step creates a potential drop-off point. For stores selling a single product, digital downloads, or promotional items, the cart page can feel redundant.

Benefits of skipping the cart page include:

  • Faster checkout experience
  • Reduced cart abandonment
  • Improved mobile usability
  • Simplified buying process
  • Higher conversion rates

This strategy is especially useful for:

  • Single-product stores
  • Landing page funnels
  • Flash sales or limited-time offers
  • Digital goods and subscriptions

Method 1: Skip the Cart Page Using WooCommerce Settings

The simplest way to remove the cart page is by adjusting WooCommerce’s built-in settings.

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Go to WooCommerce → Settings.
  2. Click on the Products tab.
  3. Under General, find the section called Add to Cart Behaviour.
  4. Check the box: “Redirect to the cart page after successful addition.”

But here’s the trick: instead of redirecting users to the cart page, you’ll modify your cart page URL to redirect to checkout page (covered below), or combine this with another method.

Alternatively, many themes allow you to directly set “Add to Cart” buttons to redirect to checkout under theme customization settings.

Note: This method alone may not fully skip the cart page in all cases. For a complete bypass, consider one of the following solutions.

Method 2: Automatically Redirect to Checkout After Adding to Cart

A more direct and reliable approach involves adding a simple code snippet to your theme’s functions file.

Using Custom Code

Add the following code to your theme’s functions.php file (preferably in a child theme):

add_filter('woocommerce_add_to_cart_redirect', 'skip_cart_redirect_checkout');
function skip_cart_redirect_checkout($url) {
    return wc_get_checkout_url();
}

What this does:

  • Intercepts the “add to cart” action
  • Redirects users directly to the checkout page
  • Completely bypasses the cart screen

This solution is lightweight, efficient, and doesn’t require extra extensions.

Important:

  • Always create a backup before editing theme files.
  • Use a child theme to prevent losing changes during theme updates.

Method 3: Skip Cart for Specific Products Only

Sometimes you don’t want to remove the cart completely. Instead, you may want to skip it only for certain products—like one-time offers or promotional items.

Here’s a modified version of the code that works for specific product IDs:

add_filter('woocommerce_add_to_cart_redirect', 'custom_skip_cart_for_specific_products');
function custom_skip_cart_for_specific_products($url) {
    if (isset($_REQUEST['add-to-cart']) && is_numeric($_REQUEST['add-to-cart'])) {
        $product_id = absint($_REQUEST['add-to-cart']);
        $skip_products = array(123, 456); // Replace with your product IDs
        
        if (in_array($product_id, $skip_products)) {
            return wc_get_checkout_url();
        }
    }
    return $url;
}

This gives you greater flexibility and control over your checkout flow.

Method 4: Remove the Cart Page Entirely

If you want to go all-in and eliminate the cart page from your store experience:

  • Remove cart links from your header menu.
  • Disable cart widgets in sidebars.
  • Redirect the cart page URL to checkout using:
add_action('template_redirect', 'redirect_cart_to_checkout');
function redirect_cart_to_checkout() {
    if (is_cart()) {
        wp_redirect(wc_get_checkout_url());
        exit;
    }
}

This ensures that even if customers manually access the cart page, they’ll automatically be redirected to checkout.

Using Direct Checkout Links

Another powerful strategy is using direct checkout URLs in your buttons, email campaigns, or landing pages.

The structure looks like this:

https://yourstore.com/checkout/?add-to-cart=PRODUCT_ID

This link:

  • Adds the product to the cart
  • Immediately redirects to checkout
  • Skips the cart page entirely

This approach works extremely well for:

  • Email marketing campaigns
  • Sales funnels
  • Paid advertising landing pages

Potential Drawbacks of Skipping the Cart

While skipping the cart page can improve conversions, it isn’t always the right choice for every store.

Possible disadvantages include:

  • Reduced ability for customers to review multiple products
  • No easy quantity adjustments before checkout
  • Less opportunity for cross-sells and upsells
  • Complicated experience for stores selling bundles

If your store encourages multi-product purchases, keeping the cart page may actually support better user experience.

Best Practices for Skipping the Cart Page

If you decide to remove the cart step, follow these best practices to maintain a seamless buying experience:

1. Optimize the Checkout Page

  • Minimize required fields
  • Enable guest checkout
  • Use clear payment options
  • Ensure fast page loading speed

2. Improve Mobile Experience

Since many users shop via smartphones, a one-click checkout experience can dramatically improve mobile conversions.

3. Keep Quantity Controls Visible

Add quantity selectors directly on the product page so customers don’t rely on the cart to adjust their orders.

4. Test Everything

After implementing changes:

  • Test single and multiple product purchases
  • Check different payment gateways
  • Verify coupon functionality
  • Run mobile and desktop tests

A small bug in checkout can cause major revenue loss.

Analytics: Measuring the Impact

Once you skip the cart page, track performance changes to see whether the adjustment improves results.

Key metrics to monitor:

  • Checkout completion rate
  • Cart abandonment rate
  • Average order value
  • Revenue per visitor

If conversions improve, you’ve made the right move. If not, you can always revert to the traditional flow.

When You Should NOT Skip the Cart Page

Skipping the cart isn’t ideal if:

  • You sell customizable products
  • You rely heavily on bundle discounts
  • Customers frequently adjust quantities
  • Your store focuses on multi-item shopping experiences

In these cases, the cart acts as an important “review” stage in the decision-making process.

Final Thoughts

Skipping the cart page in WooCommerce can be a powerful optimization strategy when used wisely. By directing customers straight to checkout, you reduce friction, simplify the purchase journey, and potentially increase conversions. Whether you use built-in settings, custom code, or direct checkout links, the key is choosing the solution that aligns with your store’s sales model.

The golden rule: simplicity drives sales — but only when it enhances the user experience.

Test thoroughly, monitor your analytics, and refine your checkout process continuously. With the right implementation, removing the cart page could become one of the most impactful improvements you make to your WooCommerce store.