Yith Woocommerce Catalog Mode v2.46.0

In the ever-evolving landscape of e-commerce, flexibility is key. For many businesses, a traditional “add to cart” model isn’t always the most effective approach. Whether you offer custom products, require negotiation, or simply want to display your offerings without immediate purchase options, the YITH WooCommerce Catalog Mode plugin provides an elegant and robust solution. This premium WordPress plugin empowers you to seamlessly transform your standard WooCommerce store into a sophisticated online catalog, fostering customer engagement and streamlining your sales process.Developed by YITH, a renowned name in the WooCommerce ecosystem, this plugin is designed for businesses that aim to control the purchasing journey, encourage direct inquiries, or prepare their store for specific sales periods. It’s an indispensable tool for those who prioritize customer interaction and tailored solutions over instant transactions.

Key Features & Capabilities: Crafting Your Ideal Catalog Experience

YITH WooCommerce Catalog Mode offers a comprehensive suite of features, allowing you to fine-tune your store’s presentation and functionality to meet precise business needs.

Flexible Catalog Mode Activation

The core of the plugin lies in its ability to convert your e-commerce platform into a catalog. This involves intelligently removing “Add to Cart” buttons and restricting direct access to the checkout process. This strategic removal encourages potential customers to engage with you directly for inquiries, custom quotes, or detailed product information, fostering a more personalized sales interaction.

Intelligent Price Management

Beyond simply hiding purchase options, the plugin provides granular control over product pricing. You can opt to:

• Hide prices entirely: Ideal for products with fluctuating costs or those requiring custom quotes.
• Replace prices with custom text: Use phrases like “Contact Us for Pricing,” “Request a Quote,” or “Call for Details.”
• Integrate custom buttons or inquiry forms: Guide users towards direct communication channels.

“Massive Catalog Mode” for Store-Wide Control

For businesses that require a complete catalog overhaul, the “Massive Catalog Mode” feature offers an efficient solution. With a single setting, you can hide prices and disable all “Add to Cart” buttons, the shopping cart, and checkout functionalities across your entire product range. This is perfect for temporary catalog presentations or businesses operating exclusively on an inquiry-based model.

Advanced User Role and Country-Based Restrictions (Premium Feature)

The premium version elevates control by allowing you to define who sees the catalog mode. You can:

• Target specific user roles: For example, enable catalog mode only for guest users while allowing registered, logged-in customers to proceed with purchases.
• Apply to unregistered users: Ensure that only authenticated customers can see prices and add to cart.
• Country-specific application: Implement catalog mode for users from certain countries, adapting to regional sales strategies or legal requirements. This flexibility supports diverse business models and international operations.

Customizable Call-to-Actions (Premium Feature)

Replacing the “Add to Cart” button is made simple and highly customizable. With the premium version, you gain access to a robust button builder, allowing you to:

• Create unlimited custom buttons or labels: Design visually appealing and informative calls-to-action.
• Assign different labels and buttons to specific products: Tailor messages based on product type, category, or individual item.This allows for dynamic communication that aligns perfectly with your product strategy.

Seamless Inquiry Form Integration

To facilitate direct customer communication, the plugin allows you to embed a contact form directly on your product pages. This eliminates friction by providing a clear pathway for inquiries. You can utilize the plugin’s default form or seamlessly integrate with popular form builders such as:

• Contact Form 7
• Gravity Forms
• Formidable Forms
• Ninja Forms
• WP FormsThis integration ensures that you can leverage your existing form setup or choose the solution that best fits your workflow.

Scheduled Shop Opening/Closing Hours (New Feature)

A valuable new addition, this feature allows you to schedule specific shop opening and closing hours. This means you can automatically prevent orders or activate catalog mode during non-business hours, holidays, or maintenance periods, ensuring a professional and consistent customer experience.

Granular Exclusion List

Maintain control over which products are affected by catalog mode. The plugin offers an exclusion list feature, enabling you to exempt specific:

• Products: Keep certain high-demand or immediate-purchase items outside of catalog mode.
• Categories: Exclude entire product categories from the catalog display.
• Tags: Use product tags for even more refined control over exclusions.This precision ensures that your catalog mode strategy aligns perfectly with your inventory management and sales objectives.

Broad Compatibility

YITH WooCommerce Catalog Mode is built for seamless integration within the WordPress and WooCommerce ecosystem. It is fully compatible with:

• Other popular YITH plugins like YITH WooCommerce Request a Quote, Quick View, Badge Management, and Tab Manager, creating a cohesive toolkit for your store.
• WPML (WordPress Multilingual Plugin), ensuring that your catalog mode functions flawlessly on multi-language sites, reaching a global audience effectively.

Technical Specifications & Robust Compatibility

YITH prioritizes maintaining compatibility with the latest versions of WordPress and WooCommerce, ensuring stability and performance for your store.

• WordPress Compatibility: The plugin consistently receives updates to support modern WordPress versions, including 6.1, 6.4, 6.5, and 6.7.
• WooCommerce Compatibility: It supports recent WooCommerce iterations, such as 7.1, 8.3, 8.7, 9.4, and 9.7, guaranteeing smooth operation with your e-commerce platform.
• WPML Compatible: Full WPML compatibility means effortless translation of your catalog mode content, enabling you to serve diverse linguistic audiences.
• Intuitive Settings Location: All plugin settings are conveniently located under the “YITH” menu item within your WordPress admin dashboard, ensuring easy access and configuration.

Setting Up & Using YITH WooCommerce Catalog Mode

Implementing YITH WooCommerce Catalog Mode is a straightforward process, designed to be accessible to both technical and non-technical users.

1. Installation

As a premium plugin, you will typically download the plugin ZIP file from the YITH website after purchase.

• Upload & Install: Navigate to Plugins > Add New in your WordPress dashboard, then click Upload Plugin. Choose the downloaded ZIP file and click Install Now.
• Activate: Once installed, click Activate Plugin.

2. Initial Configuration

After activation, you’ll find the plugin settings within your WordPress admin area.

• Access Settings: Go to YITH > Catalog Mode.
• Enable Catalog Mode: The first step is usually to toggle the main “Enable Catalog Mode” option to “Yes.” This will activate the core functionality across your store based on default settings.

3. Customizing Your Catalog Experience

Now, you can fine-tune the plugin to match your specific needs:

• Price Management: In the settings, locate options to “Hide prices” or “Replace prices with custom text/button.” Enter your desired custom text or link to an inquiry page.
• Call-to-Action Buttons (Premium): If you have the premium version, explore the “Button Builder” options. Here, you can design new buttons, assign them specific labels, and even link them to custom URLs or inquiry forms. You can then assign these custom buttons to specific products or categories.
• User Role/Country Restrictions (Premium): Navigate to the relevant section to define for which user roles (e.g., Guest, Registered Customer) or specific countries the catalog mode should be active.
• Inquiry Form Setup: Choose your preferred inquiry form method (default or integrated with Contact Form 7, etc.). If using an external form, select the correct form from the dropdown.
• Exclusions: Go to the “Exclusions” tab. Here, you can select specific products, categories, or tags that should not be affected by catalog mode, ensuring they remain purchasable.
• Shop Hours: Configure your shop’s opening and closing hours under the designated settings, scheduling when catalog mode (or order prevention) should automatically activate.By following these steps, you can effectively transform your WooCommerce store into a powerful, inquiry-driven catalog, optimizing for your unique business model.

Why Choose YITH WooCommerce Catalog Mode? (EEAT & Key Benefits)

Choosing a premium plugin means investing in reliability, robust features, and dedicated support. YITH WooCommerce Catalog Mode excels in all these areas, establishing itself as an authoritative and trustworthy solution for any WordPress store owner.

Expertise and Trustworthiness from a Reputable Developer

YITH is a highly respected and prolific developer in the WooCommerce community. Their plugins are known for their quality, regular updates, and compatibility. The YITH WooCommerce Catalog Mode plugin itself boasts:

• Over 60,000 active installations: A clear indicator of its widespread adoption, stability, and reliability.
• Positive User Reviews: Generally receives strong positive feedback with an average rating of 4.5/5, reflecting high user satisfaction.
• Dedicated Customer Support: YITH proudly claims a 97% customer satisfaction rate in their support, providing peace of mind that assistance is readily available when needed.

Practical Use Cases and Real-World Value

This plugin offers significant advantages for various business scenarios:

• Custom Product/Service Providers: Ideal for businesses selling bespoke items (e.g., custom furniture, personalized gifts, or design services) where direct consultation is necessary before purchase.
• Wholesale or B2B Businesses: Facilitates a “members-only” buying experience, allowing only registered or approved users to view prices and place orders, while others see a catalog.
• Negotiation-Based Sales: Encourages customers to contact you for quotes or negotiations, perfect for high-value items or bulk orders.
• Showcasing a Portfolio: Use your WooCommerce store as a dynamic product portfolio, driving inquiries rather than immediate sales.
• Preparing for Sales or Temporary Closures: Easily switch your store to catalog mode during inventory updates, holiday breaks, or pre-launch periods, preventing unwanted orders.

Benefits for All Users

Whether you’re a seasoned developer or a small business owner, YITH WooCommerce Catalog Mode simplifies complex tasks and offers clear ROI:

• For Technical Users: Provides a well-coded, compatible solution that integrates seamlessly with existing WooCommerce setups, offering advanced customization hooks if needed.
• For Non-Technical Users: Offers an intuitive interface and clear options, enabling quick setup and management without needing to write a single line of code. It empowers marketing teams to control product presentation without developer intervention.
• Improved Workflows: Streamlines the inquiry process, reducing manual back-and-forth and centralizing customer communication.
• Increased Customer Loyalty: By encouraging direct contact and offering personalized service, you build stronger relationships with your customers, leading to higher loyalty and repeat business.

Conclusion

The YITH WooCommerce Catalog Mode plugin is more than just a tool to hide prices and “Add to Cart” buttons; it’s a strategic asset for businesses seeking to enhance customer interaction, streamline their sales cycle, and adapt their online store to unique business models. With its comprehensive features, robust compatibility, and the backing of a reputable developer like YITH, it provides an invaluable solution for transforming your e-commerce site into an effective and engaging product showcase. Invest in YITH WooCommerce Catalog Mode to gain unparalleled control over your sales process and cultivate deeper relationships with your clientele.