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To add a product-specific value in the classic WooCommerce product editor, open the product, enable Custom Fields under Screen Options, add a name and value, then save or update the product. That stores metadata; it does not automatically display the value on the storefront. For catalog-wide filtering, use product attributes instead.
Choose between a custom field and a product attribute
Use a custom field for information specific to one product, such as an individual specification or note. WooCommerce describes custom fields as additional product metadata that can be used by a theme or site to present extra information: Custom Fields on Products Documentation.
Use an attribute when the characteristic is shared across products and shoppers should be able to filter or group the catalog by it. Color, size, and material are common examples. Attributes work more like taxonomies; custom fields hold individual-product details.
Add a custom field in the classic product editor
These steps apply to the classic WordPress product edit screen. The controls can differ in newer product forms.
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- In WordPress admin, go to Products and add a product or open an existing one to edit.
- At the upper right, open Screen Options and enable Custom Fields.
- Scroll to the Custom Fields section.
- Choose Add Custom Field, then enter the field name and its value.
- Save the new product or choose Update for an existing product.
This creates product metadata, not a new customer-facing input control. To show the saved value on a product page, WooCommerce says the theme files must be edited. The documentation does not provide the storefront code, so the exact implementation depends on the theme and how the store is built.
When to use a developer-maintained product field
The basic Custom Fields panel is suitable for a simple product-specific value. If the field should sit inside WooCommerce product data and needs custom saving or display behavior, use a plugin or extension built with WooCommerce hooks. WooCommerce’s tutorial demonstrates an example for simple and variable products: How to add a custom field to simple and variable products.
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What the developer tutorial demonstrates
The example adds a text field for stock information to the Inventory section with the woocommerce_product_options_inventory_product_data hook. The tutorial documents its example against WordPress 6.2 and WooCommerce 7.6.0; those versions are its baseline, not a guarantee of compatibility with every current release. Check the implementation against the versions installed on the store.
Rendering a field is only one part of the feature. An implementation also needs to handle input validation or sanitization, persistence, and any storefront output the store requires. Do not assume that a field appears to customers, or is saved, merely because it is visible in the product editor.
For the newer WooCommerce product form
Do not assume the classic Screen Options workflow applies to the newer product form. WooCommerce’s product-form extension documentation covers PHP-based generic fields—including text, checkbox, pricing, and select fields—as well as custom-rendered fields. See How-to Guides for the Product form, last updated June 4, 2025, for the relevant extension approach.
Which approach fits?
| Approach | Where the value is entered | Who maintains it | Customer visibility | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core Custom Fields panel | Generic metadata section on the classic product edit screen | Store owner using WordPress admin | Not automatic; theme output must be added | A simple value specific to one product |
| Plugin using WooCommerce hooks | A product-data section, such as Inventory in the documented example | Developer maintaining the plugin | Requires the implementation to provide storefront output | A structured field or custom behavior for simple and variable products |
| Newer product-form extension | The newer product form, using a generic or custom-rendered field | Developer maintaining the extension | Depends on the extension’s implementation | Fields designed for the newer product form |
| Product attribute | Product attribute controls | Store owner or catalog administrator | Used for product classification and, where configured, filtering | A shared characteristic shoppers should use to group or filter products |
What the WooCommerce REST API can and cannot do here
WooCommerce identifies REST API v3 as its recommended REST API version: REST API v3. The product custom-field-names endpoint, GET /wp-json/wc/v3/products/custom-fields/names, retrieves custom-field names already recorded. It supports filters including context, page, per-page, search, and ordering; it is not a general endpoint for creating product custom fields. See Product custom fields.
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WooCommerce’s product API documentation represents metadata with a key and value. The cited product documentation is for REST API v2: Products. That schema alone does not establish that every arbitrary metadata key is exposed or writable in every API context.
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