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Troubleshooting WooCommerce Cart Issues: Products Not Adding or Showing as Empty

30 threads Sep 16, 2025 Plugin → Woocommerce

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Why Is My WooCommerce Cart Empty or Not Working?

One of the most common and frustrating issues for WooCommerce store owners is when the shopping cart fails to function correctly. Based on community reports, users frequently encounter problems where products don't appear in the cart, the cart shows as empty, or items are replaced with incorrect products. This guide will help you understand why this happens and walk you through the most effective solutions.

Common Symptoms of WooCommerce Cart Problems

  • Products appear to be added but the cart remains empty
  • Cart shows random or incorrect items instead of what was added
  • Cart contents disappear when navigating to checkout
  • Items only appear for logged-in users but not for guests
  • Session data doesn't persist between pages

Why Do These Cart Issues Occur?

WooCommerce relies on PHP sessions and cookies to track user cart data. When these mechanisms fail, several problems can occur:

  1. Caching Conflicts: Aggressive server or plugin caching can prevent session data from being stored properly
  2. Theme or Plugin Conflicts: Other code may interfere with WooCommerce's session handling
  3. Session Configuration: Incorrect server settings for handling PHP sessions
  4. JavaScript Errors: Conflicts that prevent AJAX add-to-cart functionality from working
  5. Cookie Domain Issues: Misconfigured cookie settings that prevent proper session tracking

Step-by-Step Troubleshooting Guide

Step 1: Perform Basic Conflict Testing

The first step in diagnosing cart issues is to rule out conflicts with other themes or plugins:

  1. Switch temporarily to a default WordPress theme like Storefront or Twenty Twenty-Four
  2. Deactivate all plugins except WooCommerce
  3. Test if the cart functionality works properly
  4. If it works, reactivate your theme and plugins one by one to identify the culprit

Step 2: Check Your Caching Configuration

Caching is one of the most common causes of cart issues. Ensure that:

  • Your caching plugin excludes WooCommerce pages (cart, checkout, my account) from caching
  • Server-level caching (like Varnish or Redis) is configured to bypass WooCommerce sessions
  • Browser caching isn't interfering with session cookies

Step 3: Verify WooCommerce Settings

Sometimes the issue can be resolved with simple configuration checks:

  • Go to WooCommerce → Settings → Products → Ensure "Enable AJAX add to cart buttons on archives" is checked if you want that behavior
  • Verify that your cart, checkout, and account pages are properly set in WooCommerce → Settings → Advanced
  • Check that your permalinks are working correctly (try resaving them at Settings → Permalinks)

Step 4: Clear Transients and Session Data

Corrupted transient data can cause various cart issues:

  1. Go to WooCommerce → Status → Tools
  2. Run these tools in order:
    • Clear WooCommerce transients
    • Clear expired transients
    • Clear customer sessions

Step 5: Check for JavaScript Errors

Open your browser's developer tools (F12) and check the Console tab for any errors when adding products to cart. JavaScript errors can prevent the AJAX add-to-cart functionality from working properly.

Step 6: Server Configuration Check

If the above steps don't resolve the issue, consider these server-level factors:

  • Ensure your PHP session path is writable
  • Check that cookies are being set properly (domain and path settings)
  • Verify that your server isn't prematurely garbage collecting sessions
  • Ensure you have sufficient disk space for session storage

When to Seek Additional Help

If you've tried all these steps and your cart issues persist, you may need to:

  • Check your WooCommerce error logs (WooCommerce → Status → Logs)
  • Consult with your hosting provider about server configuration
  • Reach out to the specific community forums for any premium plugins you're using

Remember that cart issues can be complex and sometimes require systematic testing. By following these steps methodically, you'll likely identify and resolve the underlying cause of your WooCommerce cart problems.

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