How to Enable Catalog Mode in WooCommerce

Ever had visitors browsing your store but you weren’t ready to sell yet?

Maybe you run a wholesale business that only sells to approved buyers. Maybe you’re revamping your inventory and need to pause purchases temporarily. Or perhaps you manage a B2B store where pricing is negotiated rather than fixed.

What you need is Catalog Mode. Catalog mode turns your store into a product showcase. Customers can view products but cannot purchase directly.

In this tutorial, we’ll cover two ways to enable Catalog Mode in WooCommerce:

Method 1: WooCommerce catalog mode without a plugin.Using WooCommerce’s default settings and a custom PHP snippet

Method 2: Using ShopBuilder’s dedicated Catalog Mode module — the easiest and most powerful option

By the end, you’ll have a fully functioning catalog store set up exactly the way you want it. Let’s dive in!

What is Catalog Mode in WooCommerce?

Catalog mode allows you to remove “Add to Cart” buttons, pricing, and other purchasing functionalities. It puts your WooCommerce store into “show, don’t sell” mode.

Shoppers can browse your products, view descriptions, images, and specifications. But they cannot add anything to the cart or complete a purchase.

Here’s what typically happens when Catalog Mode is enabled:

• Add to Cart buttons are removed from shop listings, product pages, and related product sections.
• Prices are hidden, so shoppers see products without pricing information.
• Checkout is disabled, preventing any purchase flow from completing.
• Custom messages or CTAs replace buttons — like “Contact Us” or “Request a Quote.”

Who Needs Advanced Catalog Mode for WooCommerce?

Let’s clarify: Catalog mode disables eCommerce features in WooCommerce. It turns your site into a browse-only experience.

Think of it like transforming your store into a digital product catalog or showroom. Catalog Mode is perfect for a wide range of store types:

• B2B & Wholesale Stores: Show products to prospective buyers without public pricing. Negotiate deals offline or via inquiry forms.
• Inventory Management: Temporarily pause purchases while restocking or reorganizing without taking your site offline.
• Product Showcases & Launches: Build excitement by showing products before your official launch date.
• Members-Only Stores: Display products publicly but restrict purchasing to registered or approved users only.
• Showroom-Style Retailers: Drive in-store or phone sales by showing products online without online checkout.

According to WooCommerce experts, catalog mode can increase inquiries by focusing user attention on product details. 

Ready to get started? We’ll begin with the DIY code method, then upgrade to ShopBuilder for a polished, plugin-powered solution.

Method 1: Enabling Catalog Mode with Default WooCommerce Settings

WooCommerce doesn’t have a one-click built-in “Enable Catalog Mode” button. However, you can achieve a basic version of woocommerce catalog mode without a plugin. You need to combine WooCommerce’s built-in settings with a small PHP snippet. Then, add it to your theme’s functions.php file or a code snippet plugin.

⚠️ Heads Up: 

Editing functions.php directly can break your site if done incorrectly. We strongly recommend using a plugin like WPCode or Code Snippets to safely add custom PHP. Always back up your site before making changes.

Step 1: Adjust WooCommerce Shop Settings

First, let’s use WooCommerce’s built-in options.

1. From your WordPress dashboard, go to WooCommerce → Settings.
2. Click on the Products tab.
3. Under the General section, look for the Shop Page Display and Default Category Display options.
4. Set both to Show Products (not Add to Cart buttons).

This gives you some control over how products are displayed, but it won’t fully remove Add to Cart buttons or hide prices. For that, we need a code snippet.

Step 2: Add a PHP Snippet to Remove Add to Cart Buttons

Open your snippet plugin or navigate to Appearance → Theme Editor → functions.php (use a child theme!). Add the following code:

remove_action( 'woocommerce_after_shop_loop_item', 'woocommerce_template_loop_add_to_cart', 10 );
remove_action( 'woocommerce_single_product_summary', 'woocommerce_template_single_add_to_cart', 30 );

Save the file. If done correctly, your shop will now show products without Add to Cart buttons and (optionally) without prices.

Step 3: Hide Price 

To hide the price, add this snippet:

add_filter('woocommerce_get_price_html', '__return_empty_string');

This snippet will redirect anyone who tries to access /cart or /checkout directly back to your homepage. This ensures no purchases slip through.

Step 4: Replace the button with “Contact for Price”

Removing buttons without replacing them can look unfinished. Here’s how to add a custom “Contact Us for Pricing” message:

remove_action( 'woocommerce_after_shop_loop_item', 'woocommerce_template_loop_add_to_cart', 10 );
 
add_action( 'woocommerce_after_shop_loop_item', function() {
    echo '<a href="/contact" class="button">Contact for Price</a>';
}, 10 );

Pro Tip:

Replace /contact with your actual contact page URL. You can also link to a quote request form, a phone number, or an email link to suit your business needs.

The Limitations of This Approach

The code snippet method works perfectly. But it has some significant drawbacks, you need to know:

• No visual settings panel: Every change requires editing code. Not great for non-developers.
• No role-based control: These snippets apply to everyone. You can’t show prices to logged-in customers while hiding them from guests.
• No scheduling: You can’t set start/end dates for catalog mode. You have to manually add and remove the code.
• No style customization: Button styling and messaging require additional CSS and PHP work.
• Maintenance overhead: WooCommerce updates can sometimes break custom hooks. This requires you to revisit and fix your snippets.

This is where a dedicated plugin like ShopBuilder’s Catalog Mode module becomes a game-changer. Let’s look at that now.

Method 2: Enable Catalog Mode Using ShopBuilder (The Easy Way)

ShopBuilder is a powerful WooCommerce elementor-based plugin. It includes a dedicated advanced Catalog Mode mode for WooCommerce. Instead of writing and maintaining PHP snippets, you get a clean visual settings panel where everything is just a toggle or a color picker away.

ShopBuilder has both a free and a pro version. The Catalog Mode module is available in the pro version. If you’re using the free version of ShopBuilder, you need to upgrade to Pro. Now, we’ll show how to install and activate its pro version. 

Step 1: Install and Activate ShopBuilder

Purchase the ShopBuilder plugin, and you’ll receive a zipped file via email. Download that file and follow these steps below.

First, navigate to WordPress Admin Panel > Plugins > Add Plugin. Then, hit the “Upload Plugin” button.

Now, click on the “Choose File” button and upload the plugin’s zipped file. Click on the “Install Now” button. Wait a moment and hit the “Activate Plugin” button.

Step 2: Enable the Catalog Mode Module

ShopBuilder uses a modular system. You only activate the features you need, keeping your site lean and fast.

• Go to ShopBuilder → Settings → Modules in your dashboard.
• Scroll through the list to find the Catalog Mode module.
• Toggle it ON to activate it.
• Click Save Changes.

That’s it! The Catalog Mode module is now active. Next, let’s configure exactly how it works.

Step 3: Configure the General Settings

Enable Catalog Mode For

This option lets you choose who sees the catalog-only experience. You have two choices:

• All Users: Everyone who visits your store, whether they’re logged in or not, will see Catalog Mode.

Guest Users Only (Not Logged In): Only visitors who aren’t logged in will see Catalog Mode. Registered customers who log in can still shop normally.

💡  Which Should You Pick?

If you’re a wholesale store and want registered buyers to purchase freely, choose Guest Users Only. If you want to pause all purchases for everyone (like during a restock), choose All Users.

“Add to Cart” Settings

Here, you decide what happens to the Add to Cart button:

• Hide Add to Cart: The button disappears completely for all products.
• Show Add to Cart: The button stays. But you can still disable it for individual products if needed.

For a true catalog experience, choose Hide Add to Cart.

Apply to Pages

Choose which pages Catalog Mode applies to. You can select:

• All Pages: Both your shop listing pages and individual product pages.
• Product Pages: Only individual product pages.
• Shop Pages: Only your main shop and category listing pages.

Apply to Products

Choose whether to apply Catalog Mode to all products or just specific ones:

• All Products: Every product in your store gets Catalog Mode. You can optionally include or exclude specific categories.

Specific Products: Only the products you handpick will be in Catalog Mode. A search field will appear so you can find and select them.

💡  Pro Tip: Using Categories

If you select All Products, you’ll see two extra fields — Categories to Include and Categories to Exclude. These are optional. For example, you could exclude your “Sale” category so those products can still be purchased, while everything else is catalog-only.

Step 4: Set Up Your Product Page Buttons

The Product Page tab controls what appears on individual product pages in place of the Add to Cart button. ShopBuilder gives you several smart button options to choose from. Pick whichever fits your business best.

You can choose one or more buttons to show on product pages. Here are your options and when to use each:

• Custom Button: Great for a generic CTA. Set your own button text (like “Request a Quote” or “Contact Us for Pricing”). Then link it to any page on your site.
• WhatsApp Button: Perfect if your customers prefer to chat. Enter your WhatsApp number (with country code, e.g., +1234567890). Add a pre-filled message so customers can reach you instantly.
• Call Button: Ideal for phone-first businesses. Just add a display label like “Call Now” and your phone number.
• Email Button: A clean way to invite inquiries. Add label text like “Email Us” and your preferred email address.
• Request Quote Button: Best for B2B stores with a quote form. Add label text and link it to your quote request page from the dropdown.

💡  Mix and Match:

You’re not limited to just one button! You could show both a WhatsApp button and a Request Quote button side by side. Just enable the ones that make sense for your workflow.

Step 5: Customize the Shop Page Button

The Shop Page tab has just one key setting here.

On your main shop page and category pages, the Add to Cart button gets replaced with your preferred text. Keep it short and action-oriented. Some ideas:

• “View Details”
• “Contact for Price”
• “Enquire Now”
• “Get a Quote”

This button appears on every product card in your shop listing, so pick something that makes sense for all your products.

Step 6: Control How Prices Are Displayed

Here, you can control the visibility of the product’s prices

You have three options:

• Show Price: Prices are visible as normal. Use this if you want customers to see pricing but just can’t buy online.
• Hide Price: Prices are completely removed from all product pages and listings.
• Replace Price With Custom Text: Instead of a price, customers see a message you write. For example: “Call us for pricing” or “Login to view price.”

💡  Which Works Best?
For most B2B or wholesale stores, Replace Price With Custom Text is the most professional option. It tells visitors exactly what to do next instead of leaving them with a blank space.

Step 7: Style Your Buttons to Match Your Brand

The Style tab comes with the fun part! Every button type has its own styling section. So you can make everything look consistent with your brand.

Here’s what you can customize for each button (Custom, WhatsApp, Call, Email, Request Quote) and for the custom price text:

Background Color

Text Color

Border Color

Hover Background & Border Color

Border Radius

Font Size, Padding

Beginner Tip: Not sure about hex color codes? You can click the color picker field and visually pick your brand color. No need to type any codes manually.

Step 8: Override Settings for Individual Products

Here’s something really handy. Even after you’ve set up global Catalog Mode settings, you can override them for any individual product. 

This means you can have most products in catalog mode, but leave a few products fully purchasable.

To perform this action, navigate to Dashboard =>Products =>All Products. Then choose your preferred product you want to edit. 

Scroll down to the Product Data section. You’ll see a Catalog Mode tab inside it. Here you can:

• Disable Catalog Mode for this specific product (overrides global settings).
• Set the “Add to Cart” behavior — use a global setting, hide, or show the button just for this product.
• Control price display — show, hide, or replace with custom text for this product only.
• Add custom button links and WhatsApp messages specific to this product.

💡  When to Use This: This is useful when you have a few “featured” or in-stock products that you still want people to buy, while the rest of your catalogue is in browse-only mode.

What Your Store Will Look Like

Once everything is configured, here’s what your visitors will experience:

On the Shop Page

Each product card in your shop listings will show your custom button text (like “Enquire Now”) instead of the usual Add to Cart button. If you’ve hidden prices, the price area will either be blank or show your custom replacement text.

👉 Good Read: Product Page Optimization

On the Product Page

When a visitor clicks into a product, they’ll see all the product details — images, description, specifications. 

But the Add to Cart button is replaced by whichever contact buttons you’ve set up (WhatsApp, Email, Call, Quote, etc.). Clean, professional, and exactly what you need for a catalog-style experience.

💡  Mix and Match:

You’re not limited to just one button! You could show both a WhatsApp button and a Request Quote button side by side. Just enable the ones that make sense for your workflow.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

There you have it—a complete guide on how to enable catalog mode in WooCommerce!

Enabling Catalog Mode in WooCommerce used to mean digging into code and hoping for the best. With ShopBuilder’s Catalog Mode module, it’s a completely different story. 

A few clicks, a bit of customization, and your store is transformed into a professional browsing experience your customers will love.

Have questions or custom needs? Drop a comment below—I’d love to hear how this tutorial helped. Happy cataloging!