Not every visitor is ready to buy on the first visit. A wishlist gives them a simple way to save what they like and come back later, and it gives you a group of shoppers who have already shown interest. This guide shows you how to add a wishlist to WooCommerce with Siteryn Wishlist, from the button to the wishlist page and guest lists, and how to test it like a shopper.
Quick answer
To add a wishlist to WooCommerce, install and activate Siteryn Wishlist, then open its General tab. Check that the wishlist page is set to Automatic, turn on Allow Guest Wishlist, style the heart button with the live preview, and click Save Changes. Finish by adding a product from your shop page and opening the wishlist page to confirm it works.
Watch the setup video
A quick tour of the plugin first, if you like to see it before you set it up. The written steps below follow the same order.
What is a WooCommerce wishlist?
A WooCommerce wishlist is a saved list of products that a shopper wants to remember, so they can return to it, compare items or buy later. It is a heart-shaped button on your product cards and product pages, plus a page that shows everything the shopper saved.
For the strategy behind wishlists, such as where to place the button and how to turn saved products into sales, read our guide to how to turn saved products into sales. This post is the hands-on setup.
Before you start
- Requirements: WordPress 6.4, WooCommerce 8.0 and PHP 7.4 or newer. WooCommerce must be active.
- Free or Pro: the free version is complete on its own and never time-limited. It covers the button, the wishlist page, guest wishlists and a My Account link.
- Pro features start switched off: every Pro feature ships disabled until you turn it on, so nothing changes by surprise.
How do you add a wishlist to WooCommerce?
Follow these four steps. Most stores finish in under ten minutes.
Step 1: Install and check the wishlist page
Install and activate the plugin from Plugins → Add New Plugin → Upload Plugin. On activation it creates a page called “My Wishlist” for you. To confirm, open the General tab and look at the Wishlist page setting. It should say Automatic.
Then make the page easy to find. Add it to your menu under Appearance → Menus, or add it with the Navigation block in the site editor. If you prefer to use an existing page, choose it in the same setting and place the [siteryn_wishlist] shortcode on that page.
Step 2: Decide who can use the wishlist
- Allow Guest Wishlist: turn this on. Visitors can save products with no account or sign-up, and the list is stored in their own browser. That keeps friction low.
- Show Wishlist on My Account: turn this on to add a Wishlist link to the WooCommerce My Account page, so returning customers can find their list.
Step 3: Style the wishlist button
The button is what shoppers see most, so it deserves a minute of care. Work through these settings and watch the Live preview beside the form.
- Visibility: choose where the button appears: shop and category pages, product pages, or both.
- Position on shop and category pages: choose one of four spots: on the product image (top-left is the default), after the title, after the price, or after Add to Cart. The default shows an icon only, which keeps cards clean.
- Labels and icon: pick one of the built-in hearts or upload your own, and choose the icon shown after a product is added.
- Size, shape and colors: choose a style (Filled, Outline or Plain), set the corner radius and match your brand colors.
- Click Save Changes.
One design tip: if your product cards already show a quick preview button, keep the heart on the image corner so the two do not compete. Our guide to WooCommerce Quick View explains how popups and cards work together.
Step 4: Test it as a shopper
Open your store in a private browser window, so you see what a guest sees, and run these checks:
- Add a product from a shop page and from a product page. The button should change to its saved style, and an “Added to wishlist” tooltip should appear with a “View my wishlist” link.
- Open the wishlist page. Each product should show its price, stock status and the date it was added.
- Remove an item with the × button and confirm it disappears.
- Check a phone. The button should be easy to tap and should not cover the product image details.
If the button does not appear on shop pages, your theme may use custom product cards. Check the plugin’s troubleshooting guide, and see how to find and fix plugin conflicts if something else is interfering.
What does Pro add to a wishlist?
The free version covers the essentials. Pro adds features that turn saved products into sales:
| Feature | Free | Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Button, wishlist page, guest wishlists, My Account tab | Yes | Yes |
| Sync across devices when logged in | No | Yes |
| Multiple wishlists and privacy | No | Yes |
| Share links and social sharing | Preview only | Yes |
| Add one item or the whole list to cart | No | Yes |
| Back-in-stock and price-drop emails | No | Yes |
| Header wishlist icon with live count | No | Yes |
| Ask for an Estimate form | No | Yes |
Back-in-stock and price-drop emails are switched on under Advanced. They are a natural fit with a store that also follows up on carts. Read how in our guide to reducing cart abandonment in WooCommerce. The Ask for an Estimate form works well for stores that sell in bulk, and our request a quote guide covers that approach.
Wishlist setup checklist
- Plugin installed and activated
- Wishlist page set to Automatic and added to your menu
- Allow Guest Wishlist and Show Wishlist on My Account switched on
- Button visibility, position, icon, style and colors chosen
- Add, view and remove tested as a guest
- Phone layout checked
- Page cache cleared after saving
Let shoppers save products and come back
Siteryn Wishlist adds a heart button, an automatic wishlist page and guest wishlists that need no sign-up. The free version is complete on its own. Add Pro for sharing, alerts and multiple lists.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do shoppers need an account to use the wishlist?
No. Guest wishlists are saved in the shopper’s own browser, so no account or sign-up is needed. Pro adds account-based sync across devices.
Do I need Pro to run the plugin?
No. The free version works fully on its own, with nothing locked or time-limited. Pro adds sharing, alerts, multiple lists and more.
Can I put the wishlist on a page I already have?
Yes. Choose that page in the Wishlist page setting on the General tab and add the [siteryn_wishlist] shortcode to it.
Where should the wishlist button go?
A corner of the product image is a popular choice because it is always visible and does not push the price or Add to Cart button down. Test your own store on a phone before you decide.
What happens to wishlists if I uninstall the plugin?
Deleting the plugin removes its stored settings. The wishlist page is kept in case you customized it, and guest wishlists remain in each shopper’s browser.
Final Thoughts
A wishlist is easy to set up and easy to get wrong in the details. Keep guest wishlists on, put the button where shoppers can always see it, add the wishlist page to your menu, and test the full flow on a phone. Once the basics work, Pro features such as alerts and sharing can bring shoppers back to products they already wanted.
