woocommerce-plugin-development

WooCommerce Plugin Development

Overview

Build custom WooCommerce plugins that extend store functionality using WordPress hooks (actions and filters), the WooCommerce Settings API, custom post types and meta boxes, REST API extensions, and HPOS (High-Performance Order Storage) compatibility. This skill covers plugin architecture, the WooCommerce lifecycle hooks for orders and products, and patterns for building maintainable, upgrade-safe extensions.

When to Use This Skill

• When building a custom feature that extends WooCommerce (custom shipping, payment, or discount logic)
• When creating a plugin that adds admin settings and configuration pages
• When hooking into the WooCommerce checkout, order, or product lifecycle
• When extending the WooCommerce REST API with custom endpoints
• When migrating a plugin to support HPOS (High-Performance Order Storage)

Core Instructions

1. Set up the plugin boilerplate

   <?php
   /**
    * Plugin Name: My Custom WooCommerce Extension
    * Description: Adds custom functionality to WooCommerce
    * Version: 1.0.0
    * Author: Your Name
    * Requires Plugins: woocommerce
    * WC requires at least: 8.0
    * WC tested up to: 9.0
    *
    * @package MyWooExtension
    */
   
   defined('ABSPATH') || exit;
   
   // Check if WooCommerce is active
   if (!in_array('woocommerce/woocommerce.php', apply_filters('active_plugins', get_option('active_plugins')))) {
       return;
   }
   
   define('MWE_VERSION', '1.0.0');
   define('MWE_PLUGIN_DIR', plugin_dir_path(__FILE__));
   define('MWE_PLUGIN_URL', plugin_dir_url(__FILE__));
   
   // Declare HPOS compatibility
   add_action('before_woocommerce_init', function () {
       if (class_exists(\Automattic\WooCommerce\Utilities\FeaturesUtil::class)) {
           \Automattic\WooCommerce\Utilities\FeaturesUtil::declare_compatibility(
               'custom_order_tables',
               __FILE__,
               true
           );
       }
   });
   
   // Initialize the plugin after WooCommerce loads
   add_action('woocommerce_loaded', function () {
       require_once MWE_PLUGIN_DIR . 'includes/class-mwe-main.php';
       MWE_Main::instance();
   });