How to Fix the Issue of WooCommerce Cart Not Clearing After an Order Is Placed

WooCommerce Cart Not Clearing After an Order Is Placed

If you’re running an online store and experiencing the WooCommerce cart not clearing after an order is placed, you’re not alone. This is a common issue that can disrupt the user experience and potentially cause confusion for your customers. In this blog post, we’ll walk you through why this might be happening and how to fix it.

Why Isn’t the WooCommerce Cart Clearing?

There are a few reasons why the cart may not clear after an order is successfully placed. In most cases, it’s due to a conflict with plugins. For example, if you’re using a wishlist plugin or a plugin that modifies the checkout experience, like Thank You Page for WooCommerce, these could interfere with the normal WooCommerce cart functionality.

Fixing the Cart Clearing Issue

To solve this issue, you can add a custom code snippet to your functions.php file, which will automatically clear the cart after each new order.

Step 1: Add Code to functions.php

To ensure the cart is cleared when a new order is placed, follow these simple steps:

  1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
  2. Navigate to Appearance > Theme File Editor.
  3. In the right-hand column, locate and click on the functions.php file under your theme’s name.
  4. Add the following code snippet to the bottom of the file:
add_action(‘woocommerce_new_order’, ‘clear_the_cart’);
function clear_the_cart() {
    WC()->cart->empty_cart();
}

Step 2: Save the File

Once you’ve added the code, click on Update File to save your changes.

Why This Code Works

The code above hooks into the woocommerce_new_order action, which is triggered every time a new order is placed. By using WC()->cart->empty_cart();, the cart is cleared automatically, ensuring that customers don’t see leftover items in their cart after completing a purchase.

What About Other Plugins?

Since you’ve mentioned using plugins like a wishlist and the Thank You Page for WooCommerce, it’s possible that one of these is causing the cart not to clear properly. Adding the code above should resolve the issue, but if you continue to experience problems, you might want to temporarily disable these plugins and test your checkout process again.

Final Thoughts

By adding this simple code snippet to your WooCommerce store, you can ensure that the cart is cleared after every order, maintaining a smooth checkout process for your customers. If you’re still encountering issues, it’s a good idea to double-check your plugin settings or contact the plugin developers for further assistance.

This method provides a quick fix without the need for additional plugins, helping you keep your WooCommerce store running efficiently.