Introduction #
Product Categories Target allows you to apply promotions to entire WooCommerce product categories.
Instead of selecting individual products, you can target one or more categories and automatically include all products assigned to those categories.
This targeting method is ideal when:
- Running category-wide sales
- Creating seasonal campaigns
- Promoting collections of products
- Managing large product catalogs
- Reducing maintenance compared to product-level targeting
Category targeting is often the fastest way to apply promotions across multiple products.
How Product Categories Target Works #
Product Categories Target evaluates the categories assigned to each WooCommerce product.
When a product belongs to a targeted category, it becomes eligible for the promotion.
Ezhance follows this process:
- Select categories to include.
- Apply any exclusion rules.
- Build the final target list.
- Evaluate Eligibility Rules.
- Apply the promotion.
Only products that belong to the final category selection can receive the promotion.
Quick Example #
In this example, we will apply a discount to all Hoodie products.
Promotion Type:
Simple Discount
Discount:
20%
Target:
Category = Hoodies
Eligibility Rules:
None
Display:
Offer Card
Result:
All products assigned to the Hoodies category receive the discount.
Configuring Product Categories Target #
Navigate to:
Ezhance → Promotion → Target Selection
Choose:
Product Categories
Then select one or more WooCommerce categories.
After saving the promotion, all products assigned to the selected categories become eligible.
Targeting A Single Category #
The simplest setup is targeting one category.
Example:
Category:
- Hoodies
Result:
Every product assigned to the Hoodies category receives the promotion.
This is commonly used for:
- Category sales
- Seasonal promotions
- Product collection campaigns
Targeting Multiple Categories #
You can target multiple categories within a single promotion.
Example:
Categories:
- Hoodies
- Shoes
- Accessories
Result:
Products from all selected categories become eligible.
Products In Multiple Categories #
WooCommerce products can belong to more than one category.
Example:
Product:
Premium Hoodie
Categories:
- Hoodies
- Featured Products
Promotion Target:
- Hoodies
Result:
The product qualifies because it belongs to the targeted category.
A product only needs to belong to one selected category to become eligible.
Including Categories #
Include rules determine which categories receive the promotion.
Example:
Include:
- Hoodies
- Accessories
Result:
Products from both categories become eligible.
Excluding Products From Categories #
You may want to exclude specific products from a category promotion.
Example:
Include:
- Hoodies
Exclude Product:
- Premium Hoodie
Result:
All Hoodie products receive the promotion except Premium Hoodie.
This is a common strategy when protecting premium products from discounts.
Product Categories And Eligibility Rules #
Category targeting determines what products can receive the promotion.
Eligibility Rules determine whether the customer qualifies.
Example:
Target:
Category = Hoodies
Eligibility Rule:
Cart Subtotal greater than $100
Result:
The promotion only applies when:
- The product belongs to Hoodies
- The cart subtotal exceeds $100
Both requirements must pass.
Product Categories In Different Promotion Types #
Product Categories Target can be used with all Ezhance promotion types.
Simple Discount #
Apply discounts across an entire category.
Example:
20% Off All Hoodies
Bulk Discount #
Create quantity-based pricing for category products.
Example:
Buy 5 Hoodies and receive 15% Off.
Buy X Get X #
Create category-specific BOGO promotions.
Example:
Buy 2 Hoodies, Get 1 Hoodie Free.
Buy X Get Y #
Use category products as qualifying products.
Example:
Buy Any Coffee Product, Get A Free Coffee Scoop.
Order Coupon #
Reward customers who purchase products from selected categories.
Example:
Buy Any Hoodie and receive a future discount coupon.
Why Use Categories Instead Of Products? #
For larger catalogs, category targeting is usually easier to manage.
Example:
Targeting:
- 200 Hoodie Products
vs
Targeting:
- Hoodies Category
Using categories automatically includes newly added products without updating the promotion.
This significantly reduces maintenance.
Common Use Cases #
Category Sales #
Apply discounts across an entire category.
Example:
20% Off All Shoes
Seasonal Promotions #
Target seasonal collections.
Example:
Winter Collection Sale
Clearance Campaigns #
Target clearance categories.
Example:
End Of Season Clearance
New Collection Launches #
Promote recently launched product categories.
Example:
Spring Collection Launch
Storewide Category Promotions #
Offer discounts across multiple categories.
Example:
15% Off Hoodies And Accessories
Best Practices #
Use Categories For Large Campaigns #
Categories are easier to manage than selecting dozens or hundreds of products.
Keep Category Structure Organized #
A clean WooCommerce category structure makes promotions easier to manage.
Review Exclusions Carefully #
Excluded products will never receive the promotion.
Combine With Eligibility Rules #
Use Cart, Customer, or Purchase History Conditions to create more targeted campaigns.
Common Mistakes #
Forgetting Product Category Assignments #
Products must actually belong to the selected category.
Confusing Categories With Tags #
Categories organize products into groups.
Tags are typically used for marketing and labeling purposes.
Excluding Products Unintentionally #
Exclusions override category inclusion.
Always review excluded products before publishing.
Using Product-Level Targeting For Large Catalogs #
Categories are usually easier to manage when many products should receive the same promotion.
