---
title: Additional Tips for Testing Related Categories
description: Tips for testing Related Categories for WooCommerce and narrowing down an issue before contacting support.
url: "https://wpfactory.com/docs/additional-tips-cat/"
updated: "2026-09-27"
category: Troubleshooting
tags:
  - Related Categories for WooCommerce
---

# Additional Tips for Testing Related Categories

To test Related Categories for WooCommerce, start with one product in a category that has clear siblings, a parent, and a child, and confirm the Related categories section renders on its page. If the output looks wrong, enable one Relate Option at a time, and check your Products > Categories hierarchy.

### Test with one product first

Pick a single product that sits in a category with clear siblings, a parent and a child. Open its product page and confirm the "Related categories" section renders. Once one product works, apply the same relate rules across the store with confidence.

### Isolate the relate rules

If the output looks wrong, enable just one Relate Option at a time (Siblings only, then Parents only, then Children only). This tells you exactly which rule is producing which categories, so you can leave on only the ones you want.

### Confirm your category structure

Related Categories works from your **Products > Categories** hierarchy. If siblings or children are not showing, check that the categories really are arranged as parent and child there. A flat list of top-level categories has no siblings or children to relate.

### Rule out theme and plugin conflicts

Temporarily switch to a default theme such as Storefront to confirm your theme is not removing the WooCommerce hooks the section uses. If that fixes it, the conflict is in the theme. You can also deactivate other plugins one by one to find a conflict.

### Give support the details

When you open a ticket, include the plugin version, whether you are on the free or Pro version, which sub-tab (Single or Archives) you are configuring, the Relate Options you enabled, and the exact product or category URL you are testing. That detail lets us reproduce the issue on the first reply.

### Need a hand?

Our team answers every ticket on the [Related Categories support forum](https://wpfactory.com/support/item/related-categories-for-woocommerce/).

Related articles

- [Related Categories Not Showing: Troubleshooting Guide](https://wpfactory.com/docs/troubleshooting-guide/)
- [Display Related Categories with the Widget](https://wpfactory.com/docs/woocommerce-related-categories-widget/)
- [Related Categories Shortcodes](https://wpfactory.com/docs/woocommerce-related-categories-shortcodes/)
- [Relate Options: How Related Categories Are Chosen](https://wpfactory.com/docs/woocommerce-related-categories-relate-options/)
- [Translate Related Categories with WPML and Polylang](https://wpfactory.com/docs/related-categories-multilingual-wpml-polylang/)

 

[![Related Categories for WooCommerce](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/Related-Categories-for-WooCommerce.webp)](https://wpfactory.com/item/related-categories-for-woocommerce/)