--- title: Getting Started with Maximum Products per User for WooCommerce description: "Limit how much each WooCommerce customer can buy: first store-wide limit, date ranges, roles, guests and what Pro adds." url: "https://wpfactory.com/docs/intro/" updated: "2026-10-05" category: How to --- # Getting Started with Maximum Products per User for WooCommerce [Maximum Products per User for WooCommerce](https://wpfactory.com/item/maximum-products-per-user-for-woocommerce/) limits how much each customer can buy, lifetime or within a date range, by quantity, orders, spend, weight or volume. Settings are at **WPFactory > Max Products per User** (also reachable at **WooCommerce > Settings > Maximum Products per User**), with store-wide limits under **Limits**. ## What it does Maximum Products per User keeps a record of what each customer has bought and blocks purchases that would take them over the limit. It is useful for limited stock, launches and fair distribution during sales. Limits can apply to all products, to user roles and, in Pro, to single products, categories and tags or to a formula. ## Install and activate - **Free:** go to **Plugins > Add New**, search for **Maximum Products per User for WooCommerce**, click **Install Now**, then **Activate**. - **Pro:** download **Maximum Products per User for WooCommerce Pro** from your [WPFactory](https://wpfactory.com/) account, upload it at **Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin** and activate it. ![How to Set Maximum Purchase Limits in WooCommerce - Step1](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/How-to-Set-Maximum-Purchase-Limits-in-WooCommerce-Step1.webp) See [how to install Maximum Products per User](https://wpfactory.com/docs/installation-method/) for more detail. ## First setup: one limit for every product 1. Go to **WPFactory > Max Products per User**. In the **General** section, make sure **Enable plugin** is checked (default: on). 2. Leave **Mode** on **Product quantities** (default), and leave **Order statuses** on **Completed** (default) or add Processing so paid orders count sooner. 3. Choose a **Date range**: **Lifetime** (default), or a period such as **This week**, **This month** or **Last 30 days**. Save changes. 4. Open the **Limits** section. Under **All Products**, enable **All products** (default: off) and set **Limit per user** (default: 1). Save changes. 5. If you already have orders, or you change Mode later, go to **Tools**, check **Recalculate sales data** and save, so past orders are counted. 6. Log in as a test customer and try to buy more than the limit. With **Validate on add to cart** on (default), the notice appears as soon as the limit is exceeded. ![How to Set Maximum Purchase Limits in WooCommerce - Step2](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/How-to-Set-Maximum-Purchase-Limits-in-WooCommerce-Step2.png) ![How to Set Maximum Purchase Limits in WooCommerce - Step3](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/How-to-Set-Maximum-Purchase-Limits-in-WooCommerce-Step3.png) The full walkthrough is in [how to set up product purchase limits in WooCommerce](https://wpfactory.com/docs/manage-product-limits/). ## Main features ### How purchases are counted (General, Free) **Mode** sets what is limited: Product quantities, Product orders, Product prices (incl. tax), Product prices (excl. tax), Product weights or Product volumes. You also choose which **Order statuses** count, which **Payment gateways** apply, whether refunds are deducted and whether variations are counted separately (**Use variations**). ![How to Set Maximum Purchase Limits in WooCommerce - Step3(2)](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/How-to-Set-Maximum-Purchase-Limits-in-WooCommerce-Step32.png) ### Storefront controls and user roles (General, Free) **Quantity input** caps the quantity field at the remaining limit, **Add to cart button** disables purchase once the limit is reached, and **Hide products** removes limit-reached products from the catalog. **User roles** turns on separate limits per role. See [setting different limits per user or per role](https://wpfactory.com/docs/per-user-max-product-limits/). ![How to Set Maximum Purchase Limits in WooCommerce - Step3(3)](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/How-to-Set-Maximum-Purchase-Limits-in-WooCommerce-Step33.png) ### Date ranges (General, Free) Limits can be lifetime or reset by hour, day, week, month or year, run over a rolling period, a custom range or a fixed date. See [how to set a date range for purchase limits](https://wpfactory.com/docs/managing-woocommerce-product-limits/). ![How to Set Maximum Purchase Limits in WooCommerce - Step3(4)](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/How-to-Set-Maximum-Purchase-Limits-in-WooCommerce-Step34.png) ### Guests The **Guests** option decides how unregistered buyers are handled: do nothing (default), block them beyond the limits, block them from buying, or identify them by IP address or checkout billing email. The block method, custom add to cart text (default "Login to purchase") and add to cart redirect are Pro. See [how to handle guest purchase limits](https://wpfactory.com/docs/guest-user-product-limits/). ![How to Set Maximum Purchase Limits in WooCommerce - Step4](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/How-to-Set-Maximum-Purchase-Limits-in-WooCommerce-Step4.png) ![How to Set Maximum Purchase Limits in WooCommerce - Step4(2)](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/How-to-Set-Maximum-Purchase-Limits-in-WooCommerce-Step42.png) ### Per product, category and tag limits (Limits, Pro) **Per product** adds a limits box to each product edit page. **Per product tag** and **Per product category** set limits on terms. See [product-specific purchase limits](https://wpfactory.com/docs/setting-product-specific-limits/) and [limits by category or tag](https://wpfactory.com/docs/limits-by-taxonomy/). ![Limits section: All Products, Per Product and Per Product Taxonomy](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/How-to-Set-Maximum-Purchase-Limits-in-WooCommerce-Step5-1.png) ### Limits by formula (Formula, Pro) Write limits as `[wpfmppu]` shortcodes that combine users, roles, products, terms and payment gateways. See [how to set purchase limits by formula](https://wpfactory.com/docs/max-products-per-user-formula-limits/) and the [formula attributes reference](https://wpfactory.com/docs/maximum-products-per-user-formula-attributes/). ![How to Set Maximum Purchase Limits in WooCommerce - Step6](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/How-to-Set-Maximum-Purchase-Limits-in-WooCommerce-Step6.png) ![How to Set Maximum Purchase Limits in WooCommerce - Step6(2)](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/How-to-Set-Maximum-Purchase-Limits-in-WooCommerce-Step62.png) ### Messages and checkout blocking (Frontend, Free) **Validate on add to cart** and **Cart notice** are on by default. You can edit the customer messages, turn on **Block checkout page**, and show a **Product limit message** on product pages. See [how to customize purchase limit messages](https://wpfactory.com/docs/frontend-user-limits/) and the [placeholders reference](https://wpfactory.com/docs/maximum-products-per-user-placeholders/). ![How to Set Maximum Purchase Limits in WooCommerce - Step7](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/How-to-Set-Maximum-Purchase-Limits-in-WooCommerce-Step7.png) ![How to Set Maximum Purchase Limits in WooCommerce - Step7(2)](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/How-to-Set-Maximum-Purchase-Limits-in-WooCommerce-Step72.png) ### My account tab (Frontend, Free) **Enable tab** adds a "Product limits" tab to My Account that lists each customer's limits with `[wpfmppu_user_product_limits]`. See [how to add a product limits tab to My Account](https://wpfactory.com/docs/maximum-products-per-user-my-account-tab/). ![How to Set Maximum Purchase Limits in WooCommerce - Step7(3)](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/How-to-Set-Maximum-Purchase-Limits-in-WooCommerce-Step73.png) ### Sales data (Admin and Tools, Free) View and edit sales data on product and user pages, export user sales data, and recalculate or delete stored sales data. See [how to export user sales data](https://wpfactory.com/docs/admin-options-editable/) and [how to recalculate and reset sales data](https://wpfactory.com/docs/data-recalculation/). ![How to Set Maximum Purchase Limits in WooCommerce - Step8](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/How-to-Set-Maximum-Purchase-Limits-in-WooCommerce-Step8.png) ![How to Set Maximum Purchase Limits in WooCommerce - Step8(2)](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/How-to-Set-Maximum-Purchase-Limits-in-WooCommerce-Step82.png) ![How to Set Maximum Purchase Limits in WooCommerce - Step9](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/How-to-Set-Maximum-Purchase-Limits-in-WooCommerce-Step9.png) ![How to Set Maximum Purchase Limits in WooCommerce - Step9(2)](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/How-to-Set-Maximum-Purchase-Limits-in-WooCommerce-Step92.png) ### Advanced options and orders above limits The **Advanced** section holds time offsets, excluded products, background processing and **Orders above limits** (Pro), which lets customers place orders beyond the limit and can move those orders to a custom status (default label "Above limit"). See [advanced options](https://wpfactory.com/docs/advanced-user-product-limits/) and [how to allow orders above the limit](https://wpfactory.com/docs/maximum-products-per-user-orders-above-limits/). ![How to Set Maximum Purchase Limits in WooCommerce - Step10](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/How-to-Set-Maximum-Purchase-Limits-in-WooCommerce-Step10.png) ![How to Set Maximum Purchase Limits in WooCommerce - Step10-2](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/How-to-Set-Maximum-Purchase-Limits-in-WooCommerce-Step10-2.png) ### Compatibility Options for Point of Sale for WooCommerce registers and WPC Composite Products (both Pro). See [compatibility with Point of Sale and WPC Composite Products](https://wpfactory.com/docs/enhanced-compatibility-features/). ![How to Set Maximum Purchase Limits in WooCommerce - Step11](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/How-to-Set-Maximum-Purchase-Limits-in-WooCommerce-Step11.png) ## Free vs Pro | Feature | Free | Pro | | --- | --- | --- | | All products limit and per-role limits | Yes | Yes | | All six Modes (quantities, orders, prices, weights, volumes) | Yes | Yes | | Order statuses, payment gateways, refunds, Use variations | Yes | Yes | | Quantity input, Add to cart button, Hide products | Yes | Yes | | All date ranges (except MemberPress subscription date origin) | Yes | Yes | | Guests option | Yes | Yes | | Guests block method, add to cart text and redirect | No | Yes | | Per product, Per product tag, Per product category limits | No | Yes | | Limits by formula | No | Yes | | Frontend messages, Block checkout page, Product limit message, My account tab | Yes | Yes | | Admin sales data and Tools | Yes | Yes | | Orders above limits | No | Yes | | POS registers and WPC Composite compatibility options | No | Yes | See [Free vs Pro: Maximum Products per User](https://wpfactory.com/docs/differences-pro-vs-free/) for more. ## FAQ ### Why is my limit not applied? Check that **All products** is enabled in the Limits section and that the customer's orders use a status listed in **Order statuses** (only Completed by default). See [the troubleshooting checklist](https://wpfactory.com/docs/max-products-user-guide/). ### Do orders placed before I installed the plugin count? Run **Recalculate sales data** in the Tools section to build sales data from existing orders. Run it again whenever you change **Mode**. ### Can I limit one product only? Yes, with **Per product** in the Limits section (Pro). See [product-specific limits apply to the whole store](https://wpfactory.com/docs/product-limits-not-working/) if the limit affects every product. ### My weekly limit does not reset. Why? See [time-based limits are not resetting](https://wpfactory.com/docs/time-based-limits-not-resetting/). ### Get more control Store-wide and role limits are free. [Maximum Products per User for WooCommerce](https://wpfactory.com/item/maximum-products-per-user-for-woocommerce/) Pro adds per-product, category and tag limits, limits by formula, guest blocking options and orders above limits. [See what Pro unlocks](https://wpfactory.com/item/maximum-products-per-user-for-woocommerce/). Need a hand? Our team answers every ticket on the [Maximum Products per User support forum](https://wpfactory.com/support/item/maximum-products-per-user-for-woocommerce/). Related articles - [Maximum Products per User: How to Reset a Settings Section](https://wpfactory.com/docs/maximum-products-per-user-reset-settings/) - [Maximum Products per User: Developer Hooks and Filters Reference](https://wpfactory.com/docs/maximum-products-per-user-hooks-filters/) - [Product Purchase Limit Shortcodes](https://wpfactory.com/docs/product-purchase-limit-shortcodes/)