---
title: Getting Started with Product Notes for WooCommerce
description: Install Product Notes free or Pro, find its settings and add your first private or public note to a WooCommerce product.
url: "https://wpfactory.com/docs/product-notes-getting-started/"
updated: "2026-09-27"
category: Getting Started
---

# Getting Started with Product Notes for WooCommerce

To get started with [Product Notes Tab & Private Admin Notes for WooCommerce](https://wpfactory.com/item/product-notes-for-woocommerce/), install and activate the plugin, then open **WPFactory > Product Notes** (also reachable at **WooCommerce > Settings > Product Notes**). Both note types are on by default, so you can add your first note from any product edit screen right away.

## Before you start

- WooCommerce must be installed and active. Product Notes does not load without it.
- You need an administrator or shop manager account to add notes and to see private notes on the storefront.

## Install the free version

1. In your WordPress dashboard, go to **Plugins > Add New**.
2. Search for **Product Notes Tab & Private Admin Notes for WooCommerce**.
3. Click **Install Now**, then **Activate**.

## Install the Pro version

1. Download the Pro zip from your WPFactory account.
2. Go to **Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin**, choose the zip, click **Install Now** and then **Activate**.
3. Enter your license key when prompted so the plugin can receive updates.

When Pro is active, the free version stops loading on its own, so you can deactivate and delete it. Both versions use the same settings and the same product data, so your existing notes and options carry over.

## Where the settings live

Go to **WPFactory > Product Notes** (also reachable at **WooCommerce > Settings > Product Notes**). The **Settings** link under the plugin name on the Plugins screen opens the same page. It has three sections:

- **Private notes**: notes for your team. On the storefront they are shown only to administrators and shop managers.
- **Public notes**: notes your customers can see.
- **Advanced**: WPML handling and the formatting options for each place notes are displayed.

The Private notes and Public notes sections have the same layout: an **Enable section** switch, General Options, Frontend Options, Backend Options, Compatibility Options and Tools. Each section also has a **Reset section settings** box at the bottom.

![WPFactory, Product Notes settings page with the Private notes, Public notes and Advanced section links visible](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/product-notes-getting-started-1.png)

## Add your first note

1. Go to **Products** and open any product for editing.
2. In the right-hand sidebar, find the **Private notes** and **Public notes** boxes.
3. Click **Add new note** in the box you want. A text field appears.
4. Type your note. Click **Add new note** again if you want to add more than one note to the same product.
5. Click **Update** (or **Publish**) to save the product.

After saving, each note shows who last modified it and when. To remove a note, tick its **Delete** box and update the product.

![product edit screen sidebar showing the Private notes and Public notes boxes with the Add new note button and one saved ](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/product-notes-getting-started-2.png)

## See the result on your storefront

The **Product tab** option is enabled by default in both sections, so as soon as a product has a note:

- Public notes appear in a new **Notes** tab on the product page, visible to every visitor.
- Private notes appear in a **Private notes** tab that only logged-in administrators and shop managers can see. Customers and guests never see it.

A tab is only added when the product has at least one note of that type, so products without notes look unchanged.

## Next steps

- [How to add private admin notes to WooCommerce products](https://wpfactory.com/docs/product-notes-private-admin-notes/)
- [How to show product notes to customers](https://wpfactory.com/docs/product-notes-public-notes-tab/)
- [How to add notes to product variations](https://wpfactory.com/docs/product-notes-variation-notes/)
- [Product Notes settings reference](https://wpfactory.com/docs/product-notes-settings-reference/)

### Get more from your notes

Adding and displaying notes is free. [Product Notes](https://wpfactory.com/item/product-notes-for-woocommerce/) Pro adds notes in the admin products list, admin search, orders and emails, plus export, import, quick edit and bulk edit. [Compare Free and Pro](https://wpfactory.com/docs/product-notes-free-vs-pro/).

Need a hand? Our team answers every ticket on the [Product Notes support forum](https://wpfactory.com/support/item/product-notes-for-woocommerce/).

Related articles

- [Product Notes Developer Reference: Shortcode, Functions and Hooks](https://wpfactory.com/docs/product-notes-developer-reference/)
- [Product Notes Troubleshooting](https://wpfactory.com/docs/product-notes-troubleshooting/)
- [How to Search, Export and Bulk Edit WooCommerce Product Notes](https://wpfactory.com/docs/product-notes-search-export-bulk-edit/)
- [How to Show Product Notes in WooCommerce Orders and Emails](https://wpfactory.com/docs/product-notes-orders-emails/)