---
title: "WooCommerce Wishlist Plugin: Install and Set Up"
description: "Install Wishlist for WooCommerce and find your way around its settings: free and Pro install steps, and what each settings tab controls."
url: "https://wpfactory.com/docs/start-woocommerce-wishlist/"
updated: "2026-09-27"
category: Getting Started
tags:
  - Wishlist for WooCommerce
---

# WooCommerce Wishlist Plugin: Install and Set Up

To add a wishlist to WooCommerce, install [Wishlist for WooCommerce](https://wpfactory.com/item/wish-list-woocommerce/): it creates a Wishlist page, adds a heart button over product images, and lets shoppers save products to buy later. Its settings are at **WPFactory > Wishlist** (also reachable at **WooCommerce > Settings > Wishlist**). This guide takes you from install to a working wishlist.

[![Wishlist for WooCommerce](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/Wishlist-for-WooCommerce-1024x333.webp)](https://wpfactory.com/item/wish-list-woocommerce/)

## What Wishlist for WooCommerce does

Shoppers click a button to save a product to their wishlist, then return to the Wishlist page or the **Wishlist** tab in My account to review, share or buy the items. Guests can use the wishlist too. You control where the buttons appear, what the wishlist table shows, and how the wishlist looks. For a tour of every settings tab, see [WooCommerce Wishlist Plugin: Install and Set Up](https://wpfactory.com/docs/start-woocommerce-wishlist/).

## Install and activate

- **Free:** in **Plugins > Add New**, search for *Wishlist for WooCommerce*, then click **Install Now** and **Activate**.
- **Pro:** download the Pro zip from your WPFactory account, upload it under **Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin** and activate it. Pro is a complete plugin: when it is active, the free copy steps aside, so you can deactivate the free version.

WooCommerce must be active. On activation, the plugin creates a page called **Wishlist** containing the `[alg_wc_wl]` shortcode, if one does not already exist.

![add wishlist to your WooCommerce - Step 1](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/add-wishlist-to-your-WooCommerce-Step-1-1024x724.webp)

## First setup: a working wishlist in six steps

1. Go to **WPFactory > Wishlist** (also reachable at **WooCommerce > Settings > Wishlist**).

![add wishlist to your WooCommerce - Step 2](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/add-wishlist-to-your-WooCommerce-Step-2-1024x499.webp)

1. On the **General** tab, check that **Wishlist for WooCommerce** (Enable the plugin) is ticked. It is on by default.

![add wishlist to your WooCommerce - Step 3](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/add-wishlist-to-your-WooCommerce-Step-3-1024x499.webp)

1. Optional: tick **Multiple Wishlist** (off by default) to let each customer create more than one list.

![add wishlist to your WooCommerce - Step 3(2)](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/add-wishlist-to-your-WooCommerce-Step-32-1024x499.webp)

1. Open the **Wishlist Page** tab and confirm that **Wishlist page** points to the page created on activation. To use your own page instead, add the `[alg_wc_wl]` shortcode to it and select it here.
2. Open the **Buttons** tab. The **Thumb button** (a heart icon over the product image) is already on for the product page and the shop loop. If you also want the text button, tick **Single product page** under **Default button - Single product** and **Loop** under **Default button - Loop**; both are off by default.
3. Click **Save changes**, then visit your shop, click a wishlist button and open the Wishlist page to see the saved item.

[![Default button settings on the Wishlist Buttons tab](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/Step4.wishlist-1024x503.png)](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/Step4.wishlist.png)

[![Thumb button settings on the Wishlist Buttons tab](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/Step42-wishlist-1024x495.png)](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/Step42-wishlist.png)

Guests can add and remove items by default (**Add/Remove** under **Interaction with unlogged Users**). Logged-in customers also get a **Wishlist** tab in My account (on by default, slug `my-wish-list`).

## Main features

### Wishlist buttons

Choose the default text button, the thumb icon or both, on single product pages and shop pages, with hook and priority settings for placement and an optional **Tooltip** on the thumb button. See [How to Customize Wishlist Button Placement on Product Page](https://wpfactory.com/docs/wishlist-button-placement/) and [How to Add Wishlist Button to Shop and Archive Pages](https://wpfactory.com/docs/add-wishlist-button-archive/). Hiding the buttons by product tag is Pro: see [How to Hide or Remove the Wishlist Button](https://wpfactory.com/docs/hide-button-product-tags/).

### Multiple wishlists

With **Multiple Wishlist** ticked, each customer can keep more than one wishlist and choose which one a product goes into. See [How to Enable Multiple Wishlists in WooCommerce](https://wpfactory.com/docs/enable-multiple-wishlists/).

### Wishlist page and table columns

Under **Wishlist table columns**, show or hide Stock, Price, Add to cart button, SKU, Description, Attributes, Subtotal, Categories and more. See [Creating a Feature-Rich Wishlist Page with WooCommerce Plugin](https://wpfactory.com/docs/wishlist-page-woocommerce/).

![add wishlist to your WooCommerce - Step 5](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/add-wishlist-to-your-WooCommerce-Step-5-1024x499.webp)

[![Wishlist table columns settings](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/Step6-2-wishlist-1024x495.png)](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/Step6-2-wishlist.png)

### Subtotal and auto remove

**Wishlist items subtotal** shows the sum of all items in the wishlist. **Auto remove items** can remove a product **When purchased** (orders with Completed or Processing status by default) or **When added to cart**. See [Displaying Subtotals on WooCommerce Wishlist Page](https://wpfactory.com/docs/display-subtotals-wishlist/) and [Remove Wishlist Items Automatically in WooCommerce](https://wpfactory.com/docs/auto-remove-wishlist-items/).

[![Wishlist subtotal and auto remove settings](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/Step63-wislist-1024x495.png)](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/Step63-wislist.png)

### Note field and stock alerts

**Note field** lets customers add a note to each item; it appears in the Attributes column, so keep that column on. **Stock alert** (on by default) emails customers when an out-of-stock wishlisted product is back in stock. See [How to Add Note Fields to the Wishlist Page](https://wpfactory.com/docs/note-fields-wishlist/) and [Enabling Stock Alerts on Your WooCommerce Wishlist](https://wpfactory.com/docs/enable-stock-alerts/).

[![Wishlist note field and stock alert settings](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/Step55-1024x495.png)](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/Step55.png)

[![Wishlist Page tab settings](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/Step7.-wishlist-1024x495.png)](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/Step7.-wishlist.png)

### Sharing

The **Share** tab adds Facebook, X/Twitter and Copy link buttons, plus email sharing. The Email share button is Pro. See [How to Simplify Wishlist Sharing with WooCommerce](https://wpfactory.com/docs/wishlist-sharing-woocommerce/).

![add wishlist to your WooCommerce - Step 4](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/add-wishlist-to-your-WooCommerce-Step-4-1024x499.webp)

### Style and texts

The **Style** tab sets colors and icons for buttons, notifications and the wishlist table, and the **Texts** tab lets you reword every front-end label. See [How to Style Wishlist Options](https://wpfactory.com/docs/customize-wishlist-style/) and [How to Customize Text in Wishlist Plugin](https://wpfactory.com/docs/customize-wishlist-communication/).

![add wishlist to your WooCommerce - Step 6](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/add-wishlist-to-your-WooCommerce-Step-6-1024x499.webp)

### Guest wishlists

Guest wishlists are stored in a cookie by default, with an expiration you set on the **Advanced** tab. See [How to Configure Guest Wishlists and Their Expiration](https://wpfactory.com/docs/guest-wishlist-expiration/).

### Admin reports, export and import

The **Admin** tab adds wishlist columns to the Users and Products admin lists. Wishlist columns in the WooCommerce product exporter and the CSV wishlist import are Pro. See [Simplified Wishlist Management for WooCommerce Admins](https://wpfactory.com/docs/wishlist-management-woocommerce/), [Adding Wishlist Columns During Product Import and Export](https://wpfactory.com/docs/wishlist-columns-import-export/) and [How to Import Wishlists from a CSV File](https://wpfactory.com/docs/import-wishlists-csv/).

[![Wishlist Admin tab report settings](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/Step8.wishlist-1024x495.png)](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/Step8.wishlist.png)

[![Wishlist product exporting settings](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/Step8-2-wishlist-1024x495.png)](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/Step8-2-wishlist.png)

### Sorting and copying (Pro)

Pro lets customers reorder wishlist items with drag and drop, arrows or a dropdown, and copy a wishlist with a COPY button. See [Drag and Drop with WooCommerce Wishlist Pro](https://wpfactory.com/docs/drag-drop-woocommerce-wishlist/), [How to Add Dropdown Sorting to the Wishlist Page](https://wpfactory.com/docs/dropdown-sorting-wishlist/) and [How to Let Customers Copy a Wishlist](https://wpfactory.com/docs/duplicate-copy-wishlist/).

[![Wishlist drag and drop ordering settings](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/Step54-1024x495.png)](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/Step54.png)

### Shortcodes

Place the wishlist, a counter or a remove-all button anywhere with shortcodes. See the [Wishlist Shortcodes Reference](https://wpfactory.com/docs/upgrade-wishlist-experience/). Every option is listed in the [Wishlist for WooCommerce Settings Reference](https://wpfactory.com/docs/wishlist-settings-reference/).

## Free vs Pro

| Feature | Free | Pro |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Wishlist page, default and thumb buttons, guest wishlists, My account tab | Yes | Yes |
| Multiple Wishlist | Yes | Yes |
| Table columns (except Quantity), subtotal, auto remove, note field, stock alert | Yes | Yes |
| Facebook, X/Twitter and Copy share buttons | Yes | Yes |
| Email share button | No | Yes |
| Quantity column | No | Yes |
| Drag and drop, arrow and dropdown ordering | No | Yes |
| Duplicate Functionality (COPY button) | No | Yes |
| Hide by tag (default and thumb buttons), Custom Hook for the single product button | No | Yes |
| `[alg_wc_wl_toggle_item_btn]` and `[alg_wc_wl_icon]` shortcodes | No | Yes |
| Javascript update events | No | Yes |
| Product exporter wishlist columns, CSV wishlist import | No | Yes |

For the full comparison, see [Wishlist for WooCommerce: Free vs Pro](https://wpfactory.com/docs/free-vs-pro-wishlist/).

## FAQ

### I activated the plugin but I do not see a wishlist button. Why?

Only the thumb button (heart icon over the product image) is on by default, and it needs to find the product image. If your theme uses unusual image markup, turn on the default text button on the **Buttons** tab (**Single product page** and **Loop**). More fixes: ["Add to Wishlist" Button Not Working](https://wpfactory.com/docs/wishlist-button-issue/).

### Can guests use the wishlist without an account?

Yes. **Add/Remove** and **Visibility** under **Interaction with unlogged Users** are both on by default. If you untick **Add/Remove**, guests still see the buttons but are asked to log in when they click. See [How to Allow Non-Logged-In Users to Wishlist](https://wpfactory.com/docs/wishlist-non-logged-in/).

### Where is the Wishlist page?

The plugin creates a page titled **Wishlist** with the `[alg_wc_wl]` shortcode on activation, and selects it in **Wishlist page** on the **Wishlist Page** tab. If the page returns a 404, see [Wishlist Page Returns 404 Error](https://wpfactory.com/docs/wishlist-page-returns-404-error/).

### My wishlist does not update on a cached site. What should I do?

On the **General** tab, tick **Cache** (Ignore cache by loading the wish list elements via javascript), then clear your cache. See [How to Troubleshoot Wishlist with Cache Plugins](https://wpfactory.com/docs/troubleshoot-wishlist-cache/).

### Can I add a wishlist icon with a counter to my menu?

Yes. Tick **Nav menu item** on the **General** tab and add the CSS class `wish-list-icon` to the menu item. See [How to Add a Wishlist Icon to the WooCommerce Navigation Menu](https://wpfactory.com/docs/wishlist-icon-navigation/).

### Get more control

The core wishlist, multiple wishlists, sharing and stock alerts are free. [Wishlist for WooCommerce](https://wpfactory.com/item/wish-list-woocommerce/) Pro adds drag and drop, arrow and dropdown sorting, wishlist copying, hide by tag, custom button hooks, CSV import and more. [See what Pro unlocks](https://wpfactory.com/item/wish-list-woocommerce/).

Need a hand? Our team answers every ticket on the [Wishlist for WooCommerce support forum](https://wpfactory.com/support/item/wish-list-woocommerce/).

Related articles

- [How to Refresh the Wishlist with JavaScript Events](https://wpfactory.com/docs/wishlist-javascript-update-events/)
- [Wishlist for WooCommerce Developer Hooks and Filters Reference](https://wpfactory.com/docs/wishlist-developer-hooks-filters/)
- [Wishlist Issues with WPML and Multiple Languages](https://wpfactory.com/docs/wpml-wishlist-issues/)
- [“Add to Wishlist” Also Triggers “Add to Cart”](https://wpfactory.com/docs/add-to-wishlist-adds-to-cart/)
- [“Remove from Wishlist” Not Working on My Account](https://wpfactory.com/docs/remove-from-wishlist-not-working/)

 

[![Wishlist for WooCommerce](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/Wishlist-for-WooCommerce.webp)](https://wpfactory.com/item/wish-list-woocommerce/)