---
title: "Related Categories Not Showing: Troubleshooting Guide"
description: WooCommerce related categories missing, wrong, or changes not taking effect? Troubleshooting guide.
url: "https://wpfactory.com/docs/troubleshooting-guide/"
updated: "2026-09-27"
category: Troubleshooting
tags:
  - Related Categories for WooCommerce
---

# Related Categories Not Showing: Troubleshooting Guide

If the Related categories section is missing in Related Categories for WooCommerce, check at WPFactory > Related Categories that Display on Single Product Page (Single sub-tab) or Display on Archives (Archives sub-tab, off by default) is ticked, that Position is not set to Disable, and that your relate rules actually find categories for the product.

### The section does not appear at all

1. **Check the section is enabled.** On single product pages, **Display on Single Product Page** must be ticked on the **Single** sub-tab (it is on by default). On shop and category pages, **Display on Archives** must be ticked on the **Archives** sub-tab (it is off by default).
2. **Check the position is not set to "Disable".** If **Position** is "Disable", the section only appears where you place a shortcode or widget. Pick a real position, or add the shortcode.
3. **Make sure related categories actually exist.** The section only renders when the relate rules find categories. If a product sits in a single, top-level category with no siblings, parents or children, there may be nothing to show. Try enabling **Current** under Relate Options to confirm output, then re-tune the rules.
4. **Watch the "Hide empty" rule.** With **Hide empty** on, categories that have no products are dropped. If every related category is empty, the section renders nothing.
5. **Confirm the theme fires the WooCommerce hooks.** The section attaches to standard WooCommerce hooks such as `woocommerce_after_single_product_summary`. A heavily customized theme that removes these hooks can suppress the section. Test with a default theme such as Storefront to confirm.

### The wrong categories appear

1. **Review the Relate Options.** Siblings, Parents and Children are all on by default, so the section can be broader than expected. Turn off the rules you do not want, or narrow the include sub-options (grandparents, grandchildren, top-level).
2. **Check "Current".** If the product's own categories are showing and you did not expect them, disable **Current**.
3. **On Pro sites, check your manual relations.** If **Per product** is enabled with **Override** on, the hand-picked list on that product replaces the automatic one. Turn Override off to merge instead.

### Changes are not taking effect

1. **Clear caches.** Clear any page-cache or CDN cache, then reload. If you enabled **Transients** on the Advanced sub-tab, saving the settings clears them automatically, but a persistent object cache (Redis or Memcached) may need its own flush.
2. **Re-save the settings.** Saving on any sub-tab clears the plugin's stored transients.

### Still stuck?

Note the product or category you are testing, which Relate Options are enabled and the position you chose, then contact us on the [Related Categories support forum](https://wpfactory.com/support/item/related-categories-for-woocommerce/) and we will help.

Related articles

- [Additional Tips for Testing Related Categories](https://wpfactory.com/docs/additional-tips-cat/)
- [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/)