What Is the Redirect Empty Cart feature?
By default, the WooCommerce cart page shows a “Your cart is currently empty” message when the cart is empty. While functional, this is a dead end for customers who expected to see their cart. The Redirect Empty Cart feature automatically redirects them to the shop page instead.
Why You Need It
The empty cart page is a dead end:
- Customers can’t add products from the cart page
- The message “Your cart is currently empty” provides no path forward
- Customers may leave the site rather than navigate to the shop
Redirecting to the shop page gives customers an immediate next step.
How to Redirect Empty Cart in WordPress
Step 1: Navigate to Settings
Click into the Classic Monks plugin settings in your WordPress dashboard.
Step 2: Go to the WooCommerce Tab
Click on the WooCommerce menu, then click the Redirection subtab.
Step 3: Enable Redirect Empty Cart
Toggle on Redirect if cart is empty.
Step 4: Save Changes
Click Save Changes.
Step 5: Test
Visit the cart page when the cart is empty. The page should redirect to the shop page.
Configuration Options
| Option | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Redirect if cart is empty | Master toggle. | Off |
The redirect destination is the shop page. To customize it, use the plugin settings.
What Gets Affected
- The cart page: customers are redirected to the shop page when the cart is empty
- The customer flow: no dead-end pages
What Does NOT Get Affected
- The cart page when the cart has items: shows normally
- The shop page: not affected
- The checkout page: not affected
- The customer’s saved items: not affected
Advanced Options (Developers)
This feature registers 1 WordPress hook in woocommerce-functions.php:
Actions:
template_redirectcallscm_redirect_empty_cart()(Redirects empty cart to shop page)
// Hooked in woocommerce-functions.php
add_action( 'template_redirect', 'cm_redirect_empty_cart' );The feature modifies WooCommerce behavior by registering or removing hooks. Disabling it reverses those changes.
Common Use Cases
Multi-page stores
Stores with a multi-page checkout may want the cart page to redirect to the checkout instead of the shop. Customize in the plugin settings.
Conversion-focused stores
Redirecting to the shop page keeps customers shopping. The empty cart page is a dead end for conversions.
Stores with many product categories
If your shop has many categories, the shop page provides a path to products. The empty cart page provides nothing.
Mobile-optimized stores
On mobile, the empty cart page is especially dead-end. Redirecting to the shop (which is mobile-optimized) is better UX.
Troubleshooting
The redirect is not happening
Cause: The toggle is off, or the cart is not actually empty.
Fix: Verify the toggle is on. Clear the cart manually and try again.
The redirect goes to the wrong page
Cause: The default destination is the shop page, but the shop page may be a different URL than expected.
Fix: Configure in the plugin settings to set a custom destination.
Logged-in admins are being redirected
Cause: The redirect applies to all visitors.
Fix: Configure in the plugin settings to exclude admins. The default behavior for logged-in admins is to show the empty cart page (they may need to see it for testing).
The redirect creates a redirect loop
Cause: The destination page has its own redirect that points back to the cart.
Fix: Check the destination page for any redirect rules. The destination should not redirect under normal conditions.