WooCommerce is constantly working on improving the store experience for its users. One of the latest developments is the addition of the Interactivity API to the WooCommerce Blocks plugin. This new API allows developers to build interactive blocks that support frontend experiences where visitors can interact with content without having to refresh the page. The API has been announced earlier this year and WordPress contributors are encouraging developers to test it with their own blocks.
The Interactivity API has already been integrated into the WooCommerce Blocks 10.9.0 release. This integration brings several improvements to the store experience, including real-time counter updates for the mini-cart, smoother animations, and better transitions from ‘Add to Cart’ to ‘Loading’ status to show the quantity in the cart when a product is added. These subtle changes create a much smoother shopping experience with nearly instantaneous feedback for the user.
The WooCommerce contributors are also exploring how the Interactivity API can be used to improve frontend filters, such as the rating, price, stock, and attributes filters. The API is expected to eventually land in Gutenberg and WordPress in the future. However, in the meantime, WooCommerce is experimenting with how the plugin’s blocks can benefit from it.
In the recent release of WooCommerce Blocks 11.0.0, a new beta feature called the Product Collection block has been introduced. This block is similar to the existing Products block but comes with additional improvements and features. Unlike the Products block, which is a Query loop block variation, the Product Collection block is a standalone block that allows further customization to meet the merchant’s needs.
The Product Collection block also has the Interactivity API integrated, providing improved frontend performance. It offers enhanced Inspector controls compared to the current Products block and comes with a basic set of patterns. The development team is actively seeking feedback on this block before moving it out of beta.
Users who are currently using the Products block can manually migrate their products to the Product Collection block. An upgrade notice will appear in the Inspector Controls, informing users that they will get more features with the Product Collection block. This migration process allows users to take advantage of the new block’s capabilities and enjoy a more tailored and improved shopping experience.
As the Product Collection block is still in beta, WooCommerce Blocks has not made any changes to existing templates that have Product blocks. The development team is actively seeking feedback from users to further enhance and refine this new block. Users are encouraged to test the block and provide their feedback to help shape its future development.
Overall, WooCommerce is continuously working on improving the store experience for its users. The addition of the Interactivity API and the introduction of the Product Collection block are just some of the recent developments aimed at providing a smoother, more interactive, and customizable shopping experience. Users are encouraged to test these new features and provide feedback to help WooCommerce further enhance its offerings.
