How to Hide Shipping Methods Based on Category Quantity Using Advanced Rules
Category Quantity Advanced Rules let you hide shipping methods based on the number of products added from a specific category.
This is useful when certain product categories behave differently in bulk orders.
You can define minimum and maximum quantity limits for one or more categories.
Shipping methods will be hidden automatically when those limits are met.
In The Article
How it works
When a customer adds products to the cart, the plugin checks:
- Which product categories are present
- How many items from each category are added
- Whether the quantity falls within your defined range
If the category quantity matches your rule, the selected shipping method is hidden at cart and checkout.
Steps to configure Category Quantity Advanced Rules
Step 1: Create or edit a hide shipping rule
- Go to WooCommerce > Hide Shipping Method > Manage Rules
- Click Add New Rule or edit an existing rule
Step 2: Enable Advanced Rules
- In the rule settings, select Advanced Rules
- Click + Add Rule to add a new advanced condition
Step 3: Select Category Quantity condition
For each rule:
- Choose Category Quantity as the condition type
- Select the product category
- Set the Minimum Quantity
- Set the Maximum Quantity
You can add multiple category quantity rules by clicking + Add Rule again.
Step 4: Choose the rule match option
- Select Any One Rule Match if the rule should apply when any category quantity condition is met
- Select All Rules Match if all category quantity conditions must be satisfied
Step 5: Select shipping methods to hide
- Choose the shipping methods you want to hide
- Or hide all shipping methods and keep only selected ones active
Step 6: Save and enable the rule
- Review the configuration
- Make sure the Status is enabled
- Click Save
The rule will now work automatically on the cart and checkout pages.
Example scenario
An online store sells products in multiple categories:
- Accessories
- Winter Wear
The store owner wants:
- To hide Standard Shipping when customers buy
- 10–30 items from Accessories, or
- 5–15 items from Winter Wear
Setup:
- Add two Category Quantity advanced rules
- Select Any One Rule Match so the rule applies if either condition is met
- Hide Standard Shipping for this condition
Result:
- Customers ordering in bulk from these categories see only suitable shipping options
- Checkout remains clean and relevant
Why use category quantity advanced rules
- Control shipping visibility for bulk category orders
- Prevent unsuitable shipping options for high-volume items
- Apply different shipping logic per category
- Automate shipping behavior without manual checks
Conclusion
Category Quantity Advanced Rules give you precise control over shipping visibility based on how many products from a category are in the cart.
By using these rules, you ensure customers see only the shipping methods that make sense for their order size and product type.
FAQs
1. What is a category quantity rule in hide shipping?
A category quantity rule hides shipping methods based on how many products from a specific category are added to the cart.
2. Can I apply category quantity rules to multiple categories?
Yes. You can add multiple category quantity rules and define different quantity ranges for each category.
3. Does this work with variable products?
Yes. Variable products are counted based on their category and quantity in the cart.
4. What happens if the cart contains products from multiple categories?
You can control this using All Rules Match or Any One Rule Match, depending on whether all conditions or just one condition should trigger the rule.
5. Will this change shipping prices?
No. Category quantity rules only control which shipping methods are shown or hidden, not the shipping cost itself.