WooCommerce Limit Quantity Per Product: Control Purchases and Manage Stock Efficiently

Introduction

Managing product availability in an online store is essential to prevent over-purchasing, maintain stock levels, and ensure fair distribution of products. In WooCommerce, setting quantity limits per product helps store owners control how many units a customer can purchase at a time.

By implementing WooCommerce Limit Quantity Per Product, you can:

✔ Set minimum and maximum order quantities for specific products.
✔ Restrict bulk purchases to prevent stock depletion.
✔ Encourage fair distribution by limiting per-customer purchases.
✔ Create exclusive offers with limited purchase options.

This guide covers how to set up quantity limits in WooCommerce, the benefits of using this feature, and best practices to maximize its effectiveness.

Why Use a Quantity Limit Per Product in WooCommerce?

1. Prevent Stock Shortages

• If a product is in high demand, setting a maximum purchase limit ensures it remains available for more customers.

2. Avoid Bulk Purchases by Resellers

• Limit orders to prevent wholesale buyers from clearing out inventory meant for retail customers.

3. Encourage Fair Distribution

• Essential for limited-edition products, preventing a few customers from buying everything.

4. Boost Customer Satisfaction

• If a product sells out too quickly, regular shoppers may feel frustrated. Setting limits helps maintain availability.

5. Increase Average Order Value (AOV)

• A minimum quantity rule encourages customers to buy more than one unit per order.

How to Set Quantity Limits in WooCommerce

WooCommerce does not have built-in minimum and maximum quantity restrictions, but you can achieve this using two methods:

1️⃣ Using Custom Code (For Developers)
2️⃣ Using a WooCommerce Plugin (Recommended for Ease of Use)

Method 1: Set Quantity Limits Using Custom Code

If you are comfortable with coding, you can use a custom function to limit the purchase quantity of specific products.

Steps to Add Custom Code

1️⃣ Go to WordPress Dashboard > Appearance > Theme File Editor.
2️⃣ Open the functions.php file of your active theme.
3️⃣ Add the following code:

php
CopyEdit
add_filter('woocommerce_add_to_cart_validation', 'limit_product_quantity_per_order', 10, 3);

functionlimit_product_quantity_per_order($passed, $product_id, $quantity) {
    $max_quantity = 3; // Set maximum quantity limit per productif ($quantity > $max_quantity) {
        wc_add_notice(__('You can only purchase up to ' . $max_quantity . ' units of this product.'), 'error');
        returnfalse;
    }
    return$passed;
}

4️⃣ Click Update File to save changes.

What This Code Does

✔ Limits each customer to buying only 3 units per product.
✔ Displays an error message if the limit is exceeded.

🚀 This method works, but using a plugin is easier and more flexible!

Method 2: Use a WooCommerce Quantity Limits Plugin

For more control over minimum and maximum quantity rules, a WooCommerce plugin is the best solution.

Recommended Plugins

How to Set Up Quantity Limits Using a Plugin

1️⃣ Install & Activate a quantity limit plugin from Plugins > Add New.
2️⃣ Go to WooCommerce > Settings > Quantity Limits.
3️⃣ Choose a product and set:

• Minimum Quantity (e.g., 2 units per order)

• Maximum Quantity (e.g., 5 units per order)

• Step Quantity (e.g., increments of 2 units: 2, 4, 6, etc.)
  4️⃣ Click Save Changes.

✅ Customers can now only purchase within the set quantity range.

Advanced Features in Quantity Limit Plugins

🛒 1. User Role-Based Quantity Limits

• Set different limits for wholesale buyers vs. regular customers.

🚀 2. Category-Based Limits

• Restrict total purchases for an entire product category.

🔄 3. Purchase Limits per Customer

• Limit how many times a single customer can buy a product.

📅 4. Time-Based Quantity Restrictions

• Example: "Customers can only buy 2 units per week."

Best Practices for Using WooCommerce Quantity Limits

📌 1. Set Fair Limits for High-Demand Products

• Example: If a product sells out fast, limit purchases to 1 per customer.

📌 2. Use Minimum Quantities to Increase Sales

• Example: "You must buy at least 3 units to get free shipping."

📌 3. Notify Customers About Quantity Limits

• Display messages like “Limited to 5 units per order” on the product page.

📌 4. Offer Bulk Discounts Instead of Hard Limits

• Encourage larger purchases by offering discounts on bigger orders.

📌 5. Combine Limits with Pre-Orders for Exclusive Products

• Example: "Only 2 units per customer for limited-edition items."

Common Mistakes to Avoid

🚫 Setting Unreasonably Low Limits
✔ If the limit is too low, customers may abandon their carts.

🚫 Not Displaying Quantity Limits Clearly
✔ Customers should see the limit before they try to checkout.

🚫 Applying the Same Limits to All Products
✔ Customize limits based on product demand, stock levels, and customer type.

🚫 Forgetting to Test the Limits
✔ Always test your quantity restrictions to ensure they work correctly.

🚫 Blocking Bulk Buyers Without Offering an Alternative
✔ If you prevent wholesale buyers, offer a separate bulk ordering option.

Final Thoughts

Setting up WooCommerce Limit Quantity Per Product helps store owners manage stock efficiently, prevent over-purchasing, and maintain fair distribution of products.

🚀 Whether you're protecting high-demand stock, preventing resellers from buying everything, or boosting order value, quantity limits offer a smart way to control sales.