Overview
Kitero adds a Composite product type to WooCommerce. A composite product is made of components, and each component is one choice the shopper makes, such as a mug, a notebook or a bag. You list the products the shopper can pick from in each component. The product page then shows a configuration form with a live total, and the chosen items are carried through the cart, checkout, order and emails.
The Pro edition contains everything in the free edition, so you only need this one plugin. On top of that it adds bundle mode (you choose the contents in advance), fixed and hybrid pricing, per option price overrides, default choices, several choices in one component, options taken from categories and tags, logic rules between components, a visual preview, the step by step wizard and tabbed layouts, fifteen ready made kit templates and a Composite insights report.
Kitero suits any shop that sells made to order kits: gift boxes and hampers, build your own computers or bicycles, meal kits, skincare routines, furniture sets and similar products where the customer puts the final item together.
Requirements
- WordPress 6.4 or later
- PHP 7.4 or later
- WooCommerce 8.0 or later, installed and active
- Tested with WordPress 7.1.3 and WooCommerce 11.2.1
Installation
Kitero Pro needs WooCommerce. Install and activate WooCommerce 8.0 or newer first. You do not need the free edition of Kitero: Pro contains every free feature. If the free edition is already active, it stays idle while Pro runs and shows a notice so you can deactivate it. Your components, settings and products are kept.
Log in to your ProPluginsLab account and open My Account > Downloads.
Download the Kitero - Composite Products for WooCommerce Pro zip file to your computer. Do not unzip it.
In WordPress, go to Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin.
Choose the zip file and click Install Now.
Click Activate Plugin. A new Kitero menu appears in the admin sidebar.
If the free edition of Kitero is active, deactivate it from the Plugins screen when the notice asks you to.
License and automatic updates
Kitero works fully as soon as it is activated. The license key turns on automatic updates, so new versions arrive in WordPress like any other plugin update. Pro features never depend on it.
Activate your license
Find your license key in My Account on propluginslab.io, in the license keys section. It is also in your order confirmation email.
In WordPress, open Kitero > License. When two or more ProPluginsLab plugins or add-ons are active on the site, WooCommerce > Licenses also appears and lists all of them in one place.
Paste the key into the Kitero - Composite Products for WooCommerce Pro row and click Activate. The status changes to Active and automatic updates are on.
Receive updates automatically
Once the license is active, new versions of Kitero show up under Dashboard > Updates and on the Plugins screen. Click Update now, or click Enable auto-updates in the Kitero row on the Plugins screen and WordPress installs every future release for you.
Good to know
- Keys are checked once a day in the background, so your site never waits for the license server. If the server is briefly unreachable, the plugin keeps its last known status.
- An expired key or a key that is not accepted only stops updates. Kitero keeps working. After renewing, click Check now in its row.
- Moving to a new domain: click Deactivate on the old site first, then activate the key on the new one. The status shows Site address changed, checking until the new address is confirmed.
- On the command line:
wp ppl-license list,wp ppl-license activate <plugin> <key>,wp ppl-license checkandwp ppl-license deactivate <plugin>.
Quick start
- Run the setup wizard
Go to Kitero > Setup. Pick how shoppers move through the choices (the default layout) and the Default pricing for new composite products, then click Continue to choose the default option style and a few shop decisions. Click Finish setup. You can change all of this later under Kitero > Settings.
- Create a composite product
Go to Products > Add new product (or use Create a composite product on the Kitero dashboard). Give the product a name and set the product type dropdown in the Product data box to Composite product. The Composite, Composite display and Composite logic tabs appear.
- Add components and products
Open the Composite tab. Either click Show templates and pick a ready made kit, or click Add component. Give each component a name, then search for the products the shopper can choose from by name or SKU. Repeat for every choice the shopper makes.
- Choose the layout and pricing
On the General tab, choose the Product mode and Pricing. On the Composite display tab, choose the Layout, an optional Visual preview and any Minimum items or Maximum items. Click Update to save everything, including the components.
- Test the product page
Click View product. Pick an option in each component, check that the total updates, and add the kit to the cart. The cart shows each choice under the product, with an Edit link to change it.
- Follow orders and choices
Orders with a kit appear under Kitero > Composite orders. Once shoppers start building kits, Kitero > Insights shows how many configurations were built and which options win each component.
#Kitero dashboard
Kitero > Dashboard is the starting point. The top cards count your composite products, the ready made kit templates available and the products you can offer as options.
The Quick actions cards take you straight to the main tasks:
- Create a composite product: opens a new product. Set the type to Composite, then pick a template or build it yourself.
- Manage composite products: the list of every composite product.
- Settings: shop wide defaults for layout, option style, catalog price and add to cart.
- Documentation: the built in guide, without leaving the dashboard.
- Run the setup again: revisit the defaults at any time. Nothing you have built is changed.
- Insights: which options shoppers choose and how many builds become orders.
The Recent composite products table lists your latest kits with their number of components, status and Edit and View links.
#Composite products list
Kitero > Composite products lists every product that uses the Composite type, with how many components and options each one offers.
The columns show the Product, Components, Options, Layout, Catalog price, Status and Date. Click a column heading with arrows to sort, or type in the search box and click Search products to find a kit. Click Add new to start a new product.
To start a kit that is similar to an existing one, use Duplicate on the WooCommerce Products list or Copy to a new draft in the product editor. The new draft gets a copy of every component, its products, price overrides, default items and logic rules, which you can change without touching the original.
#Creating a composite product: the General tab
Every kit is a normal WooCommerce product with the type set to Composite product.
- Go to Products > Add new product and enter the product name, description and image as usual.
- In the Product data box, set the product type dropdown to Composite product.
- On the General tab, choose the Product mode:
- Configurable, the shopper picks each option: the shopper builds the kit.
- Bundle, you pick the contents in advance: you decide what goes in the box. See Bundle mode and pricing strategies below.
- Choose the Pricing: per item, fixed or hybrid. For fixed and hybrid pricing a Base price field appears.
- Tick Virtual if the kit needs no shipping.
- Click Update (or Publish).
Composite products also have the Inventory tab (a SKU, their own stock if you sell a limited number of kits, and Sold individually) and the tax fields. A kit without its own weight ships at the combined weight of the chosen items.
With per item pricing the composite product itself does not need a price: the total is worked out from the products the shopper chooses.
#Composite tab: components and products
The Composite tab is where you build the kit. A component is one choice the shopper makes. Add a component for each decision, then list the products the shopper can pick from.
Start from a ready made kit
Click Show templates next to Start from a ready made kit. One click builds the components of a common kit, and you then choose the products for each component. Applying a template replaces any components already on the product. Fifteen templates are available:
- Custom PC builder, Gift box or hamper, Meal kit, Skincare routine, Coffee or tea kit
- Custom bicycle, Fashion outfit, Furniture set, Wedding package, Made to order jewellery, Office desk setup, Pet subscription box
- Ready made starter bundle (sets bundle mode), Pick any three, one price (sets fixed pricing) and Base price plus upgrades (sets hybrid pricing and the wizard layout)
The last three configure the product for you, and the General tab shows the new values straight away, so pressing Update keeps them. The pick any three kit needs a base price, and the editor takes you to the field.
Add a component by hand
- Click Add component. A new card opens.
- Enter the Component name. It is the heading the shopper sees and the label used in the cart, order and email.
- Optionally add a Short description, for example a sizing note.
- Choose How options are shown: thumbnails, cards, radio buttons or a dropdown.
- Leave The shopper must choose an option here before adding to the cart ticked for a required choice, or untick it for an optional one.
- Set the Minimum quantity and Maximum quantity, and tick the plus and minus buttons option if the shopper may change the quantity.
- Under Price control, optionally add a discount or an extra fee for whatever is chosen here.
- Under Products the shopper can choose from, search by product name or SKU and click a result to add it. Variable products are listed as individual variations. Drag the rows to reorder them.
- Drag the component cards into the order you want, then click Update on the product. Components are only saved when you update the product.
The card header shows Required or Optional, how many products it has and a Remove link. Only published, purchasable products appear in the search. Composite and grouped products are left out on purpose, because nesting them would produce an order that cannot be fulfilled.
#Pro component options
Each component card has a Pro options section, and each product listed in it has three extra controls.
Several choices in one component
Tick Let the shopper choose several products here and the options get tick boxes instead of a single choice. The Minimum quantity and Maximum quantity of the component then count every item chosen in it, so a minimum and maximum of 3 means "choose 3 of these". With plus and minus buttons switched on, the shopper can also take more than one of a product. The dropdown style shows as a list of tick boxes in this mode. Bundle mode ignores this setting.
Products from categories and tags
In Also offer every product in these categories or tags, pick one or more categories or tags (hold Ctrl or Command to pick more than one). Every published product in them is offered after the products you listed by hand, newest first and up to 100. A product you add to the category later joins the kit without editing it. Price overrides, default choices and layer images can only be set on the products listed by hand.
Default choice
Select Default next to a product to have it chosen when the product page opens. The shopper can still change it. Select No default choice to clear it. In bundle mode the default product is the one that goes in the box.
Own price (per option price override)
Type a price in the Own price box next to a product to charge that price when it is picked in this component, without changing the product itself. This is useful when an item costs less as part of a kit. Leave the box empty to use the product price. The price is entered like any WooCommerce product price.
Layer image
Click Add layer next to a product to pick the image that is stacked on the visual preview when that product is chosen. Use a transparent PNG the same size as the product image. It is only used when Visual preview is set to stack layer images.
Overrides, defaults and layer images are kept when you save the product again, and copied when you duplicate it.
#Composite display tab: layout, preview and item limits
The Composite display tab controls how the configuration form looks for this one product.
- Choose the Layout:
- All components visible: every choice at once. Best for two or three components.
- Accordion (one section open at a time): the rest collapse, which keeps a long build readable on a phone.
- Step by step wizard: one component per step with a progress bar. Next checks that a required step is filled, and Add to cart appears on the last step. If something is still missing when the shopper presses Add to cart, the wizard opens that step. Hidden components are skipped.
- Tabbed, one tab per component: the shopper can jump around freely. A required tab left empty is opened when the shopper presses Add to cart.
- Choose a Visual preview (see below), or leave No preview.
- Optionally set Minimum items and Maximum items for the whole kit, for example at least 3 and at most 6 for a box of treats. Items are counted by quantity across every component. The product page shows the limit and a running count, and the cart checks it again. Leave both empty for no limit.
- Click Update.
New products start with the Default layout from Kitero > Settings. Catalog price display, out of stock handling and add to cart behaviour are set for the whole shop on the Kitero settings screen.
Visual preview
- Swap the product image for the latest choice: the main product image changes to the image of the product picked last. Clearing the choice brings the original image back. Themes without the WooCommerce gallery get a preview box above the components instead.
- Stack layer images on the product image: a preview box above the components starts from the product image and places the layer image of each choice on top, in component order. Add the layer images with Add layer next to each product on the Composite tab.
Bundles have no preview, because their contents are fixed.
#Composite logic tab: logic rules
A logic rule watches one component and then changes another. Use it to hide a component that does not apply, or to narrow the options after an earlier choice. Rules read like a sentence: When something happens in one component, then do something to another.
Rules run in the browser for a live experience and again on the server before anything reaches the cart, so a combination you have ruled out cannot be bought. A hidden component is never required.
Add a rule
- Add at least two components on the Composite tab and click Update once. A rule points at a component by its ID, and a component only gets one once it has been saved.
- Open the Composite logic tab and click Add rule.
- Optionally name the rule for your own reference, and leave Active ticked.
- After When, choose the trigger, then the component it watches. For the triggers about a specific option, pick the options in the list next to it (hold Ctrl or Command to pick more than one).
- After then, choose the action, then the component it changes. For the actions about listed options, pick those options in the list next to it.
- Click Update on the product.
A rule needs two different components. The option lists show every product of a component, including ones that are out of stock today (marked (out of stock)), so saving never drops an option from a rule. When a component is removed, or a template replaces the components, the rules that used it are deleted rather than moved to another component.
Untick Active to switch a rule off without deleting it, or click Remove to delete it. With no rules, every component is always shown.
#Bundle mode and pricing strategies
Bundle mode
A bundle is a composite whose contents you decide in advance. The shopper sees what is in the box and adds the whole thing in one click.
- On the General tab set Product mode to Bundle, you pick the contents in advance.
- Build the components on the Composite tab as you would for a configurable product.
- In each component, select Default next to the product that goes in the box. Without a default, the first product of the component is used.
- Tick The shopper must choose an option here before adding to the cart for items that are always in the box. Untick it to make an item optional: the shopper gets a tick box to drop it, and the total follows.
- Set the Minimum quantity to the number of that item in the box. Tick the plus and minus buttons option to let the shopper change it up to the maximum.
The item is always the one you chose. If a required item is out of stock, the whole bundle shows as out of stock and cannot be bought; another product is never swapped in. An optional item that is out of stock is left out automatically. A bundle shows one price in the catalog rather than a range. When a component discount makes the bundle cheaper than its items bought separately, the product page shows the saving. Bundles in the cart have no Edit link, because there are no choices to change.
Pricing strategies
| Strategy | How the total is worked out | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Per item | The sum of the chosen options. | Hampers and kits where each item has a real price. |
| Fixed | One flat Base price. What the shopper picks does not change the total. | Pick any three for one price, or a set menu. |
| Hybrid | A Base price, plus the chosen options on top. | A base machine or service with paid upgrades. |
Fixed pricing needs a base price above 0. Without one the product cannot be bought, and the editor shows a warning. Component discounts and extra fees work under Per item and Hybrid pricing and are ignored under Fixed pricing.
The Default pricing setting under Kitero > Settings only preselects the field on new products. A product that never had a pricing saved, for example one built in the free edition, is priced per item until you change it.
Base prices, price overrides and fixed fees are entered like any WooCommerce price, with or without tax as set under WooCommerce > Settings > Tax. The whole composite line is taxed once, with the tax class of the composite product.
#Composite orders
Kitero > Composite orders lists the orders that contain at least one composite product, with the Order, Customer, number of Composite items, Status, Total and Date. Click an order number to open it.
In the WooCommerce order screen, each kit line lists the components and the option the customer chose in each one, so you know exactly what to pack.
Stock is held by the chosen products, not by the kit. When the order reduces stock, the stock of each chosen item is reduced by its quantity times the number of kits on the line, and an order note records each change. Cancelling the order puts the stock back. A refund with Restock refunded items ticked puts back the items of the refunded kits.
Order again on a completed order rebuilds each kit from the stored choices, checked against today's products, prices and stock. A kit that can no longer be supplied is left out with a notice saying why.
#Settings
Kitero > Settings holds the shop wide defaults. They apply to every composite product, and some can still be changed per product.
- Product page: the default layout and option style for new products, background add to cart, your own Add to cart button text, and whether out of stock options are shown greyed out.
- Catalog: how the price appears on shop and category pages, and the text of the catalog button.
- Admin: how many results the component product search returns, and whether plugin data is deleted when the plugin is deleted.
- Pricing: the pricing preselected on new composite products.
- Insights: whether the choices shoppers make are recorded for the Insights screen.
Change what you need and click Save settings. Each field is described in the settings reference below.
#Setup wizard
Kitero > Setup asks a few quick questions to set the defaults for every composite product you build. It takes about a minute, and you can change any of it later on the settings screen.
- Layout: choose how shoppers move through the choices, and the Default pricing for new composite products. Click Continue.
- Options: choose how the options look by default. Every component keeps its own style. Click Continue.
- Shop: choose whether to add to cart without reloading the page, whether to show out of stock options, the catalog price, and whether to record what shoppers choose for Insights. Click Finish setup.
- Done: your defaults are saved. Click Create my first composite product or Read the documentation.
Click Skip for now to leave the wizard. You can run it again at any time from the dashboard; nothing you have built is changed.
#Built in documentation
Kitero > Documentation explains every option without leaving the dashboard: getting started, component options, layouts and styles, global settings, pricing and stock, troubleshooting, and the Pro features (bundle mode, pricing strategies, Pro component options, logic rules, visual preview, layouts, templates and insights). The Read the documentation link on the Composite tab opens this page.
#Composite insights
Kitero > Insights shows how your composite products are actually used. A row is recorded whenever a configuration reaches the cart. Nothing personal is stored, only which option of which component was chosen and how many, and only in your own database.
The headline cards show Configurations built, Component units chosen, Paid orders with a composite, Revenue from composite lines and Builds that became an order. They are refreshed every ten minutes.
Once shoppers start adding kits to the cart, two tables appear:
- By product: choices made, units, components used and when each kit was last built.
- Most popular option in each component: how often each option was chosen and its Share of the component. A component where one option takes almost everything is a candidate for a default choice, and the rest may not be worth stocking.
Recording is controlled by the Insights setting under Kitero > Settings. Switching it off stops new rows being written and leaves existing ones alone.
#WooCommerce downloadable products settings
WooCommerce > Settings > Products > Downloadable products is WooCommerce's own screen for how files of downloadable products are delivered. Kitero does not add fields here. The fields are listed in the settings reference for completeness.
Settings reference
Products > Edit product > Product data > General
The product editor fields that turn a product into a kit and set its mode and pricing. The Kitero fields sit on the General tab once the type is Composite product.
#Product name
The name of the kit, shown on the product page, in the shop, the cart and orders.
#Simple product Grouped product External/Affiliate product Variable product Composite product
The WooCommerce product type dropdown in the Product data box. Choosing Composite product turns the product into a kit and shows the Composite, Composite display and Composite logic tabs.
When to change it
Choose Composite product for every kit you build with Kitero.
#Virtual
Marks the kit as not needing shipping.
When to change it
Tick it for a kit that is never shipped, such as a service package. Leave it off for physical kits; a kit without its own weight ships at the combined weight of the chosen items.
#Product mode
Decides who picks the contents of the kit: the shopper or you. In bundle mode each component puts its default product in the box, or its first product when none is marked as default.
When to change it
Keep Configurable for build your own kits. Choose Bundle for a fixed set the shopper adds in one click.
#Pricing
How the total of the kit is worked out. New products start on the Default pricing from Kitero > Settings.
When to change it
Use per item when every item has a real price, fixed for one flat price, and hybrid for a base price with paid upgrades.
#Base price
Shown when Pricing is set to Fixed or Hybrid.
The price used by fixed and hybrid pricing, entered like any product price. With Fixed pricing this is the whole price and must be above 0. With Hybrid pricing the chosen items are added to it.
When to change it
Always fill it in for Fixed pricing; otherwise the editor warns that the product cannot be bought.
#Accessories
The WordPress Product categories box. Tick the categories the kit belongs to, so it shows on those category pages.
#Add new tag
The WordPress Product tags box. Separate tags with commas and click Add.
Products > Edit product > Product data > Composite
The fields on each component card. Click a card header to open it, and press Update on the product to save your components.
#Component name
The heading the shopper sees for this choice, and the label used in the cart, the order and the confirmation email. A component without a name is not saved.
When to change it
Use a short noun the shopper understands, for example Frame, Lens or Gift wrap.
#Short description
Optional helper text shown under the heading on the product page.
When to change it
Add sizing notes or a short instruction when the choice needs explaining.
#How options are shown
The style of the options in this component. New components start with the Default option style from Kitero > Settings.
When to change it
Use thumbnails or cards when the picture decides it, radio buttons for text choices, and a dropdown for many similar choices.
#The shopper must choose an option here before adding to the cart
Makes the component required. When unticked the component is optional: the shopper can skip it, or click a chosen option again to clear it. In bundle mode a required item is always in the box.
When to change it
Untick it for extras such as gift wrap or an add on.
#Minimum quantity
How many units of the chosen option are included (1 to 999). With several choices allowed, it counts every item chosen in the component. In bundle mode it is the number of that item in the box.
When to change it
Set it to 2 if the component always ships in pairs.
#Maximum quantity
The highest quantity the shopper can pick (1 to 999). If it is lower than the minimum, the minimum is lowered to match when you save.
When to change it
Leave it equal to the minimum for a fixed quantity.
#Let the shopper change the quantity with plus and minus buttons
Shows plus and minus buttons on the product page. The buttons appear only when the maximum is higher than one.
When to change it
Tick it when shoppers may take more than one unit, for example extra storage drives.
#Adjust the price of whatever is chosen here
Changes the price of the option picked in this component, in the Price control part of the card. A discount never takes a line below zero. Ignored under Fixed pricing.
When to change it
Choose a discount to reward a bigger build, or an extra fee for work such as engraving, assembly or gift wrapping.
#Amount
The size of the price change: a percentage or an amount in your shop currency, depending on the type picked. The catalog price range and the live total both take it into account.
#Let the shopper choose several products here
In the Pro options part of the card. The options get tick boxes instead of a single choice, and the minimum and maximum quantity count every item chosen. A minimum and maximum of 3 means "choose 3 of these". Bundle mode ignores it.
When to change it
Tick it for "pick any 3 of these 10" style kits.
#Also offer every product in these categories or tags
Lists your shop's product categories and tags. Published products in any of the selected ones are added after the products listed by hand, up to 100, newest first. Hold Ctrl or Command to pick more than one.
When to change it
Use it when new products in a category should join the kit on their own.
#No default choice. Use the Default button on a product below to have it chosen up front.
Selected when no product of the component is preselected on the product page.
When to change it
Select it to clear a default you set earlier.
#Products the shopper can choose from
Search by product name or SKU and click a result to add it as an option. Variable products are listed as individual variations. Drag the rows to reorder them and use the cross to remove one.
#Own price
Next to each listed product. The price inside this kit, entered like any product price. Leave empty to use the product price.
When to change it
Use it when an item should cost less (or more) as part of this kit than on its own.
#Default
Next to each listed product. Makes that product chosen when the product page opens; the shopper can still change it. In bundle mode it is the product that goes in the box.
#Add layer
Next to each listed product. The image stacked on the preview when this product is chosen. Use a transparent PNG the same size as the product image. Once set, the button reads Layer.
When to change it
Only needed when Visual preview is set to stack layer images.
Products > Edit product > Product data > Composite display
How the configuration form looks for this product, and how many items the whole kit must hold.
#Layout
How the components are laid out on the product page. New products start with the Default layout from Kitero > Settings.
When to change it
Use All components visible for two or three components, Accordion or Tabbed for longer builds, and the wizard for a guided build.
#Visual preview
Shows the shopper what the build looks like as they choose. Bundles have no preview.
When to change it
Choose Swap when each option has its own product photo. Choose Stack when you have layer images that combine into one picture.
#Minimum items
The fewest items the shopper must choose across all components, counting quantities (0 to 999). Leave empty for no minimum.
When to change it
Set it when a box must hold at least a certain number of items.
#Maximum items
The most items the shopper may choose in total, for example 6 for a box of six (0 to 999). Leave empty for no maximum.
Products > Edit product > Product data > Composite logic
The fields of each logic rule. Click Add rule to add one; the tab needs at least two saved components.
#Name this rule, for your reference
A name for the rule that only you see in the editor.
When to change it
Name rules when a product has several, so you can tell them apart.
#Active
Only active rules are applied on the product page and in the cart.
When to change it
Untick it to switch a rule off without deleting it.
#When
The trigger, followed by the component the rule watches and, for the specific option triggers, the options to watch.
#then
The action, followed by the component it changes and, for the listed option actions, the options. The target must be a different component from the one watched.
Kitero > Settings
Shop wide defaults for every composite product. Click Save settings after making changes.
#Default layout
Used by every new composite product. Change it for one product on the Composite display tab. Existing products keep their own layout.
When to change it
Pick the layout that suits most of your kits.
#Default option style
Pre-selected when you add a new component. Every component keeps its own setting.
#Add configurations to the cart without reloading the page
Sends the configuration in the background. The mini cart and side cart panels refresh in place.
When to change it
Recommended. Turn it off if your theme needs a full page load after adding to the cart.
#Add to cart button text
The button under the configuration form, for example Add my kit to cart. Bundles use it too. Leave empty to keep Add to cart.
#Show out of stock options, greyed out and not selectable
Off by default, which hides out of stock options completely. Turning this on tells shoppers the option exists but is unavailable right now.
When to change it
Turn it on when items come back in stock regularly and you want shoppers to know about them.
#Price display
How the price appears on shop and category pages. The lowest price counts required components only, so it matches what a shopper can actually pay. Bundles and fixed price kits always show one price.
#Catalog button text
The button on shop and category pages, which opens the product page. Leave empty to keep Configure.
#Product search results
How many results the component product search returns (5 to 100).
When to change it
Lower this on very large catalogs to keep the search quick.
#Delete all plugin data when the plugin is deleted
Off by default so your components survive a reinstall. When on, deleting the plugin drops its tables and settings. Your products and orders are never touched.
When to change it
Turn it on only when you are removing Kitero for good.
#Default pricing
Preselected on the General tab when you add a new composite product. Products you already have keep their own pricing.
#Note which option was chosen in each component when a configuration reaches the cart
Feeds the Insights screen. Nothing personal is stored, only the component, the option and the quantity.
When to change it
Switching this off stops new rows being written and leaves existing ones alone.
Kitero > Setup
The setup wizard fields. They save the same defaults as Kitero > Settings.
#All components visible Everything on one page. Best for two or three choices.
Step 1, How should shoppers move through the choices? Sets the default layout for new composite products. You can override it on any single product.
#Default pricing for new composite products
Preselected on new products only. Products you already have keep their own pricing.
#How should the options look?
Shown on step 2 (Options) of the wizard.
The starting style when you add a component. Every component keeps its own style.
#Add to cart without reloading the page
Shown on step 3 (Shop) of the wizard.
Recommended. Mini cart and side cart panels open straight away.
#Show out of stock options
Shown on step 3 (Shop) of the wizard.
They appear greyed out and cannot be selected. Leave this off to hide them completely.
#Catalog price
Shown on step 3 (Shop) of the wizard.
What shop and category pages show before the shopper opens the product.
#Record what shoppers choose for Insights
Shown on step 3 (Shop) of the wizard.
Only the component, the option and the quantity are stored, in your own database.
WooCommerce > Settings > Products > Downloadable products
WooCommerce's own settings for delivering downloadable files. Kitero adds no fields to this screen.
#File download method
How WooCommerce delivers downloadable files to customers. If you use X-Accel-Redirect with an NGINX server, apply the settings described in WooCommerce's downloadable product guide.
#Allow using redirect mode (insecure) as a last resort
If the Force Downloads or X-Accel-Redirect/X-Sendfile method does not work, WooCommerce uses the Redirect method as a last resort.
#Downloads require login
Customers must be logged in to download. This setting does not apply to guest purchases.
#Grant access to downloadable products after payment
Grants access to downloads when orders are processing, rather than completed.
#Open downloadable files in the browser, instead of saving them to the device.
Files open in the browser by default. Customers can still save them. Does not work with redirects.
#Append a unique string to filename for security
Adds a unique string to uploaded file names. Not required if your download directory is protected. Files already uploaded are not affected.
#Count downloads even if only part of a file is fetched.
Counts partial downloads toward download limits. Repeat fetches within a short window (by default 30 minutes) are not counted twice.
On your site
On the product page of a kit, the configuration form appears where WooCommerce prints the add to cart area. This also works when the product is shown through the WooCommerce [product_page] shortcode or a page builder template.
What shoppers see:
- Each component with its name, a Required badge where a choice is needed, and its options in the style you chose (thumbnails, cards, radio buttons or a dropdown). Prices are shown the way your shop shows prices.
- With the step by step wizard: a progress bar with "Step 1 of 3" style text and Previous and Next buttons. With the tabbed layout: one tab per component.
- A summary under the form listing each choice, the item limit with a running count when you set Minimum or Maximum items, and the live Total.
- The Add to cart button (or your own text). Messages such as "Please choose an option for ..." or "Choose at least 2 items." tell the shopper what is missing.
- With a visual preview, the product image changes or layers build up as they choose.
Shop and category pages show the kit's price as a range, a starting price or no price (your Price display setting) and a Configure button (or your own text) that opens the product page.
A bundle shows What is in this bundle, with a tick box to include each optional item, Optional and Out of stock labels, the Bundle total, any You save amount, and an Add bundle to cart button unless you set your own text.
In the cart, the kit is marked Composite and lists the chosen option of each component, with an Edit link under Your choices. It opens the product page with those choices filled in, and the button reads Update cart. Sending it replaces the line and keeps its quantity. The choices also appear at checkout, in the order and in the emails.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need the free plugin as well?
No. Pro contains everything the free edition does. Running both would register the product type twice, so while Pro is active the free edition stays idle and shows a notice asking you to deactivate it. Pro never switches another plugin on or off.
Will I lose my components if I move from free to Pro?
No. Both editions use the same tables and the same settings. Pro adds its own columns without touching the data already there. Products built in the free edition are priced per item until you change their pricing.
Can I go back to the free edition?
Yes. Deactivate Pro and activate the free plugin. Your components and settings stay. Pro only settings, such as logic rules and pricing strategy, are kept in the database but stop being applied.
Can shoppers choose variations of a variable product?
Yes. When you add a variable product to a component, each variation is listed as its own option, so the shopper picks a real, purchasable item. Give every attribute of such a variation a value; a variation set to "Any" for an attribute has no value to pass on to the order.
Does the composite product need its own price?
Not with Per item pricing: the total is the sum of what the shopper chooses. With Fixed pricing you must enter a Base price above 0, and with Hybrid pricing the base price is added to the chosen items.
How is stock handled?
Stock is held by the chosen products. When an order reduces stock, each chosen item is reduced by its quantity times the number of kits, and an order note records it. Cancelling puts the stock back, and a refund with Restock refunded items ticked returns the items of the refunded kits. The cart counts every kit and every plain product together, so two kits cannot oversell an item between them.
How is tax worked out?
Option prices, base prices, overrides and fixed fees are used exactly as entered in your shop, with or without tax as set under WooCommerce > Settings > Tax. The whole kit line is taxed once, with the tax status and tax class of the composite product from its General tab.
Can customers change a kit after adding it to the cart?
Yes. Each kit in the cart has an Edit link that reopens the product page with the choices filled in. Order again on a completed order rebuilds each kit, checked against today's products, prices and stock. Bundles have no Edit link, because their contents are fixed.
Can I copy a kit to make a similar one?
Yes. Use Duplicate on the Products list or Copy to a new draft in the product editor. The draft gets every component, its products, price overrides, default items and logic rules.
Does Kitero send shopper data anywhere?
No tracking, analytics or telemetry. The Insights report is built from data stored in your own database, and it stores only the component, the option and the quantity, nothing personal.
Troubleshooting
- The Composite tab is missing
Set the product type dropdown in the Product data box to Composite product. The Composite, Composite display and Composite logic tabs only appear for that type.
- "This composite uses fixed pricing but has no base price, so it cannot be bought. Enter a base price above 0 on the General tab, or choose another pricing."
The product's Pricing is set to Fixed and the Base price is empty or 0. Open the General tab, enter a base price above 0 and click Update, or switch Pricing to Per item or Hybrid.
- Shoppers see "This product is not ready to be bought yet."
The kit has nothing to sell: it has no components with products, or it uses Fixed pricing without a base price. Add components and products on the Composite tab, check the Base price on the General tab, and click Update.
- "Add at least two components on the Composite tab, then come back to link them with a rule."
A logic rule links two different components. Add a second component on the Composite tab, click Update, then return to the Composite logic tab.
- "Save the product first. A rule points at a component by its ID, and a component only gets one once it has been saved."
You added new components but have not saved them yet. Click Update (or Save Draft) on the product, then open the Composite logic tab again.
- A product does not show in the component search
Only published, purchasable products appear. Composite and grouped products are left out on purpose. Check that the product is published and has a price. On a very large catalog, raise Product search results under Kitero > Settings or search by SKU.
- The catalog shows no price or a zero price
A kit needs at least one required component with an in stock product before a price can be worked out. Check the Price display setting under Kitero > Settings, which can hide the price. A fixed price kit without a base price shows no price.
- "Please choose your options on the product page before adding this product to the cart."
The kit was added to the cart from a link or button without a configuration. Shoppers must build the kit on its product page. Use the catalog button (Configure), which opens the product page.
- Shoppers see ""..." is out of stock." or an option is missing from the form
The chosen item has no stock left. Out of stock options are hidden unless Show out of stock options, greyed out and not selectable is on under Kitero > Settings. Restock the product or offer another one in the component. In a bundle, an out of stock required item makes the whole bundle out of stock.
- The component list looks cramped in the cart
The plugin stylesheet lays out one line per component and takes its colour from your theme. If a caching plugin is active, clear its cache after updating Kitero so the current stylesheet is served.