BigCommerce for WordPress creates a headless architecture where WordPress handles your content and front-end while BigCommerce manages ecommerce operations. Setup involves both BigCommerce and WordPress configuration. This guide walks through both.
Step 1: Create Your BigCommerce Account
Go to bigcommerce.com and start a free trial (paid plans from $39/month after trial). Complete the BigCommerce store setup: add your business information, configure currency and tax settings, and set up at least one payment method. BigCommerce handles all payment processing — configure this before connecting to WordPress.
Step 2: Install the WordPress Plugin
Install “BigCommerce for WordPress” from WordPress.org. Activate and go to BigCommerce → Connect Account. The plugin initiates an OAuth connection to BigCommerce. Sign in with your BigCommerce credentials and authorise the connection. The plugin creates API credentials automatically.
Step 3: Initial Product Sync
After connecting, BigCommerce begins syncing your product catalog to WordPress. This creates WordPress posts for each BigCommerce product. The sync runs in the background — for large catalogs, this takes time. Go to BigCommerce → Products to monitor sync progress and verify products appear correctly.
Prefer to have someone handle the setup? Describe what you need and get a free estimate — no obligation.
Step 4: Configure Checkout
Go to BigCommerce → Settings → Cart & Checkout. Two checkout options:
- Hosted Checkout — customers are redirected to BigCommerce’s checkout page. Simpler to set up, checkout design is BigCommerce’s default
- Embedded Checkout — checkout appears within your WordPress page. More seamless experience but requires more configuration and SSL certificate
For most sites starting out, hosted checkout is faster to get working. Configure embedded checkout once the basics are confirmed working.
Step 5: Configure Product Display
Go to BigCommerce → Settings → Product Catalog. Set up how products display on your WordPress site:
- Products per page in category archives
- Default sort order
- Faceted search filters to show in the sidebar
- Product image display settings
Step 6: Configure WordPress Pages
BigCommerce creates shortcodes for cart, account, and checkout pages. Go to BigCommerce → Settings → Cart & Checkout and verify the correct WordPress pages are assigned for Cart, Account, and Checkout. These pages contain BigCommerce shortcodes — do not delete their content.