WooCommerce Product Page Custom Message Box

A WooCommerce Product Page Custom Message Box allows your customers to add personalized text, such as gift notes, engraving details, or special instructions, directly on the product page.1

In late 2025, there are two main ways to achieve this: using a specialized "Add-on" plugin or adding a small snippet of code.

1. Top Recommended Plugins (2025)

If you want features like character limits, extra fees for text, or "Live Previews," these plugins are the best options.

Plugin Name

Best For

Key Feature

WooCommerce Product Options

Professional Use

Advanced character limits and "Live Preview" to see text on the product image.

Flexible Product Fields

Tight Budgets

A powerful free version that includes 18+ field types including text and paragraphs.

Product Add-Ons

Simplicity

The official WooCommerce extension; very reliable and integrates perfectly with all themes.

WowAddons

Visual Design

Modern drag-and-drop builder with built-in style customization to match your brand.

2. Key Customization Features

When setting up your message box, most of these tools allow you to configure:

Field Types: Choose between a Short Text field (for names/monograms) or a Long Text/Textarea (for gift messages).

Character Limits: Prevent customers from entering too much text by setting a maximum length (e.g., 255 characters).2

Conditional Logic: Only show the message box if a certain checkbox (like "Add a Gift Note?") is clicked.3

Pricing Rules: Charge a flat fee for the message or a per-character price (popular for engraving services).4

3. Implementation Strategies

A. The "Gift Note" Strategy

Use a Textarea field and label it "Gift Message." You can set this as an optional field so it doesn't block regular checkouts. This information will follow the order into the WooCommerce backend and be visible to your fulfillment team.

B. The "Personalized Engraving" Strategy

Use a Short Text field with a "Required" constraint. You can add a small additional cost (e.g., +$5.00) that updates the product price instantly using AJAX when the user starts typing.

C. The "Non-Plugin" Method (Code Snippet)

If you are comfortable with code, you can use the woocommerce_before_add_to_cart_button hook in your functions.php file to manually inject a text input. However, this method requires extra work to ensure the data is saved to the cart and the final order.

How can I help you with your Custom Message Box?

Installation: Would you like a step-by-step guide on how to set a character limit using the Flexible Product Fields plugin?

Design: Do you need a CSS snippet to style the message box (e.g., adding a border or changing the font) to better match your theme?

Order Management: Are you looking for a way to make sure these custom messages appear on your printed PDF invoices?

Would you like me to find the specific "Live Preview" documentation for Barn2's plugin so you can see how text overlays on product images?