Cartexa – Smart Cart for WooCommerce

01 — Overview

What is Cartexa?

Cartexa is a lightweight WooCommerce cart plugin that replaces the default cart redirect with a smooth AJAX side drawer — and bundles 8 independent conversion modules you can toggle on or off without touching a line of code.

Every module loads zero overhead when disabled. The entire frontend weighs under 40 KB minified. No jQuery dependency.

🛒

AJAX Side Cart Drawer

Slide-in cart that opens on add-to-cart or icon click. Qty update and item remove happen in-place — no page reload.

🚀

Floating Cart Button

Persistent FAB in the corner of the page. Shows a live item count badge. Fully configurable icon, position, and offset.

📦

Free Shipping Bar

Progress bar inside the drawer that motivates customers toward your free shipping threshold. Auto-reads WooCommerce free shipping rules.

🔒

Trust Badges

Four built-in badges (Secure Checkout, Easy Returns, Fast Shipping, 24/7 Support) plus two custom badge slots.

⚠️

Scarcity Messages

Pulls real WooCommerce stock counts and shows a configurable low-stock alert per cart line item to drive urgency.

🍞

Toast Notifications

A lightweight add-to-cart confirmation popup with product name and thumbnail. Auto-dismisses after a configurable delay.

↩️

Undo Remove

After removing an item, a temporary undo banner lets shoppers restore it within a configurable timeout window.

🔗

Nav Menu Cart Icon

Shortcode and widget to place a live cart icon anywhere — in menus, headers, or sidebars — with real-time count badge.

✅

All 8 modules are free. Toggle any combination on or off from the admin panel — disabled modules load no assets and add zero database queries.

02 — Requirements

Requirements

Requirement	Minimum	Recommended
WordPress	6.3	7.1+
WooCommerce	7.0	9.0+
PHP	7.4	8.2+
MySQL	5.6	8.0+
Browser	Any modern browser — no IE11 support

⚠️

WooCommerce must be installed and activated before activating Cartexa. The plugin declares Requires Plugins: woocommerce in its header — WordPress will warn you if WooCommerce is missing.

03 — Getting Started

Installation

1

Upload the plugin

Go to WordPress Admin → Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin. Select the cartexa-smart-cart-for-woocommerce.zip file and click Install Now.

2

Activate

Click Activate Plugin. Cartexa saves its default settings on first activation — no database tables are created.

3

Open the settings page

Navigate to WooCommerce → Cartexa in your admin menu.

WooCommerce → Cartexa

4

Enable the Side Cart & save

On the Side Cart tab, toggle Enable module on and click Save Settings. The drawer is live instantly.

5

Enable optional modules

Visit the Floating Cart, Shipping Bar, Trust Badges, and other tabs to activate the modules you need. Each module is fully independent.

04 — Reference

File Structure

cartexa-smart-cart-for-woocommerce/ ├── cartexa-smart-cart.php ← Main plugin file (headers, constants) ├── uninstall.php ← Clean-up on delete ├── readme.txt ├── admin/ │ ├── class-cartexa-admin-panel.php ← All admin UI tabs & sections │ ├── css/ cartexa-admin.css │ └── js/ cartexa-admin.js ├── includes/ │ ├── class-cartexa-core.php ← Bootstrap, subsystem registration │ ├── class-cartexa-settings.php ← Settings CRUD, sanitization │ ├── class-cartexa-assets.php ← wp_enqueue, JS config, inline styles │ ├── class-cartexa-ajax.php ← AJAX handlers (qty, remove, fragments) │ ├── class-cartexa-frontend.php ← Drawer HTML output │ ├── class-cartexa-install.php ← Activation / deactivation / upgrades │ ├── class-cartexa-shortcodes.php ← [cartexa_cart_icon] shortcode │ ├── class-cartexa-widget.php ← WP_Widget for cart icon │ └── modules/ │ ├── class-cartexa-module-loader.php │ ├── class-cartexa-module-floating-cart.php │ ├── class-cartexa-module-shipping-bar.php │ ├── class-cartexa-module-trust-badges.php │ ├── class-cartexa-module-scarcity.php │ └── class-cartexa-module-nav-menu.php ├── frontend/ │ ├── css/ cartexa.css · cartexa-modules.css │ ├── js/ cartexa.js │ └── templates/ │ ├── cart-drawer.php │ ├── cart-item.php │ ├── cart-empty.php │ └── cart-overlay.php └── languages/ └── cartexa-smart-cart-for-woocommerce.pot

05 — Admin UI

Side Cart

The core module. When enabled, the Side Cart intercepts all add-to-cart events and cart icon clicks, then opens an AJAX-powered slide-in drawer instead of redirecting to /cart.

🧴

🕯️

🌿

Lumière Studio · Shop

Cart 3

✕

Add $16 more for free shipping

🧴

Botanical Face Serum

30ml · Rosehip

−

1

+

Only 4 left!

$48

🕯️

Lavender Soy Candle

200g · Single Wick

−

2

+

$68

🔒 Secure

↩️ Returns

🚚 Fast Ship

yourstore.com/wp-admin/admin.php?page=cartexa-smart-cart

🛒

Side Cart

Enable module

Drawer position

Open drawer on

Open animation

Drawer width

420px

Close on overlay click

🎨

Appearance

Accent color

Cart icon size

22px

Settings Reference

Key	Type	Default	Description
enable_drawer	bool	yes	Enable the AJAX side cart drawer
drawer_position	string	right	`right` or `left` — which side the drawer slides in from
drawer_trigger	string	both	`both` · `add_to_cart` · `icon_click`
animation_style	string	slide	`slide` · `fade` · `none`
drawer_width	int	420	Drawer width in pixels (280–680)
overlay_close	bool	yes	Close drawer when clicking the backdrop overlay
accent_color	string	#7c3aed	Primary brand color for buttons and progress fill
cart_icon_size	int	22	Cart icon size in pixels (16–40)

06 — Admin UI

Floating Cart Button

A persistent floating action button (FAB) that stays visible as the visitor scrolls. Shows a live item count badge that updates on every cart change — no page reload needed.

💡

The FAB is independent of the Side Cart module. You can enable one, both, or neither. When both are active, clicking the FAB opens the Side Cart drawer.

Key	Type	Default	Description
enable_floating_cart	bool	no	Enable the floating cart button
floating_cart_position	string	bottom-right	`bottom-right` or `bottom-left`
floating_cart_icon	string	bag	`bag` · `basket` · `trolley`
floating_cart_label	string	""	Optional text label next to the icon. Leave blank for icon only.
floating_cart_offset_x	int	24	Horizontal edge offset in pixels (8–120)
floating_cart_offset_y	int	24	Vertical bottom offset in pixels (8–120)

07 — Admin UI

Free Shipping Bar

Displays a progress bar at the top of the cart drawer showing how close the visitor is to earning free shipping. The bar reads your WooCommerce free shipping method automatically — no manual threshold required unless you prefer to override it.

Use {amount} in your message templates as a placeholder for the remaining amount, formatted in the store's active currency.

✅

Leave Manual threshold at 0 to auto-detect from your active WooCommerce Free Shipping method. The plugin reads the minimum order amount directly from WooCommerce settings.

Key	Type	Default	Description
enable_shipping_bar	bool	yes	Enable the free shipping progress bar
shipping_threshold	int	0	Manual threshold override. `0` = auto-detect from WooCommerce
shipping_bar_msg_progress	string	Spend {amount} more for free shipping!	Message shown while below the threshold. Use `{amount}` for remaining amount.
shipping_bar_msg_reached	string	🎉 You've unlocked free shipping!	Message shown when the threshold is met or exceeded
shipping_bar_color	string	#10b981	Fill color of the progress bar (hex)

08 — Admin UI

Trust Badges

Displays a row of trust signals inside the cart drawer. Four pre-built badge types are available as toggles, plus two free-text custom badge slots for your own messaging.

Key	Type	Default	Description
enable_trust_badges	bool	yes	Enable the trust badges row
trust_badges_position	string	after_actions	`after_actions` — below checkout buttons · `drawer_bottom` — pinned to bottom
trust_badge_secure	bool	yes	Show "🔒 Secure Checkout" badge
trust_badge_returns	bool	yes	Show "🔄 Easy Returns" badge
trust_badge_shipping	bool	yes	Show "🚚 Fast Shipping" badge
trust_badge_support	bool	no	Show "💬 24/7 Support" badge
trust_custom_text_1	string	""	Custom badge slot 1 (e.g. "Money-back guarantee")
trust_custom_text_2	string	""	Custom badge slot 2 (e.g. "Free gift wrapping")

09 — Admin UI

Stock Scarcity Messages

Reads the actual WooCommerce stock quantity for each cart line item and displays a configurable low-stock warning when the count falls at or below your threshold. The warning appears directly below the quantity controls for that item.

ℹ️

Only products with stock management enabled in WooCommerce show scarcity messages. Products set to "In stock" without a quantity are silently skipped.

Key	Type	Default	Description
enable_scarcity	bool	yes	Enable stock scarcity messages
scarcity_threshold	int	5	Show message when stock is at or below this number (1–50)
scarcity_message	string	Only {qty} left in stock!	Message template. Use `{qty}` for the actual stock count.
scarcity_color	string	#ef4444	Text color of the scarcity message (hex)

10 — Admin UI

Display & Labels

Controls what elements appear in the drawer footer — buttons, subtotal, tax note — and lets you customise the button labels and the empty cart state.

Drawer Footer

Key	Type	Default	Description
show_subtotal	bool	yes	Show cart subtotal above the checkout button
show_tax_note	bool	yes	Show "Taxes & shipping calculated at checkout" note
show_checkout_btn	bool	yes	Show the primary Checkout button
show_view_cart_btn	bool	yes	Show the secondary View Cart button
show_continue_btn	bool	no	Show a "Continue Shopping" link that closes the drawer
show_item_count_badge	bool	yes	Show the item count badge in the drawer header

Button Labels

Key	Type	Default	Description
checkout_btn_text	string	Checkout	Checkout button label. Leave blank for WooCommerce default.
view_cart_btn_text	string	View Cart	View Cart button label. Leave blank for WooCommerce default.

Empty Cart State

Key	Type	Default	Description
empty_cart_message	string	Your cart is empty.	Heading shown when the cart has no items
empty_cart_btn_text	string	Start Shopping	CTA button label on the empty state
empty_cart_btn_url	string	/shop	URL the empty state CTA links to (defaults to WooCommerce shop page)

11 — Admin UI

Cart Icon

Configures the cart icon style and accent color used across the whole plugin — in the floating cart button, nav menu widget, and the drawer header trigger icon.

Key	Type	Default	Description
enable_mini_cart	bool	yes	Required to use the `[cartexa_cart_icon]` shortcode and widget
cart_icon_style	string	bag	`bag` · `basket` · `trolley` — SVG icon set
accent_color	string	#7c3aed	Global accent color (CSS custom property `--cartexa-accent`)

12 — Developer

Shortcode & Widget

Cartexa provides one shortcode and one WordPress widget for placing a cart icon anywhere on your storefront.

Shortcode

// Basic usage — uses settings from admin panel
[cartexa_cart_icon]

// With all attributes
[cartexa_cart_icon show_label="yes" label="Cart" icon="bag"]

Attribute	Default	Description
show_label	no	Set to `yes` to show a text label alongside the icon
label	""	Custom label text. Defaults to the value in the Cart Icon settings tab.
icon	(from settings)	Override the icon style: `bag` · `basket` · `trolley`

Widget

A WP_Widget is registered as Cartexa Cart Icon. Add it to any sidebar or widget area from Appearance → Widgets. It renders the same cart icon shortcode with a live badge count.

PHP function

// Output the cart icon anywhere in your theme
<?php echo do_shortcode( '[cartexa_cart_icon]' ); ?>

13 — Developer

AJAX Endpoints

All cart mutations use WordPress AJAX with nonce verification. The nonce is passed in the JS config object (window.cartexaConfig.nonce) and verified on every request.

Action	Method	Parameters	Description
cartexa_get_fragments	POST	`nonce`	Returns updated cart HTML fragments and item count. Called after any cart change.
cartexa_update_qty	POST	`nonce`, `cart_item_key`, `qty`	Updates the quantity of a cart line item. Returns fragments on success.
cartexa_remove_item	POST	`nonce`, `cart_item_key`	Removes a line item from the cart. Returns fragments and the removed item data for Undo.
cartexa_refresh_nonce	POST	—	Returns a fresh nonce. Called automatically when a nonce expires (e.g. after user login/logout).
cartexa_export_settings	POST	`nonce`	Admin only. Returns all plugin settings as a downloadable JSON object.
cartexa_import_settings	POST	`nonce`, `settings`	Admin only. Imports and validates a JSON settings object. Overwrites current settings.

⚠️

All AJAX endpoints are available to both logged-in and guest users except cartexa_export_settings and cartexa_import_settings which require manage_options capability.

14 — Reference

All Settings

All settings are stored in a single WordPress option: cartexa_settings (serialised array). You can read any setting programmatically:

<?php
// Read a single setting
$drawer_width = Cartexa\Settings::fetch( 'drawer_width', 420 );

// Read a boolean setting
$is_enabled = Cartexa\Settings::fetch_bool( 'enable_drawer' );

Key	Type	Default	Description
enable_drawer	bool	yes	Enable AJAX side cart drawer
drawer_position	string	right	`right` · `left`
drawer_trigger	string	both	`both` · `add_to_cart` · `icon_click`
animation_style	string	slide	`slide` · `fade` · `none`
drawer_width	int	420	Drawer width in px (280–680)
overlay_close	bool	yes	Close on backdrop click
accent_color	string	#7c3aed	Global CSS accent color
cart_icon_size	int	22	Icon size in px (16–40)
cart_icon_style	string	bag	`bag` · `basket` · `trolley`
enable_mini_cart	bool	yes	Enable shortcode & widget
enable_floating_cart	bool	no	Enable floating cart FAB
floating_cart_position	string	bottom-right	`bottom-right` · `bottom-left`
floating_cart_icon	string	bag	`bag` · `basket` · `trolley`
floating_cart_label	string	""	Optional FAB text label
floating_cart_offset_x	int	24	Horizontal offset px
floating_cart_offset_y	int	24	Vertical offset px
enable_shipping_bar	bool	yes	Enable free shipping progress bar
shipping_threshold	int	0	Manual threshold (0 = auto)
shipping_bar_msg_progress	string	Spend {amount} more…	Progress message — use `{amount}`
shipping_bar_msg_reached	string	🎉 You've unlocked…	Threshold reached message
shipping_bar_color	string	#10b981	Progress bar fill color
enable_trust_badges	bool	yes	Enable trust badges row
trust_badges_position	string	after_actions	`after_actions` · `drawer_bottom`
trust_badge_secure	bool	yes	🔒 Secure Checkout badge
trust_badge_returns	bool	yes	🔄 Easy Returns badge
trust_badge_shipping	bool	yes	🚚 Fast Shipping badge
trust_badge_support	bool	no	💬 24/7 Support badge
trust_custom_text_1	string	""	Custom badge slot 1
trust_custom_text_2	string	""	Custom badge slot 2
enable_scarcity	bool	yes	Enable stock scarcity messages
scarcity_threshold	int	5	Show message when stock ≤ this
scarcity_message	string	Only {qty} left!	Template — use `{qty}`
scarcity_color	string	#ef4444	Scarcity text color
enable_toast	bool	yes	Enable add-to-cart toast notification
enable_undo_remove	bool	yes	Enable undo banner after item remove
enable_nav_menu	bool	yes	Enable nav menu cart icon integration
show_subtotal	bool	yes	Show subtotal in drawer footer
show_checkout_btn	bool	yes	Show Checkout button
show_view_cart_btn	bool	yes	Show View Cart button
checkout_btn_text	string	Checkout	Checkout button label
view_cart_btn_text	string	View Cart	View Cart button label
empty_cart_message	string	Your cart is empty.	Empty state heading
empty_cart_btn_text	string	Start Shopping	Empty state CTA label
empty_cart_btn_url	string	/shop	Empty state CTA URL

15 — Developer

Hooks & Filters

Filters

Hook	Arguments	Description
cartexa_load_assets	`$load` (bool)	Force assets to load on a specific page. Return `true` to enqueue on any page.
cartexa_js_config	`$config` (array)	Modify the JavaScript config object passed to `window.cartexaConfig`. Useful for injecting custom data for extensions.
cartexa_drawer_classes	`$classes` (array)	Add or remove CSS classes from the drawer wrapper element.
cartexa_sanitize_settings	`$clean` (array), `$input` (array)	Runs after the built-in settings sanitization. Return the final clean array.

Actions

Hook	Description
cartexa_loaded	Fires after the plugin core finishes bootstrapping. Receives the core instance as the first argument.
cartexa_activated	Fires on plugin activation, after default settings are saved.
cartexa_deactivated	Fires on plugin deactivation.
cartexa_before_drawer	Fires immediately before the drawer template is output to the page. Use to inject HTML before the drawer.
cartexa_after_drawer	Fires immediately after the drawer template. Use to inject HTML after the drawer.
cartexa_modules_loaded	Fires after all active modules have been registered and hooked.

Usage example

// Force assets to load on your homepage
add_filter( 'cartexa_load_assets', function( $load ) {
    if ( is_front_page() ) {
        return true;
    }
    return $load;
} );

// Add a custom class to the drawer
add_filter( 'cartexa_drawer_classes', function( $classes ) {
    $classes[] = 'my-custom-theme';
    return $classes;
} );

// Run code after the drawer is output
add_action( 'cartexa_after_drawer', function() {
    echo '<div class="my-extra-element"></div>';
} );

16 — FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this work with my theme?

Yes. Cartexa hooks into WooCommerce's standard cart actions and does not override any theme templates. It renders its drawer as a separate layer appended to <body> — completely independent of your theme's layout. It has been tested with Storefront, Astra, Flatsome, Divi, and block themes including the default Twenty-series.

Will it work with variable products?

Yes. Cartexa intercepts the standard WooCommerce add-to-cart flow after WooCommerce itself has resolved the variation. The cart drawer shows the selected variation attributes (size, color, etc.) below each item name. Quantity updates and removals work identically for simple and variable products.

Does it conflict with other cart plugins?

Cartexa is built on standard WooCommerce hooks and does not monkey-patch core classes. Conflict is most likely with other side-cart or mini-cart plugins that hook into the same events. We recommend running only one cart replacement plugin at a time. Use the cartexa_load_assets filter to conditionally disable loading on specific pages if needed.

Will it slow down my site?

No. Assets are only enqueued on shop, product, cart, and checkout pages (plus any page where the shortcode is used). Disabled modules load zero assets. The frontend JS is under 40 KB minified with no jQuery dependency. No external scripts or fonts are loaded.

How do I translate the plugin?

Cartexa is fully translation-ready. A .pot file is included in the languages/ folder. All strings use the text domain cartexa-smart-cart-for-woocommerce. You can translate using Loco Translate, PoEdit, or the WordPress.org GlotPress translation system. On WordPress 4.6+, translation files are auto-loaded from wp-content/languages/plugins/.

Can I customise the drawer templates?

Template override is not yet built in, but you can use the cartexa_before_drawer and cartexa_after_drawer action hooks to inject HTML around the drawer, and the cartexa_drawer_classes filter to add your own CSS classes. Full template override support is planned for a future version.

Does it support HPOS (High-Performance Order Storage)?

Yes. Cartexa does not read order data directly — it only reads the WooCommerce cart session. HPOS compatibility is therefore unconditional. The plugin declares WooCommerce\Blocks\Compatibility headers for Block themes as well.

How do I export and import my settings?

Go to Cartexa → Tools tab in the admin. Click Export Settings to download a JSON file of all your settings. On another site, go to the same tab and upload the JSON file with Import Settings. The import validates the JSON before applying it — invalid files are rejected with an error message.

17 — Changelog

Changelog

v1.0.0

September 2026

Initial Release

AJAX Side Cart Drawer — slide in from right or left, with slide/fade/none animation

Floating Cart Button (FAB) — persistent corner button with live item count badge

Free Shipping Progress Bar — auto-reads WooCommerce free shipping rules, custom messages with {amount} placeholder

Trust Badges — 4 built-in badges + 2 custom text slots, configurable position

Stock Scarcity Messages — reads live WooCommerce stock, configurable threshold and {qty} template

Toast Notifications — add-to-cart confirmation with product thumbnail

Undo Remove — restore removed items from a temporary undo banner

Nav Menu Cart Icon — [cartexa_cart_icon] shortcode and WP_Widget

Settings Export / Import — JSON export/import from the Tools tab

Zero jQuery — vanilla ES6 throughout, under 40 KB minified

HPOS compatible — no direct order table reads

WPCS clean — 0 errors, 0 warnings under WordPress Coding Standard

Translation ready — .pot file included, text domain cartexa-smart-cart-for-woocommerce

Cartexa – Smart Cartfor WooCommerce

What is Cartexa?

Requirements

Installation

File Structure

Side Cart

Settings Reference

Floating Cart Button

Free Shipping Bar

Trust Badges

Stock Scarcity Messages

Display & Labels

Drawer Footer

Button Labels

Empty Cart State

Cart Icon

Shortcode & Widget

Shortcode

Widget

PHP function

AJAX Endpoints

All Settings

Hooks & Filters

Filters

Actions

Usage example

Frequently Asked Questions

Changelog

Cartexa – Smart Cart
for WooCommerce