Excluding a Category Becomes a Pain

Hi @camiloluna

Thanks for reaching out. If I understand correctly, when a product category is listed within the “Exclude categories from sync” option, it seems that new products cannot be created. Is my understanding accurate?

If so, this outcome is not anticipated. The intention of using the “Exclude categories from sync” feature within Marketing > Facebook > Product Sync is to prevent products from syncing to Facebook. However, it should not impede your ability to edit or add new products within WooCommerce.

Could you please confirm if this aligns with your experience or if there is another issue at play?

If so, could you provide us with the status report found under WooCommerce > Status > Get system report to get a better idea of the site’s environment? Here is a support page to help obtain that information for our team:

https://woocommerce.com/document/understanding-the-woocommerce-system-status-report/#system-status

Hi @johndcoy,

Thanks for getting back to me.

That is correct. See here: https://st.alzr.co/2023-11-15_14.56.29.gif

And here’s the system report:

`
### WordPress Environment ###

WordPress address (URL): https://www.desal.co
Site address (URL): https://www.desal.co
WC Version: 7.2.2
REST API Version: ? 7.2.2
WC Blocks Version: ? 8.9.2
Action Scheduler Version: ? 3.6.2
Log Directory Writable: ?
WP Version: 6.4.1
WP Multisite: –
WP Memory Limit: 768 MB
WP Debug Mode: –
WP Cron: ?
Language: en_US
External object cache: –

### Server Environment ###

Server Info: Apache
PHP Version: 7.4.33
PHP Post Max Size: 256 MB
PHP Time Limit: 120
PHP Max Input Vars: 3000
cURL Version: 7.85.0
OpenSSL/3.0.9

SUHOSIN Installed: –
MySQL Version: 5.7.39-42-log
Max Upload Size: 256 MB
Default Timezone is UTC: ?
fsockopen/cURL: ?
SoapClient: ?
DOMDocument: ?
GZip: ?
Multibyte String: ?
Remote Post: ?
Remote Get: ?

### Database ###

WC Database Version: 7.2.2
WC Database Prefix: otk6_
Total Database Size: 153.83MB
Database Data Size: 120.74MB
Database Index Size: 33.09MB
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otk6_yoast_primary_term: Data: 0.02MB + Index: 0.03MB + Engine InnoDB
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otk6_yoast_seo_meta: Data: 0.28MB + Index: 0.00MB + Engine InnoDB

### Post Type Counts ###

acf-field: 2
acf-field-group: 1
attachment: 746
custom_css: 2
et_body_layout: 6
et_pb_layout: 16
et_template: 6
et_theme_builder: 1
global_product_addon: 2
gp_elements: 13
happyform: 1
happyforms-message: 5
itsec-dash-card: 14
itsec-dashboard: 2
mc4wp-form: 2
nav_menu_item: 92
oembed_cache: 14
page: 29
post: 31
postman_sent_mail: 250
product: 125
product_variation: 89
revision: 438
seopress_404: 26
seopress_bot: 1
seopress_schemas: 2
shop_coupon: 2
shop_order: 742
shop_order_refund: 14
thegem_testimonial: 1
wc_appointment: 317
wp_block: 2
wp_global_styles: 1

### Security ###

Secure connection (HTTPS): ?
Hide errors from visitors: ?

### Active Plugins (39) ###

WPML Multilingual CMS: by OnTheGoSystems – 4.6.6
Accordion Blocks: by Phil Buchanan – 1.5.0
Advanced Custom Fields PRO: by WP Engine – 6.2.2
Atarim: Visual Website Collaboration, Feedback & Workflow Management: by Atarim – 3.12
Solid Backups: by SolidWP – 9.1.2
Classic Widgets: by WordPress Contributors – 0.3
Cloudflare: by Cloudflare
Inc. – 4.12.2

GTM4WP: by Thomas Geiger – 1.18.1
Facebook for WooCommerce: by Facebook – 3.1.3
Favicon by RealFaviconGenerator: by Philippe Bernard – 1.3.28
GenerateBlocks Pro: by Tom Usborne – 1.6.0
GenerateBlocks: by Tom Usborne – 1.8.2
Google Listings and Ads: by WooCommerce – 2.5.11
GP Premium: by Tom Usborne – 2.3.2
Happyforms: by Happyforms – 1.37.7
Solid Security Pro: by SolidWP – 8.0.4
Mailchimp for WooCommerce: by Mailchimp – 3.2
Maintenance: by WebFactory Ltd – 4.08
MainWP Child Reports: by MainWP – 2.2
MainWP Child: by MainWP – 4.5.3
Post SMTP: by Post SMTP – 2.7.3
Redirection: by John Godley – 5.3.10
Safe SVG: by 10up – 2.2.1
Speed Optimizer: by SiteGround – 7.4.3
ShortPixel Image Optimizer: by ShortPixel - Convert WebP/AVIF & Optimize Images – 5.5.0
Simple Custom Post Order: by Colorlib – 2.5.7
Preview E-mails for WooCommerce: by Digamber Pradhan – 2.1.6
WooCommerce Appointments: by BookingWP – 4.15.0
Wompi Plugin para WooCommerce: by Vlipco SAS – 0.2.0
WooCommerce Gift Cards: by WooCommerce – 1.16.5 (update to version 1.16.6 is available)
WooCommerce Google Analytics Integration: by WooCommerce – 1.8.9
WooCommerce Multilingual: by OnTheGoSystems – 4.12.6
WooCommerce PayPal Payments: by WooCommerce – 2.2.2 (update to version 2.4.1 is available)
WooCommerce PayU Latam Payment Gateway: by PayU Latam – 2.0
WooCommerce: by Automattic – 7.2.2 (update to version 8.2.2 is available)
WP Rocket: by WP Media – 3.15.4
SEOPress PRO: by The SEO Guys at SEOPress – 7.1.1
SEOPress: by The SEO Guys at SEOPress – 7.1.2
WPML String Translation: by OnTheGoSystems – 3.2.8

### Inactive Plugins (1) ###

Velvet Blues Update URLs: by VelvetBlues.com – 3.2.10

### Dropin Plugins (1) ###

advanced-cache.php: advanced-cache.php

### Settings ###

API Enabled: ?
Force SSL: ?
Currency: COP ($)
Currency Position: left
Thousand Separator: .
Decimal Separator: ,
Number of Decimals: 0
Taxonomies: Product Types: appointment (appointment)
external (external)
grouped (grouped)
simple (simple)
variable (variable)

Taxonomies: Product Visibility: exclude-from-catalog (exclude-from-catalog)
exclude-from-search (exclude-from-search)
featured (featured)
outofstock (outofstock)
rated-1 (rated-1)
rated-2 (rated-2)
rated-3 (rated-3)
rated-4 (rated-4)
rated-5 (rated-5)

Connected to WooCommerce.com: ?
Enforce Approved Product Download Directories: –
Order datastore: WC_Order_Data_Store_CPT

### WC Pages ###

Shop base: #676 - /tienda/
Cart: #6 - /carrito/
Checkout: #7 - /finalizar-comprar/
My account: #8 - /mi-cuenta/
Terms and conditions: #27 - /terminos-y-condiciones/

### Theme ###

Name: Alunizar - GeneratePress Child
Version: 1.0.0
Author URL: https://www.alunizar.co
Child Theme: ?
Parent Theme Name: GeneratePress
Parent Theme Version: 3.3.1
Parent Theme Author URL: https://tomusborne.com
WooCommerce Support: ?

### Templates ###

Overrides: alunizar/woocommerce/single-product/product-attributes.php
alunizar/woocommerce/single-product-reviews.php
alunizar/woocommerce/single-product.php


### Gift Cards ###

Database Version: 1.16.5
Loopback Test: ?
Task Queueing Test: ?

### WooCommerce PayPal Payments ###

Onboarded: ?
Shop country code: CO
WooCommerce currency supported: –
Advanced Card Processing available in country: –
Pay Later messaging available in country: –
Webhook status: –
PayPal Vault enabled: –
ACDC Vault enabled: –
Logging enabled: –
Reference Transactions: –
Used PayPal Checkout plugin: –
Tracking enabled: –

### Admin ###

Enabled Features: activity-panels
analytics
coupons
customer-effort-score-tracks
experimental-products-task
experimental-import-products-task
experimental-fashion-sample-products
shipping-smart-defaults
shipping-setting-tour
homescreen
marketing
multichannel-marketing
mobile-app-banner
navigation
onboarding
onboarding-tasks
remote-inbox-notifications
remote-free-extensions
payment-gateway-suggestions
shipping-label-banner
subscriptions
store-alerts
transient-notices
woo-mobile-welcome
wc-pay-promotion
wc-pay-welcome-page

Disabled Features: minified-js
new-product-management-experience
settings

Daily Cron: ? Next scheduled: 2023-11-16 16:29:58 -05:00
Options: ?
Notes: 154
Onboarding: completed

### Action Scheduler ###

Canceled: 29
Oldest: 2023-11-02 01:03:17 -0500
Newest: 2023-11-15 01:06:28 -0500

Complete: 1,243
Oldest: 2023-10-15 15:37:08 -0500
Newest: 2023-11-15 14:33:56 -0500

Failed: 991
Oldest: 2020-04-01 22:42:01 -0500
Newest: 2023-11-15 09:02:18 -0500

Pending: 15
Oldest: 2023-11-15 22:00:00 -0500
Newest: 2023-12-03 13:00:00 -0500


### Status report information ###

Generated at: 2023-11-15 14:55:53 -05:00
`

Hi @camiloluna,

Thanks for your response.

From what you’ve described, it sounds like the product is set to “Sync and show in catalog”, despite being in a category that’s excluded from sync. You can quickly resolve the issue by setting the product to “Do not sync”

See screenshot: https://d.pr/i/g2SSnD
(For variable products, you’ll see the option when you expand the variations). Could you please give that a try and get back to me?

By the way, I agree the experience can be better. We have a Github enhancement for this issue here and I’ll be adding some suggestions to it.

Hi @sukafia,

That’s probably it, but this shouldn’t be the default when creating a new product.

Also, I’m using a custom WC product type and when that’s selected, I’m not seeing the Facebook tab on the Product data meta box, so it’s more annoying than it looks like to change the setting.

Not sure if this should be a different issue or the other plugin that’s creating the custom product type is not well coded, but this is not a good workflow for us.

Thanks and I’ll follow along the issue you created. Thanks for taking the time.

Hi @camiloluna,

Thanks for getting back.

The custom product type context clarifies why it’s particularly a bad experience for you. Our development team will be releasing a fix soon to address the issue. Once the fix is out, you can publish products in excluded categories without the notice popping up – the products won’t be synced to Facebook as expected and a notice will be added to the Facebook sync widget to clarify why it’s not synced. (Screenshot: https://d.pr/i/VN0hvd)

The fix is ready and should be out within the next 48 hours. (it has to go through a couple of tests before it’s released).

Hi @camiloluna,

I’m happy to confirm that we’ve released an update that addresses the issue. Please update and let us know if that works for you.