# Product Panel

The Product Panel is the left side of the POS screen where you search, browse, and select products to add to the cart.

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## Interface Overview[​](#interface-overview "Direct link to Interface Overview")

### Search Bar[​](#search-bar "Direct link to Search Bar")

At the top of the panel, the search bar lets you quickly find products by:

* **Product name** - Type any part of the product name
* **SKU** - Search by Stock Keeping Unit
* **Barcode** - Scan or type a barcode number

See [Search & Filtering](/pos/product-panel/search-filtering.md) for detailed information.

### Display Settings[​](#display-settings "Direct link to Display Settings")

Click the **sliders icon** () next to the search bar to open Display Settings. This allows you to customise which columns and information are shown in the product list.

### Filter Buttons[​](#filter-buttons "Direct link to Filter Buttons")

Below the search bar, filter buttons let you narrow down products:

* **In Stock** - Show only products with available inventory
* **Featured** - Show products marked as featured in WooCommerce
* **On Sale** - Show products currently on sale
* **Category** - Filter by product category
* **Tag** - Filter by product tag
* **Brand** - Filter by brand (if using a brand plugin)

Active filters appear highlighted. Click a filter again to remove it.

### Product List[​](#product-list "Direct link to Product List")

The main area displays your products in a scrollable list. Each row shows:

* **Product image** - Thumbnail of the product
* **Product name** - With optional details (stock, SKU, categories, etc.)
* **Price** - Current selling price (with sale prices shown when applicable)
* **Action button** - Add to cart () or select variation ()

### Product Types[​](#product-types "Direct link to Product Types")

* **Simple products** show a green  button to add directly to cart
* **Variable products** show a green  arrow to open the variation selector

See [Variable Products](/pos/product-panel/variations.md) for more details.

### Footer[​](#footer "Direct link to Footer")

At the bottom of the Product Panel:

* **Tax status** - Shows the current tax calculation basis (e.g., "Tax based on: Shop base address"). Click to view active tax rates.

* **Product count** - Shows how many products are displayed (e.g., "Showing 10 of 17")

* **Sync button** () - Refresh products from the server. **Long press** for additional options:

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  * **Sync** - Standard refresh from server
  * **Clear and Refresh** - Clear local data and reload everything

## Display Settings[​](#display-settings-1 "Direct link to Display Settings")

Click the sliders icon () to customise the Product Panel display.

![POS Products Settings](/img/pos-products-settings.png)

Product Panel Display Settings

### Show Out-of-Stock Products[​](#show-out-of-stock-products "Direct link to Show Out-of-Stock Products")

Controls whether products that are currently out of stock are displayed.

* **Enabled**: Out-of-stock products remain visible but can't be added to cart
* **Disabled**: Out-of-stock products are hidden from the list

### Columns[​](#columns "Direct link to Columns")

Configure which columns appear in the product list:

| Column                 | Description                           |
| ---------------------- | ------------------------------------- |
| **Image**              | Product thumbnail                     |
| **Product**            | Product name and details              |
| **SKU**                | Stock Keeping Unit (separate column)  |
| **Barcode**            | Product barcode (separate column)     |
| **Type**               | Product type (simple, variable, etc.) |
| **Stock**              | Current stock quantity                |
| **Cost of Goods Sold** | Product cost price                    |
| **Price**              | Selling price                         |
| **Actions**            | Add to cart button                    |

Two columns have extra display options you can toggle on:

| Column      | Display options                                                      |
| ----------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Product** | Stock, SKU, Barcode, Categories, Tags, Brands, Attributes, Meta Data |
| **Price**   | Tax info, On Sale indicator                                          |

### Meta Data Keys[​](#meta-data-keys "Direct link to Meta Data Keys")

A meta data key is a custom field stored on a product in WooCommerce. By default these stay on the product — they aren't copied onto the order. This setting lets you carry specific keys over to the cart line item when the product is added.

**Example:** a bottle-deposit plugin stores a `_bottle_deposit` value on each product. Add that key here, and whenever the product is added to the cart its deposit value travels with the line item onto the order — so it shows up on the order, the receipt, and any downstream reports.

Enter a comma-separated list of meta keys:

```
_bottle_deposit,_custom_field,_tracking_code
```

tip

Meta keys are case-sensitive and must match exactly as stored in the product's meta data.

When would I use this?

Common cases for transferring product meta data to order line items:

* **Bottle deposit plugins** — carry the deposit amount onto the order.
* **Custom product fields** — pass your own product data through to the order.
* **Third-party integration data** — hand values off to other plugins that read order line items.
* **Compliance / tracking information** — keep batch, lot, or tracking codes attached to what was sold.

### Restore Default Settings[​](#restore-default-settings "Direct link to Restore Default Settings")

Click to reset all display settings to their original defaults.

## Adding Products to Cart[​](#adding-products-to-cart "Direct link to Adding Products to Cart")

### Simple Products[​](#simple-products "Direct link to Simple Products")

Click the green  button to add a simple product to the cart. Each click adds one more unit.

### Variable Products[​](#variable-products "Direct link to Variable Products")

Variable products (e.g., a t-shirt with size and colour options) show a green  arrow. Click to:

1. **Quick popover** - Select variation from a dropdown
2. **Expand inline** - Click "Expand" to see all variations in the list

See [Variable Products](/pos/product-panel/variations.md) for more details.

### Barcode Scanning[​](#barcode-scanning "Direct link to Barcode Scanning")

Connect a USB or Bluetooth barcode scanner to quickly add products. When you scan a barcode, WCPOS automatically searches for and adds the matching product.

See [Barcode Scanning](/pos/product-panel/barcode-scanning.md) for setup instructions.

## Why Can't I See Some Products?[​](#why-cant-i-see-some-products "Direct link to Why Can't I See Some Products?")

If products are missing from your Product Panel, check:

* **POS visibility** - Products set to "Online Only" won't appear in the POS. See [POS Only Products](/products/pos-only-products.md).
* **Stock settings** - If "Show Out-of-Stock Products" is disabled in Display Settings, out-of-stock items are hidden.
* **Sync status** - New or recently updated products may need a sync. Long press the sync button and select **"Clear and Refresh"**.
* **Filters** - Check if you have active filters (Category, Tag, etc.) that might be hiding products.

## Related Documentation[​](#related-documentation "Direct link to Related Documentation")

[Search & FilteringDetailed search functionality](/pos/product-panel/search-filtering.md)

[Barcode ScanningScanner setup and configuration](/pos/product-panel/barcode-scanning.md)

[Variable ProductsWorking with product variations](/pos/product-panel/variations.md)