How to Set Up Custom Gift Rules in WooCommerce?

Offering gift options in your WooCommerce store can enhance the shopping experience and encourage customer loyalty. Whether you want to provide free gifts with specific purchases, create gift wrapping services, or Set Up Custom Gift Rules, WooCommerce offers flexible solutions to meet your needs.

In this guide, we’ll explore two methods to set up custom gift rules in WooCommerce:

1. Using a Plugin to setup custom gift rule (Easy & No Coding Required) – Ideal for users who prefer a quick and hassle-free setup.
2. Manual Coding to setup custom gifting rule (Advanced Customization) – Best for developers or store owners who need full control over gift rules.

Let’s dive into both methods to help you choose the best one for your store!

Why Offer Free Gifts in Your WooCommerce Store?

Offering free gifts is a powerful marketing strategy that can boost sales, increase customer satisfaction, and encourage repeat purchases. Setting up custom gift rules can also help you to:  

• Increase Average Order Value (AOV): Encourage customers to spend more to unlock a free gift.  
• Enhance Customer Loyalty: Surprise buyers with exclusive gifts, making them more likely to return.  
• Promote Slow-Moving Products: Bundle less popular items as free gifts to clear inventory.  
• Improve Conversion Rates: Limited-time gift offers create urgency and drive more sales.  

Whether through automated plugins or custom coding, implementing targeted gift rules allows you to create a more engaging shopping experience while maximizing revenue.  

Now, let’s explore how to set up custom gift rules in WooCommerce—both with a WooCommerce free gift plugin and coding!

Method 1: Create Gift Rules Using a Plugin

Set up custom gift rules in WooCommerce is easiest with dedicated plugins. These tools allow you to automatically offer free gifts based on cart value, product purchases, or customer behavior, without any coding. 

Below, we compare the best free and paid WooCommerce free gift plugins, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses.

1. Free Gift for WooCommerce (Best Overall)

This powerful WooCommerce free gifts plugin lets you create unlimited gift rules with advanced conditions. Unlike other plugins, it supports multiple gift options, BOGO deals, and cart-based triggers without restrictions.

The free gifts for WooCommerce plugin is the most powerful and flexible way to reward customers with free gifts based on their purchases. It lets you create unlimited gifting rules to boost sales and customer satisfaction effortlessly.

Key Features 

1. Unlimited Free Gifting Rules: Set up custom gift rules based on:

• Cart Total (e.g., “Spend $50, get a free gift”)
•  Product Purchases (e.g., “Buy 2 shirts, get a free tie”)
•  Category-Based Gifts (e.g., “Buy from Electronics, get a free accessory”) 
• Time-Based Promotions (e.g., “Black Friday special”)

2. Multiple Gifting Methods

• Simple Adjustment: Offer a giveaway with any purchase
• (Buy X Get Y) – Offer free gifts when customers buy specific items.
• Cart Value-Based Gifts – Reward shoppers when they reach a spending threshold.
• Category-Specific Gifts – Give freebies from selected product categories.

3. Let Customers Choose Their Gift: Instead of forcing a single free product, you can:

• Offer multiple gift options (e.g., “Pick 1 free item from these 3 products”).
• Allow variable product selections (e.g., “Choose 1 free T-shirt in different colors/size”).

4. Smart Exclusions & Restrictions

• Exclude certain products from the gift rules.
• Restrict gifts by user role. 
• Set up custom gift rules by minimum/maximum quantities.

5. Real-Time Reports & Analytics: Track which gifts are most popular, how often promotions are redeemed, and which campaigns drive the most sales.

Why choose this WooCommerce free gift plugin?

While other plugins limit free gifts or require premium upgrades, Free Gifts for WooCommerce solution is the best choice for most online stores, because it lets:

• Set up custom gift rules based on cart total, product quantity, or categories.
• Offer multiple gift choices and let customers pick their free product.
• Schedule gift promotions for time-based rules.
• Exclude certain products/users from gift eligibility.
• Work with variable products and select specific variations as gifts.
•  Create as many gift conditions as you want (cart value, product quantity, categories, etc.).
• Support multiple gifting methods like BOGO, buy X get Y, cart-based triggers, and scheduled promotions.
•  Advanced Reporting to track gift redemptions and campaign performance.

Price: $89/Year for 1 Site

2. WPC Free Gift Coupons for WooCommerce

The WPC Free Gift Coupons for WooCommerce plugin allows gift products to be unlocked via coupon codes. It’s simple but lacks automation—gifts won’t apply automatically unless customers redeem a coupon.

Key Features:

• Assign free gifts to specific coupon codes.
•  Works with any product type.
•  Lightweight and easy to set up.

Limitation: 

• No automatic cart-based rules—requires manual coupon distribution. 
• Gifts are tied to coupon logic, not standalone.

3. YITH WooCommerce Gift Cards 

The YITH WooCommerce gift cards plugin is designed for offering gift cards, but it also supports conditional free gifts with add-ons. Best for stores that sell digital gift cards alongside promotions.

Key Features:

• Sell & email digital gift cards.
• Offer free gifts with purchase (requires add-ons).
• Customizable gift card designs.

Price: $69.99. for 1 year. 

4. Free Gift Product For Woocommerce

The Free Gifts Product for WooCommerce is a handy plugin that allows customers to add free gifts to their cart,  either from the product page or checkout. It boosts sales with flexible gifting rules based on products, categories, or order value. The plugin also offers customizable popups, motivational messages, and WPML support for multilingual stores.

Key Features:

•  Cart-based & product-based gift rules.
•  Exclude products/categories from gifts.
•  Count gifts toward free shipping.

Limitation: Free version only allows one product for adding multiple products as gifts you need to purchase the premium version.

Price: $25.00 for Lifetime and unlimited site in work

Step-by-Step Guide to set up custom gift rules

If you want a free, powerful, and flexible solution to set up custom gift rules, free gifts for WooCommerce plugin is undoubtedly the best choice. It outperforms WooCommerce free gift alternatives with its unlimited rules, multiple gifting methods, and advanced customization—all without costing a dime.

Choosing the right plugin is just the first step! Now, we’ll guide you step-by-step on how to set up custom gift rules using this amazing plugin.

Step 1: Install and activate the free gifts for WooCommerce plugin

To install the free gifts for WooCommerce plugin, simply download the ZIP file, then follow the steps below:

• Navigate to your WordPress dashboard, 
• Go to Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin, 
• Select the ZIP file, and click Install Now. 

Once installed, activate the plugin by navigating to WordPress Dashboard > iThemeland > License and inserting the license code to start setting up custom gift rules, customizing conditions, and boosting your WooCommerce store’s sales with attractive promotional incentives.

Step 2: Add a custom gift rule

After activating the plugin, go to WordPress dashboard > iThemeland > Free Gift, and click the “Add Rule” button on the plugin’s main page.

This will open a smart form where you can set custom conditions to set up custom gift rules, such as minimum order value, specific products, or categories, to automatically offer gifts to customers when they meet your criteria.

Step 3: Set up custom gift rule

To create custom gift rules, you need to fill out the rule form, which consists of five main sections as follows:  

1. Set up custom gift rules by choosing the method 

In this section, choose the gift distribution method that fits your promotion strategy:  

• Simple: Customers receive a free gift on every order, regardless of purchase value or quantity.  
• Buy X Get Y (Repeat): When customers buy product X, they get product Y as a free gift. The gift is different from the purchased item.  
• Buy X Get X (Repeat): When customers buy product X, they receive the same product as a free gift.  
• Subtotal (Repeat): To set up custom gift rules when the order subtotal reaches a specified amount.  
• Tiered Quantity: Providing free gifts based on tiered quantity levels (e.g., buy 2 items = 1 gift, buy 5 items = 3 gifts).  
• Bulk Quantity: Offering a giveaway with purchase when the product quantity falls within a specific range (e.g., 1-3 items = 1 gift, 4-10 items = 2 gifts).  
• Bulk Pricing: Set up gift rules when the order subtotal is within a price range (e.g., $100-$300 = 1 gift, $300+ = 2 gifts).  
• Cheapest Item in the cart:

2. Set Quantities & Settings Options

After choosing one of the methods, you need to adjust the fields in this section based on your chosen method. Key settings include:  

• Buy / Subtotal Amount:  
  • For product-based rules, set how many items a customer must buy (e.g., “Buy 2, Get 1”).  
  • For subtotal-based rules, define the minimum order value (e.g., “Spend $50, Get 1 Gift”).  
• Get: The number of free gifts the customer receives.  
• Auto Add to Cart: Enable this to automatically add the gift to the cart.  
• Same Gift (Repeat Methods Only): Mark this option to give the same product as the gift.  

3. Add Buy Products Settings

Here, you define which products/categories qualify for the promotion:  

• Include Products: Select specific products that trigger the gift rule when added to cart.  
• Exclude Products: Block certain products from activating the promotion.  
• Include Categories: Apply the rule only to products from selected categories.  
• Exclude Categories: Exclude entire categories from the promotion.  

4. Add Get Products (Select Free Gift to set up custom gift rules)  

In this section, you can choose which products will be offered as free gifts:  

• Include Products/Categories: Select the exact products/categories you want to give away.  
• Exclude Products/Categories: Prevent certain products/categories from being offered as gifts.    

5. Set up custom gift rules with Conditions 

In this section, you can apply additional conditions to set up custom gift rules. Some of the most useful conditions are:  

• Customer Roles: Restrict the offer to specific user roles (e.g., logged-in users only).  
• Date & Time: Set a start/end date for the promotion.  
• Usage Limits: Define how many times the rule can be used per customer.  
• Cart Conditions: Apply rules based on cart contents (e.g., “Only if cart contains at least 3 products from specific categories”).  

Step 4: Save & Activate the custom rule

Once all sections are configured, save the rule and ensure it’s enabled. Test the rule by placing a sample order to verify it works as expected.  

Custom gifting rules in WooCommerce example

Below are two practical examples of setting up gift rules:  

Example 1: Offer Free Gift Products on Valentine’s Day  

Let’s suppose that you want to set up custom gift rules as below:

Customers will receive 1 Wine as free gift for orders more than $50 on Valentine’s Day

To run this giveaway offer with  free gifts for the WooCommerce plugin, try to fill in the rule form as follows:

1. Method: Select “Subtotal” from the list.
2. 2. Quantities & Settings:  

• Set “Subtotal Amount” to $50.  
• Set “Get” to 1  
• Enable “Auto Add to Cart” for a seamless experience.  

3. Get Products:  

• Click the Add Product button and choose Wine from the list.

4. Conditions:  

• Press the Add Condition button
• Choose a Date from the list of conditions
• Select a Specific date from the second dropdown list
• Set the date to Feb 14 using the built-in calendar of the last field

Result: Customers who spend $50 will get a free Valentine’s gift automatically!  

Example 2: Set Up “Buy X Get Y” Free Gift Rule  

In this example, we want to let customers choose 1 wine from the list of gifts if they order 3 hoodies with logo.

Let’s review the steps:

1. Method: Choose “Buy X Get Y”.  
2. Quantities & Settings:  

• Buy: 3 (customers must buy 3 qualifying products).  
• Get: 1 (they receive 1 free gift).  

3. Buy Products: Choose the Hoodie with logo from the list of products.  
4. Get Products: Add Wine Category to the Include category field.  

Result: If customers add 3 Hoodies to their carts, they can add 1 wine to their cart for free!  

Method 2: Custom Code Gift Logic (For Developers)

While plugins offer an easy way to set up custom gift rules, custom coding gives you full control over WooCommerce’s gift logic. This method is ideal for developers who need precise, tailored solutions beyond what plugins can offer.

Important Notes Before Proceeding:

• Backup Your Site: Always create a full backup before modifying code.
• Use a Child Theme: Run the code on a child theme to avoid losing changes during theme updates.
• Ask experts: If you have no Basic PHP/WooCommerce Knowledge, consult a developer.
• Test in Staging First: Never apply untested code to a live store.

Popular Gift Rule Examples

Below, we’ll implement two common gift scenarios using PHP hooks—perfect for developers who want tailored, lightweight solutions. 

1. Free Gift Over X Spend

Scenario: If the cart total is over $100, add a free product (ID: 123) automatically.

To set up this rule, you can run the following code in the function.php file or use a plugin like Code Snippets to apply it to your website:

/
* Add free gift if cart total meets minimum amount
*/
add_action('woocommerce_before_calculate_totals', 'add_free_gift_on_spend');

function add_free_gift_on_spend($cart) {
if (is_admin() && !defined('DOING_AJAX')) return;

$min_spend = 100; // Minimum cart total to qualify
$free_product_id = 123; // Product ID of the free gift

// Check if cart meets the minimum spend
if ($cart->subtotal >= $min_spend) {
// Check if the free product is already in cart
$free_product_in_cart = false;
foreach ($cart->get_cart() as $cart_item_key => $cart_item) {
if ($cart_item['product_id'] == $free_product_id) {
$free_product_in_cart = true;
break;
}
}

// Add free product if not already in cart
if (!$free_product_in_cart) {
$cart->add_to_cart($free_product_id, 1); // Quantity = 1
}
} else {
// Remove free gift if cart no longer qualifies
foreach ($cart->get_cart() as $cart_item_key => $cart_item) {
if ($cart_item['product_id'] == $free_product_id) {
$cart->remove_cart_item($cart_item_key);
break;
}
}
}
}

To customize the code based on your requirements, replace 123 and 100 in the following lines:

• $min_spend = 100; // Minimum cart total to qualify
• $free_product_id = 123; // Product ID of the free gift

2. Gift with Specific Product Purchase

Scenario: If Product A (ID: 456) is in the cart, add Product B (ID: 789) for free.

Here, you can find the code to set up this custom rule on your website:

/
* Add free gift when a specific product is purchased
*/
add_action('woocommerce_before_calculate_totals', 'add_free_gift_with_product');

function add_free_gift_with_product($cart) {
if (is_admin() && !defined('DOING_AJAX')) return;

$trigger_product_id = 456; // Product that triggers the gift
$free_product_id = 789; // Free gift product ID
$free_product_in_cart = false;

// Check if trigger product is in cart
$trigger_product_exists = false;
foreach ($cart->get_cart() as $cart_item_key => $cart_item) {
if ($cart_item['product_id'] == $trigger_product_id) {
$trigger_product_exists = true;
}
if ($cart_item['product_id'] == $free_product_id) {
$free_product_in_cart = true;
}
}

// Add free gift if trigger product exists
if ($trigger_product_exists && !$free_product_in_cart) {
$cart->add_to_cart($free_product_id, 1); // Quantity = 1
}

// Remove free gift if trigger product is removed
if (!$trigger_product_exists && $free_product_in_cart) {
foreach ($cart->get_cart() as $cart_item_key => $cart_item) {
if ($cart_item['product_id'] == $free_product_id) {
$cart->remove_cart_item($cart_item_key);
break;
}
}
}
}

To apply changes to this code, change the ID numbers of products in the following lines:

• $trigger_product_id = 456; // Product that triggers the gift
• $free_product_id = 789;    // Free gift product ID

Tips for Running a Successful Gift Campaign

Implementing a well-crafted gift campaign can serve as a powerful catalyst for your e-commerce business, driving not only immediate sales growth but also fostering long-term customer relationships through perceived value and appreciation. 

Here are the best practices you can follow to set up custom gift rules successfully and take the most advantage of it:

1. Establishing Precise Campaign Objectives: The Foundation of Effective Gift Strategies  

Before launching any gift promotion, you must clearly define what success looks like for your specific business context, such as:

• increasing your average order value by strategically setting gift thresholds just above typical purchase amounts, 
• clearing out stagnant inventory by bundling slow-moving products as complementary items, 
• rewarding your most valuable customers with exclusive gifts to enhance retention rates, 
• or simply creating buzz around a new product launch by offering limited edition freebies that generate social media exposure and word-of-mouth marketing.  

2. Curating Relevant Gift Selections: The Psychology of Perceived Value  

The effectiveness of your gift campaign hinges entirely on selecting complementary products that your customers genuinely desire and find useful.

It requires a deep understanding of your target audience’s preferences through data analysis of purchase patterns, customer surveys, and market research.

This approach enables you to set up custom gift rules efficiently rather than diminishing the perceived value of the main purchase. 

For example, you can offer a luxury sample-size skincare product with beauty purchases that might lead to future full-size product conversions.  

3. Implementing Urgency and Scarcity Tactics: Creating Compelling Purchase Triggers  

Human psychology responds powerfully to time-sensitive opportunities and limited availability.

It means your gift campaigns should incorporate clear expiration dates, countdown timers, and stock-level indicators that create a sense of immediacy in the customer’s decision-making process.

You can also maintaining authenticity by actually limiting quantities to preserve the exclusivity of your offer rather than using false scarcity that could damage trust with your customer base over time.  

4. Strategic Promotion Placement: Maximizing Visibility at Critical Decision Points  

To fully capitalize on your gift campaign’s potential, you need to prominently feature the offer at every key touchpoint in the customer journey, including:

• product pages where the promise of a free bonus can help overcome hesitation, 
• cart pages where reminders about nearing gift thresholds can encourage adding more items to qualify,
• checkout pages where last-minute reinforcement of the gift offer reduces cart abandonment, 
• And email sequences that reactivate dormant customers with exclusive gift opportunities tailored to their purchase history.  

5. Continuous Performance Analysis: The Key to Long-Term Optimization  

The most successful ecommerce businesses treat each gift campaign as a learning opportunity by 

• meticulously tracking redemption rates, 
• analyzing the impact on average order values, 
• monitoring changes in customer lifetime value, 
• and conducting A/B tests with different gift thresholds, product pairings, and promotional messaging 

Fortunately, a free gift for WooCommerce plugins allows you to track the performance of all created rules to gradually refine your strategies to set up custom gift rules in the future based on concrete data rather than assumptions. 

Conclusion 

When executed with strategic precision, setting up custom gift rules can be used as powerful tools for building customer relationships while driving measurable business results.

Although success requires moving beyond random giveaways to create carefully structured offers that align with your brand positioning, business objectives, and customer expectations, whether you choose the simplicity of plugins like WooCommerce free gift solution or the customization potential of coding, remember that the most effective campaigns combine psychological triggers with genuine value delivery, creating win-win scenarios where customers feel rewarded while your business achieves its growth targets.