When WooCommerce shows "No shipping options were found," the instinct is to start changing settings. That usually makes it harder to know what fixed it. A better approach is to follow the same chain WooCommerce follows when it builds a shipping package.
The chain WooCommerce runs
- Is shipping enabled for the destination country in the general settings?
- Does a shipping zone match the country, state or postcode? Zones are read top to bottom and the first match wins.
- Does that zone contain at least one enabled method?
- Does the cart meet that method's own rules (free shipping minimum, valid cost formula)?
If any link fails, the rate list is empty. Each step below tests one link.
Start with debug mode
Under WooCommerce, Settings, Shipping, Shipping settings, enable debug mode. It shows which zones match the address in the cart calculator and bypasses cached rates, which removes the most common source of "I fixed it but nothing changed."
Check the cheap things first
- The shipping location setting under General can block a country even when a zone exists.
- Zone order matters. A broad zone above a narrow one swallows addresses.
- An enabled-looking method can still be switched off.
- Postcode rules accept wildcards like
SW1*and ranges like90210...90290. A typo here excludes real customers.
Then the method conditions
Free shipping may require a minimum order or a coupon. Flat rate costs accept placeholders like [qty] and [cost], and a bad formula can stop the method from returning a rate. Replace the formula with a plain number to confirm.
Products and plugins
Core methods do not need weight or dimensions, but live carrier rates and table rate plugins usually do. Isolate a bad product by adding items to the cart one at a time. For carrier plugins, check credentials, the origin address, packing settings and the plugin's own log under WooCommerce, Status, Logs.
Cache and conflicts
Exclude the cart, checkout and account pages from any page cache, and clear the WooCommerce transients after changing settings. If settings are correct and rates still fail, test with a default theme and only WooCommerce plus the shipping plugin active, and check whether your plugin supports the checkout type you use (shortcode or block).
FAQ
Do I need product weight for flat rate? No, only for methods that calculate by weight or live carrier rates.
Why does it work for me as admin but not for visitors? Suspect page caching on the cart or checkout.
How do I test without placing an order? Use debug mode and the cart shipping calculator with different test addresses.
I wrote the full ten-step version, with a symptom and fix table, here: No Shipping Options Found? WooCommerce Fix
Top comments (1)
Useful order for this. One check I would add is testing with a real customer postcode in the shipping calculator, not just the admin preview. Zone order and a cached checkout page have caught me out more often than the method settings.