How to Change the Order Notes Text on the WooCommerce Checkout

The WooCommerce checkout page has an Order notes field where customers can add extra instructions for their order. You can change its label and placeholder text with the woocommerce_checkout_fields filter. Add this code to your child theme’s functions.php or a code snippets plugin.

function md_custom_woocommerce_checkout_fields( $fields ) 
{
    $fields['order']['order_comments']['placeholder'] = 'Special notes';
    $fields['order']['order_comments']['label'] = 'Add your special note';

    return $fields;
}
add_filter( 'woocommerce_checkout_fields', 'md_custom_woocommerce_checkout_fields' );

How it works

• woocommerce_checkout_fields passes an array of all checkout fields, grouped by section: billing, shipping, account and order.
• The order notes field is $fields['order']['order_comments'].
• placeholder is the hint text shown inside the empty box, and label is the heading above it. Replace Special notes and Add your special note with your own text.
• The function must return $fields, otherwise the checkout loses its fields.

Good to know

• This filter works with the classic checkout, the one built with the [woocommerce_checkout] shortcode. If your checkout page uses the Checkout block, this filter doesn’t change it.
• To make the new text translatable, wrap each string in __() with your theme’s text domain.

For checkout wording and fields adjusted to your store, see my WooCommerce development services.

Related articles

• starting with the shipping address section closed: another one-line checkout change
• moving the coupon form above the order table: rearrange another part of the checkout
• adding content above the checkout order review: when you need new content rather than new wording