Geo Controller provides an optional WooCommerce feature for recording geographic information associated with customer orders.
When enabled, Geo Controller can save available geolocation data during checkout and display it within the WooCommerce order administration interface.
This information provides additional geographic context for store administrators without replacing WooCommerce’s standard billing and shipping details.
Enable Customer Location Logging
- Open your WordPress administration dashboard.
- Navigate to WooCommerce → Settings → General.
- Locate the GEO location info log option added by Geo Controller.
- Enable the option.
- Save your changes.
When this option is enabled, Geo Controller registers the relevant WooCommerce checkout integrations needed to attach available location information to orders.
What Information Can Be Recorded?
Depending on the data returned by Geo Controller, order location information may include:
- Customer IP address – The IP address associated with the visitor.
- Geographic location – Available country, region, city, and related location information.
- Timestamp – Date and time information associated with the location data.
- Timezone – The timezone associated with the detected location.
- Platform – Available operating system or device platform information.
- Browser – Available browser name and version information.
Not every field is guaranteed to be available for every order.
View Location Information in WooCommerce Orders
- Navigate to WooCommerce → Orders.
- Open the order you want to inspect.
- Locate the GEO Location Info panel.
- Review the available geographic and browser information.
When Geo Controller-specific location information is unavailable, the panel can display available WooCommerce order information as a fallback.
This may include the customer’s recorded IP address, billing location, order creation date, and browser information.
Classic Checkout and Checkout Blocks
Geo Controller includes checkout integration hooks for traditional WooCommerce checkout and the WooCommerce Store API used by Checkout Blocks.
These integration points allow location information to be associated with an order during the relevant checkout process.
Because checkout implementations and payment extensions may behave differently, stores should verify that location information is saved correctly in their own environment.
High-Performance Order Storage (HPOS)
Geo Controller uses WooCommerce’s order data APIs to retrieve and display order location information.
These APIs are designed to work with WooCommerce’s traditional order storage and High-Performance Order Storage (HPOS).
For stores using HPOS, order information is accessed through WooCommerce’s order objects rather than relying on direct WordPress post metadata queries.
Location Data vs. Billing Address
The geographic location detected from an IP address may differ from the customer’s billing or shipping address.
For example, a customer may place an order while traveling, using a corporate VPN, or connecting through a mobile network in another country.
Geolocation records should therefore be treated as supplementary information rather than confirmation of a customer’s physical address or identity.
Privacy and Data Protection
Important: IP addresses, browser information, timestamps, and geographic records can constitute personal data.
Before enabling this feature, review your website’s privacy notice, data retention practices, access controls, and applicable data protection requirements.
Do not assume that customer location logs are anonymous simply because they contain geographic information rather than a customer’s name.
Ensure that access to WooCommerce order information is appropriately restricted to authorized administrators.