A WooCommerce update is safe when you test it before your customers do. Back up, check your extensions, run the update on a staging copy and test checkout there, then update the live shop in a quiet hour and place a test order. If something breaks, roll back the one plugin that caused it rather than restoring the whole database, so you don’t lose orders.
Key takeaways
- WooCommerce releases a new version roughly every five weeks, plus patch releases for urgent bugs.
- Updates break checkouts through extensions, payment plugins and outdated theme templates, not usually WooCommerce itself.
- Test on staging with your payment gateway in test mode. Never test with real cards in live mode.
- Restoring a full database backup on a live shop wipes every order placed since the backup.
Why do WooCommerce updates break things?
WooCommerce sits at the centre of a lot of other code. Your payment gateway, shipping calculator, subscriptions, product add-ons and theme all plug into it. When WooCommerce changes, each of those has to keep up.
WooCommerce ships a new version “roughly every five weeks”, with patch releases for important bugs found after a release (WooCommerce Developer Docs). That’s a lot of change for a busy shop owner to keep up with.
In our experience, three things cause most broken checkouts after an update:
- An extension that isn’t ready yet. A payment or shipping plugin hasn’t been updated for the new WooCommerce version.
- Outdated theme templates. Your theme carries its own copies of WooCommerce’s page templates, and they’ve fallen behind.
- A half-finished database update. The update needs to change the shop’s data, and that step stalls or is skipped.
How often should you update WooCommerce?
WooCommerce’s own advice is that “a monthly cadence works well for most stores”, with security fixes applied sooner (WooCommerce). We agree. Batch the routine updates once a month, and treat security releases as urgent.
Pick your timing. Avoid updating just before a sale, on a Friday afternoon or during your busiest trading hours. If a big sale is coming, do the month’s updates a week or two before it, not the night before.
What’s the safe WooCommerce update routine?
Before you update
WooCommerce says to back up first: the database and the wp-content folder at minimum. Then check each extension’s “Tested up to WooCommerce version”. If it’s older than the version you’re installing, look for an update or ask the developer before you go ahead.
Next, go to WooCommerce, then Status. At the bottom, the System Status report lists any templates your theme overrides and flags the ones that are out of date (WooCommerce Developer Docs). Outdated templates are a job for your developer, and better fixed before the update than after.
On a staging copy
WooCommerce is blunt about this: “Do not test updates directly on your production site.” Update WooCommerce, your extensions, payment plugins and theme together on a staging copy, because that’s how they’ll run live. If WordPress shows a database update notice, run it there too.
Then test the paths that earn you money: add to cart, coupons, shipping, tax and payment. Put your gateway in test mode. Stripe, for example, prohibits testing in live mode with real card details and supplies test cards instead, such as 4242 4242 4242 4242 (Stripe). Our guide to a WooCommerce checkout not working has the full test, including how to test a declined card.
On the live shop
Take a fresh backup, update, and run any database update straight away. Large shops can take a while; you can follow progress under WooCommerce, Status, Scheduled Actions. Then place one real order with a low-cost product, check that both order emails arrive, and refund it.
What if checkout breaks after an update?
- Confirm it’s broken. Try a different browser, a phone and a second payment method. Check recent orders for Failed or Pending payment.
- Roll back the one plugin that changed. If only the payment or shipping plugin is at fault, reinstall its previous version. Your orders stay untouched.
- Restore only as a last resort. A database restore takes the shop back to the moment of the backup. Every order, customer account and stock change since then disappears. If you must restore, note those orders first so you can re-enter them.
- Tell customers if needed. A short notice at checkout or a phone number for orders keeps sales coming in while it’s fixed.
This is why a backup taken minutes before the update is so valuable. The smaller the gap, the fewer orders you put at risk.
Does good hosting make WooCommerce updates safer?
It helps. One-click staging, fast backups and current PHP versions make every step above quicker. Our WooCommerce hosting runs in Australian NEXTDC data centres with free SSL and free migration.
Updates are only one part of looking after a shop. Our WooCommerce maintenance checklist sets out the weekly, monthly and quarterly tasks, and our guide to ecommerce website security covers card data and customer accounts.
If you’d rather hand it over, our WooCommerce maintenance service takes care of updates and testing. All our website maintenance plans include off-site backups and monthly updates, and Advantage adds repairs if an update breaks something.
Frequently asked questions
What is the WooCommerce database update?
Some WooCommerce versions need to change how the shop’s data is stored. When that’s needed, a notice appears in your WordPress dashboard asking you to run the update. Take a backup first, run it promptly, and check progress under WooCommerce, Status, Scheduled Actions.
Should I turn on automatic updates for WooCommerce?
For most shops, no. An automatic update can run at a busy time with nobody watching, and a broken checkout may go unnoticed for hours. Update on a schedule you control, and apply security releases promptly.
Can I skip WooCommerce updates if my shop works fine?
Not for long. Skipped updates pile up, which makes the eventual jump riskier, and you miss security fixes. Monthly updates keep each change small and easier to test.
Do I need a staging site to update WooCommerce?
WooCommerce recommends one, and we do too. A staging copy lets you find a broken checkout before customers do. If your host doesn’t offer staging, ask your developer or maintenance provider to set one up.
How do I know if an extension is compatible with the new WooCommerce version?
Check the extension’s “Tested up to WooCommerce version” value and its changelog. If it’s older than the version you’re installing, look for an update first, or ask the developer. Then confirm on staging.
Sources
- WooCommerce release schedule, WooCommerce Developer Docs
- How to update WooCommerce, WooCommerce
- How to fix outdated WooCommerce templates, WooCommerce Developer Docs
- Testing, Stripe Docs