Update broke the site?
WooCommerce update broke the store? Fix it without losing orders
A blank checkout, a broken cart or missing pages cost sales every minute. Fix it in the right order, without throwing away orders that came in since your last backup.
Fix it now
Get the site working again
- Don’t panic and don’t update anything else. If the site is down for visitors, restore the last backup or roll back the plugin first; find the cause afterwards.
- Run the database update if WooCommerce asks for it (you see a notice in the admin).
- Check for outdated template overrides. Go to WooCommerce → Status → System Status and scroll to the templates your theme overrides. Outdated templates often break cart and checkout.
- Find the extension that is not ready. On a copy of the site, disable payment and shipping extensions one by one.
On a shop, be careful with full backups: restoring one removes every order placed since that backup. Roll back the plugin first.
Why it happens
The usual causes
Outdated theme templates
The theme overrides WooCommerce templates that changed in the new version.
Extensions behind core
Payment, shipping and subscription extensions need their own update to match.
Pending database update
WooCommerce waits for its database update before everything works again.
Cached cart and checkout
Caching on pages that should never be cached shows customers stale or broken content.
Next time
Checklist before the next update
- Make a backup including the database
- Check the template status
- Run the update on a copy first
- Place a test order on the copy (never with a real payment)
- Update live outside peak hours
- Check checkout again after going live
How Verploy handles it
Test the next update before your clients see it
Every update is checked, and the risky ones are tested on a copy of the site first. Verploy compares the key pages on desktop and mobile, submits the forms and opens the checkout. If something looks off, the update is held back and the live site stays as it was. If a problem only shows after going live, Verploy attempts an automatic rollback and reports the result.
Read how safe updates work, the WordPress update checklist and staging updates for agencies. Another plugin? See all fixes.
No credit card.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Will I lose orders if I restore a backup?
Yes, everything placed since that backup. Prefer rolling back the plugin.
Why is checkout blank after the update?
Often an extension or an outdated template. Check WooCommerce → Status → System Status.
How do I test without real payments?
On a copy of the site, with payments in test mode.
Spend less time checking WordPress.
Let Verploy do the maintenance work.
Free on up to 3 sites. No credit card. The first 30 agencies keep 40% off for life.